Female Entrepreneurship in the Creative Economy

Abstract

This paper aims to bring a deeper understanding of the crossings between the different types of entrepreneurship. We are especially focused on females by bringing the crossings with social and creative entrepreneurship to understand their common grounding-beyond profit orientation. Starting from the literature review, our goal is to offer conceptual similarities and differences between the three types of entrepreneurship. Our central hypothesis is that all three types of entrepreneurship hold the same fundamental grounding reflected through their mission and vision – beyond profit orientation. The literature review will be crossed with empirical findings from cultural and creative industries on the example of fashion and design industry actors in the Belgrade design district. Such an approach will contribute to mapping and deeper understanding of existing female creative entrepreneurship, which is gender-sensitive, responsible, and share the mission and vision that goes beyond profit orientation. We came to the empirical findings from our interviews and focus group discussion. The vast majority of examined samples of entrepreneurial organizations within the Belgrade Design District see themselves as responsible entrepreneurs. According to their daily, monthly and yearly practices, most of them fit under all three types of entrepreneurship – by contributing from the sphere of fashion and crafts (wider creative and cultural industries). On the example of Belgrade's fashion and craft design sector, we can conclude that all three types of entrepreneurship overlap-as socially responsible and sustainable entrepreneurship led by creativity, innovation and experimental work.