Public narratives of female entrepreneurship: fairy tale or fact?

Abstract

This article considers the nature of the portrayal of female entrepreneurs in public narratives of entrepreneurship and whether there exists a reductionist approach to such discourses. If there are basic plots driving such narratives, how authentic are they and what characteristics do they embody? Consideration is also given to whether individualism is amplified at the expense of the silencing of collectivism and the implications of such a trend. Two original and theoretically driven typologies are put forward that attempt to capture primary narrative characterisations of ‘the female entrepreneur’.

Keywords:

• entrepreneurship
• gender
• narrative
• discourse
• female entrepreneur

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kate V. Lewis

Kate Lewis is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Management at Massey University. She is also an Associate Director of the New Zealand Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Centre and an Advisory Group member of the Massey People, Organisation, Work and Employment Research (MPOWER) group.