Let the Truth Be Told By a Scholar About Women Entrepreneurs

Maria Minniti Ph.D. (pictured), holder of the Bobby B. Lyle Chair in Entrepreneurship at SMU’s Cox School of Business, proves to us that studying women entrepreneurs sheds light on entrepreneurship and wealth creation, employment choices, human capital, labor market dynamics, family dynamics and employment, business creation and peace, to name a few.

Women’s businesses tend to be smaller and to grow less than those owned by men. But do those tendencies really convey the nuances inherent in female entrepreneurship and its full impact across the globe?

A couple of highlights from Professor Minniti's research:

• Women are involved in entrepreneurial activities out of two primary reasons — opportunity and necessity.

• Countries which have healthy and diversified labor markets or stronger safety nets show a more favorable ratio of opportunity to necessity-driven women entrepreneurs.

• Only recently has the link between peace and female entrepreneurship been appreciated; it could represent a very significant source of stability in some of the most unstable areas of the globe.

• On average, women seem less networked than men and, in some cultures, have access to fewer social resources.

• Minniti notes that "women are very strong at negotiating, achieving goal-congruence, and consensus-forming.”

• Self-satisfaction is more important to women that financial profitability and growth; and of course, family considerations are very important in women's jump to self-employment.

• How institutions promote or discourage female entrepreneurship should be studied for its policy implications.

Read more here. And to request a copy of Dr. Minniti's forthcoming paper, “Gender Issues in Entrepreneurship,” go here:

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