Underlying reasons that explain female entrepreneurship

As already noted, the qualitative discourse analysis has revealed the existence of four reasons that could explain, or help understand, why a woman decides to undertake in the actuality. Of these, there are two which all respondents, men and women, understood as a priority, regardless of the frequency with which they appear in the speeches (Table 1). It is about the reasons of “internal” type, that is to say, linked to the motivations, concerns and desires of women, and the “external”, associated with the social and economic context of crisis in which we currently find ourselves. It would be what the literature has been considered as individual or personal and economic-occupational factors. The other two reasons identified in the analysis, “familiar” and “associated to cultural change and development of women”, appear mostly in the speech of men, to a lesser extent than before.

Table 1 Reasons for female entrepreneurship. Frequency with which the codes are expressed in speech by gender. 

Source: Authors.

Internal reasons, motivational

These reasons are appearing more frequently in both speeches, clearly reflects the importance that respondents attach to it. Women are the ones that mention these issues to a greater extent; in fact almost all points them out in their interviews. To answer the question posed to them, they are based on personal experience, that is, the reason that led them to undertake. Analyzing women’s speeches, it appears that most was gainfully employed but did not feel at all satisfied with the work they were developing. They saw how his ideas were not taken into consideration and did not feel as their own the successes achieved by companies. That frustration, and not feeling conducted in this area of their lives, acting as triggers of the entrepreneurship. This coincides with what the literature has noted: dissatisfaction of women with paid employment is one of the variables that encourage the creation of a business of their own.

(. . .) I saw that the contributions i made in my work were not taken into consideration (. . .), I could lead a business myself and jumped to undertake (E1-Women).

One day I was working, throwing more hours than a clock and helping other companies to make their workers were happier and to organize better the work of the people, for another company, for others (. . .), and said, “I will take more hours than a clock but for me, to manage a team and the business itself”(E4-Women).

The interviewees speak of a feeling, a concern, a personal desire, to develop the ideas they had and become the owners of their own businesses. They point out that the possibility of undertaking they found it striking because of the implications it had. Create their own business would enable them not only to develop their ideas, but also to apply the knowledge they had acquired, manage a staff of workers, be independent, prove their worth, etc. In short, undertake was perceived as a challenge, a possibility of personal self-improvement and professional, which they were willing to face. In their words, security in themselves and their ability to lead and to manage the new company is appreciated.

It’s basically something that comes out of the “I want to do that. . .” (. . .) It was the idea that i wanted to do that (E3-Women). I think it’s something that goes into each individual. some people are born with that individual spirit (. . .) wants to contribute something, to self realization (. . .). Being able to have people in your charge to be developed, to help them to reach the goals of the company. (. . .) I decided that i would go alone and be an entrepreneur and to contribute to the economy, to continue my education, publicize who you are and what you can and constantly go out of your comfort zone. you are working on a site and in the end you always do what you’re told you have to do . . . (E4-Women).

The respondents indicate that there is a significant difference between young women and middle-aged. In both cases a motivation is seen, a desire to undertake, but in the young that desire is greater. In addition, it is based on a personal interest in wanting to realize the ideas they have, fruit of his training. The middle-aged women, meanwhile, are less enthusiastic, and to define the type of company are based more on personal experience, that is, in what they can do.

In young women are new ideas; in women over 40 they want to set up businesses to develop the skills that they have, or the experience they have: “For many years I worked in A clothing store and i know from this sector”. Or “I can sew very well. . .”, older women what they want to do is that . . . benefit from their experience: “I want to make cupcakes because i do them well and the way I do it. . .”. But young women are more to develop their studies and new ideas (E1-Women).

In some specific cases, respondents suggest that if women decide to undertake may also be because they belong to a family where there are entrepreneurial tradition. The reason in these cases remains for a motivational type, linked to the inner desire to continue the family project.

. . .We are born in the company, we live the entrepreneurship that have developed our fathers, have lived this experience and continue with what they created motivates you to move forward in the business . . . most of the female entrepreneurship were formed by family businesses, (. . .) what is important is be able to continue and be there . . . (E5-Women).

