The literature on “entrepreneurial opportunities” has grown rapidly since the publication of Shane and Venkataraman (2000). By directing attention to the earliest stages of development of new economic activities and organizations, this marks sound redirection of entrepreneurship research. However, our review shows that theoretical and empirical progress has been limited on important aspects of the role of “opportunities” and their interaction with actors, i.e., the “nexus”. We argue that this is rooted in inherent and inescapable problems with the “opportunity” construct itself, when applied in the context of a prospective, micro-level (i.e., individual[s], venture, or individual–venture dyad) view of entrepreneurial processes. We therefore suggest a fundamental re-conceptualization using the constructs External Enablers, New Venture Ideas, and Opportunity Confidence to capture the many important ideas commonly discussed under the “opportunity” label. This re-conceptualization makes important distinctions where prior conceptions have been blurred: between explananda and explanantia; between actor and the entity acted upon; between external conditions and subjective perceptions, and between the contents and the favorability of the entity acted upon. These distinctions facilitate theoretical precision and can guide empirical investigation towards more fruitful designs.

Entrepreneurial opportunities and the entrepreneurship nexus : a re-conceptualization

This study used content analyzed ten Australian Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sites for their brand awareness, communication, information, integration and cultural awareness to examine how best they use Instagram to internationalize. In this study, the internationalization process was provided through engaging a 3-stage internationalization process model (no plans to export, potential exporter, exporters) and, training outcomes were identified. Findings showed that owing to reduced barriers of engaging with overseas market, SMEs with the higher brand and cultural awareness, and acceptable online communication practices were primed for internationalization while SMEs who had poor business integration were negatively viewed for internationalization. These findings have implications for theory and practice.

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Internationalization Via Instagram: An Exploratory Study of Small and Medium Enterprises

This paper deals with the topic area “female entrepreneurship,” and the research focuses on the determinants of female entrepreneurs’ business success and sustainability, together with their impact on Taiwan’s economic development. According to the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) and the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) classification, Taiwan can be considered an emerging economy. Various liberal and social theories and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions were analyzed to develop some hypotheses, including some relevant success factors connected to female entrepreneurship in Taiwan. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and the Female Entrepreneurship Index (FEI) were relevant for the data analysis because the research was based on secondary data with 1098 observations, and a logistic regression model was performed. The factors of fear of failure and personal network correlated significantly to female entrepreneurs’ business success in Taiwan and the level of education had no significant correlation. Further research is recommended to include additional factors to achieve a higher accuracy of the model. A comparison of Taiwan with another region/country might also deliver some interesting insights.

Determinants of Success of Businesses of Female Entrepreneurs in Taiwan

This study examines trait and context antecedents of entrepreneurial persistence in new venture creation. Two personality traits, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and tenacity, differently impact subsequent entrepreneurial persistence behavior in different industry contexts. These relationships are tested using logistic regression in a sample of entrepreneurs from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED-II; Curtin & Reynolds, 2018). In developing the PSED-II dataset, 31,845 individuals were screened using phone interviews in order to identify a sample of 1,214 nascent entrepreneurs. Results of the current study identify significant relationships between entrepreneurial persistence in efforts to launch a new business and entrepreneurial self-efficacy and tenacity. However, the relationships have diminishing returns and vary with the industry context of the business (manufacturing, retail, services). In the retail industry sector, neither trait was significant; however, in manufacturing industry contexts, tenacity seems to matter more for continuing to pursue new ventures than self-efficacy, while in services industries, self-efficacy seems to matter more than tenacity.

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Entrepreneurial tenacity and self-efficacy effects on persisting across industry contexts

The objective of this paper is to investigate a unique type of entrepreneurship in women handicraft entrepreneurs. Data were collected from six women handicraft entrepreneurs by using in-depth interviews. Born after the 1980s, they strive for survival in a highly competitive marketplace. They are all passion-driven entrepreneurs. They have to engage in other activities (ranging from teaching handicraft classes to working in another full-time job) to financially support and sustain their handicraft work. It was found that challenges include high rental rates in the city, long product development processes, small market sizes, and insufficient knowledge in digital marketing. Almost all of them are skillful, innovative, and passionate on the artistic side, but reactive and passive on the business side. Measures were suggested to empower such women entrepreneurs in view of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Unconventional Entrepreneurship: Women Handicraft Entrepreneurs in a Market-Driven Economy

This study explores the early stages of the female entrepreneurial process from conception to venture start up. Seventy-eight female entrepreneurs’ stories, published on the Flying Goose Program website, were collected and analyzed by content. Engaged in different industries, they are mostly small- and medium-sized enterprises or micro-enterprises in personal service industry. The results describe the women entrepreneur as: middle-aged, married, college degree, with work experience, no management experience, no financial backup, mostly in traditionally personal service industry. In addition to their dreams, interests, and specific skills and knowledge, these women have a desire to solve life problems or assist disadvantaged groups in society. When they have an entrepreneurial idea, they are likely to share it with and receive approval and affirmation from their families—particularly their husbands. Government assistance is a major factor affecting their venture start up decision making. They access related business knowledge from training courses. Practical and policy implications for female entrepreneurship are provided.

To cite this document: Ting-Ling Lin, Tzu-Ying Lu, Mei-Chen Hsieh, Heng-Yih Liu, "From Conception to Start-Up: Who and What Affect Female Entrepreneurship", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.14, No.4, pp. 253-276, 2018.

Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.17957

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Ting-Ling Lin

Papers

From Conception to Start-Up: Who and What Affect Female Entrepreneurship