Entrepreneurship as a career option for woman: An overview of research

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is seen as a non-traditional career option for women and most of the available research on this career focus on the male entrepreneur. A life-cycle model of career development is used as basis to systematize the review of the few studies of female entrepreneurs. Research on factors influencing the developmental history of women entrepreneurs, namely their education and training, personality traits, childhood family environment, work history, adult developmental history and adult family history, are grouped together for discussion. Factors affecting the women entrepreneurs' current situation are discussed separately. Research on female entrepreneurs in two different cultures are contrasted and areas for research on women entrepreneurs in South Africa are discussed.