“Internal reasons, motivational” are also appearing more frequently in male discourse. In this case, men focus their responses on two fundamental ideas: the first is the existence of a personal and inner desire to develop the project that is taken into mind. Sometimes they argue that the workplace does not allow women to materialize their ideas and, therefore, decide to undertake.

. . . The ability to achieve the objectives she herself in the professional field might arise and, at best, within the professional field, unfortunately in certain sectors and companies are not allowed (E9-MAN).

The second reason of motivational type is linked to the interest that a woman may feel for wanting to continue the family business. Women also alluded to this matter but in the speech of men appear more often.

. . . many times to continue the tradition of the family business,. . . (E7-MAN).

External reasons, the context

These reasons are associated with the context of crisis in which we currently find ourselves. To these refer both men and women, although the latter point that, at present, this set of reasons is more decisive in undertaking than any other, especially for middle-aged women. As they explain, young women undertake more by the desire to realize their ideas, and the median age for leaving the unemployment situation in which they find themselves.

Today the need is basically leaving unemployment. (. . .), They want to undertake, especially people over 45, over 40, they see impossible to have an employment contract with the crisis, with their circumstances, with its environment, with his personal situation because they are mothers and have children in charge. . . They have been saying that they will not have an employment contract and want to undertake. (. . .) Especially it is undertaken today for leaving unemployment (. . .) by necessity (E1-Women).

Family reasons, linked to motherhood

Along with the reasons given so far, male respondents argue that if women decide to undertake may also be because they are mothers and have dependent children. According to respondents, creating a company has certain attractions for the woman who is mother: lets you control your schedule, manage time, have more freedom and flexibility, etc. Some researches (^{DeMartino & Barbato, 2003}) conclude that the presence of children in the household can increase the interest of women to undertake, given the flexibility and independence that are in this type of professional careers to suit the needs of the family and parenting.

. . . Woman prefers or wants to own a little more of her agenda, for the fact of being mother and for that prefers to be her own boss, instead of working for others, (. . .). And there is A source of entrepreneurship . . . Motherhood and the consequences it has for the woman who wants professional development (. . .). Often it is undertaken because it considers that she will be the owner of his agenda (E10-MAN).

The women interviewed allude to family issues only once, and do it in a different way to men. They argue that if the woman decides to undertake it may be because motherhood is an element hindering their access to the labor market as an employee.

Reasons related to cultural change and development of women

Finally, the progress that society has undergone in terms of equality between men and women promotes or encourages female entrepreneurship according to the respondents. The men are those who mention these issues as an enabler for female entrepreneurship, making in the future, the rates are equalized regarding to the male.

. . . In the end the woman is culturally developing a lot, well, at the same time the man or even more. (. . .) The woman evidently has been modernized. society has also accepted the women to work (E6-MAN).

We’re seeing that there are more women well formed therefore, logically, it makes me understand that there will be more women who decide to undertake an activity and bring up her company (E8-MAN).

Elements that limit female entrepreneurship

As in the previous section, based on the speech expressed by businessmen and female entrepreneurs interviewed, a content analysis, in a descriptive way, will be done, both quantitative and qualitative. This is intended on the one hand, to know the frequency with which the interviewees refer to the limiting elements of female entrepreneurship, these being classified for study or consideration in four codes (Table 2). And, moreover, this analysis seeks to highlight differences in the speech of employers in relation to theircounterparts speech (women entrepreneurs) on the subject.

Table 2 Elements that limit female entrepreneurship. Frequency with which the codes are expressed in the speech by gender.  

Source: Authors.

Lack of entrepreneurial culture and socialization among women

The importance of entrepreneurship in the social support and the role of media in building an entrepreneurial culture is an aspect repeatedly noted in research. In this regard, the following fragment of a discourse of women entrepreneurs, it stresses the idea that now, since the school, it should make a work of awareness and preparation that promotes entrepreneurship.

In a survey in which students were asked if they saw themselves leading a project, women said no and the man yes, even the female students who had better grades than them said in greater proportion no. since school they look like it is not their role, which is not its role. so, look, we have to fight against our environment and then ourselves. if we don’t believe in ourselves, that we are the ones that we have to change our environment. . . There is no motivation in schools, don’t work on leadership, there is no motivation to equality, the coeducation, things that could give tools to feel able to lead and do what you want (E1-Women).

Faced with the need to promote kindness and entrepreneurship, the data from this study show that male entrepreneurs did not express any concern in his speech to the lack of social support; support that we consider it necessary, therefore, in principle, can foster the business career and can also generate conditions in the environment that mitigates the difficulties of female entrepreneurship. Create a business is not a socially accepted career for women.

Family responsibilities

The male speech is very prodigal when speaking of “family responsibilities”; on 10 occasions entrepreneurs talk about issues related to women and, although it seems a paradox, women do only on 2 occasions. Thanks to the “query tool” which is what facilitates us different texts between men and women, can be examined in a descriptive way and qualitatively what is the speech manifested.

The woman with children is clearly conditioned; this is an undeniable reality. Have limitations as a worker and also as an entrepreneur. The company itself is receiving problems of the female condition. In the following excerpt, a businessman shows his complaint about the lack of state support that has the entrepreneur when the workingwoman is pregnant.

Motherhood begins when A woman says i’m pregnant. when a woman says i’m pregnant starts with physical or psychological problems, not all. . . I’ve had women who have water breaks here and i’ve had women who have been absent from the second month. . . that’s a problem, and i do all the payment, less sixteen weeks where only i paid half. the truth is that this is a problem for professional limitation and entrepreneurial of the women. and i think also that the law does not support enough. . . i think there had to be much more courageous. Anyway, here we speak of the workingwoman, not of women entrepreneurs (E10-MAN).

From the point of view of the workingwoman, also argues an entrepreneur, the inequality in the couple when the child needs medical attention:

For example, you have a marriage in which they are both working, and when asking an exceedance or permission to take the child to the doctor, the father never asks for permission, it is always the mother, so the mother always will be seen in the company worse than the father. If a child gets sick calls the mom, because it is the first phone that comes on the agenda. So what happens, the woman there will always have a step and as long as that exists, the woman will always be undervalued at work (E2-Women).

The woman, as an entrepreneur, trying to reconcile business life and family life, because both are important in their personal life. Their responsibility leads them to move on these two worlds, professional and private, splitting his time. They see both male entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs. The following testimony exemplifies this observation:

In life you have the path of entrepreneurship, but the family is also very important at the time the woman have developed and mounted his life or as we like to call it. Conditions much that is the familiar part at the time of the undertaking (E7-MAN).

The women themselves: their beliefs and feelings

The unique characteristics of women entrepreneurs can play a dual role in the task of undertaking; on the one hand, you can emphasize your qualities, skills, abilities. . . that can promote business success and, moreover, certain beliefs, opinions, behaviors, feelings. . . are given, rooted in the woman herself, which undermine the undertaking. Is relevant to emphasize the latter, in the constraints, while, what is intended to highlight are the difficulties faced by women in the exercise of the undertaking.

As is stated in Table 2, only women entrepreneurs talk about what restrains their professional capacity; male entrepreneurs, meanwhile, do not mention anything about it in relation to women.

The assessment that the woman makes of the importance of training constitutes one of the handicaps that limit, without a doubt, their entrepreneurial activity. This fact is endorsed by some comments in the interview of one of the entrepreneurs, which refers both to the formation of a business character as to that training relevant to their personal growth.

When I was in OMEP,¹ when giving training courses, i was angry because women always have an excuse not to grow more. It’s like your job, the most important thing for us at the time, is what we are doing and we are not going to that place where we can train more. Seminars and courses that are made, which are to update the training. The man gives more importance to it than women. and if it goes, it goes with the time just. (. . .) Training and i mean not to university education, but of the one we spoke before personal development (E2-Women).