IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/scaman/v33y2017i1p50-63.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

In the name of women? Feminist readings of policies for women’s entrepreneurship in Scandinavia

Author

Listed:
  • Pettersson, Katarina
  • Ahl, Helene
  • Berglund, Karin
  • Tillmar, Malin

Abstract

Policy actors seeking to stimulate entrepreneurship sometimes give special attention to women. It is not given, however, that policy initiatives for women entrepreneurs necessarily contribute to gender equality, to social change for women – such as enhancing entrepreneurship as a means to women’s well-being and financial or other independence – or to gendered change of society. We claim that the outcomes depend on the premises behind the policies. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an analysis of the feminist approaches that are taken in policies for women’s entrepreneurship in the Scandinavian countries. We analyse how these policies argue for women’s entrepreneurship, how they position women, and what assumptions they hold with respect to women and their businesses. We analyse and compare state-level polices that have been implemented by the national governments in three Scandinavian countries; Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, during the period 2005–2015. A comprehensive analytical tool, building on six different feminist theoretical approaches, is developed. We find that, even if a liberal feminist perspective is present, along with elements of other feminist approaches, polices give precedence to economic growth in a non-feminist fashion. Over time, economic growth becomes the key focus, while feminist approaches are silenced. We observe that, in the name of supporting women, the actual aim of policies for women entrepreneurs often seems to be economic growth, and women are seen merely as an untapped, and yet not fully adequate, resource.

Suggested Citation

  • Pettersson, Katarina & Ahl, Helene & Berglund, Karin & Tillmar, Malin, 2017. "In the name of women? Feminist readings of policies for women’s entrepreneurship in Scandinavia," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 50-63.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:33:y:2017:i:1:p:50-63
    DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2017.01.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956522116301257
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.scaman.2017.01.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Du Rietz, Anita & Henrekson, Magnus, 2000. "Testing the Female Underperformance Hypothesis," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, February.
    2. David B. Audretsch & Isabel Grilo & A. Roy Thurik (ed.), 2007. "Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship Policy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3856.
    3. William B. Gartner, 1988. "“Who Is an Entrepreneur?†Is the Wrong Question," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 12(4), pages 11-32, April.
    4. John O. Ogbor, 2000. "Mythicizing and Reification in Entrepreneurial Discourse: Ideology‐Critique of Entrepreneurial Studies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5), pages 605-635, July.
    5. Helene Ahl, 2006. "Why Research on Women Entrepreneurs Needs New Directions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(5), pages 595-621, September.
    6. Karin Berglund & Anders W. Johansson, 2007. "Entrepreneurship, discourses and conscientization in processes of regional development," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(6), pages 499-525.
    7. Ahl, Helene & Nelson, Teresa, 2015. "How policy positions women entrepreneurs: A comparative analysis of state discourse in Sweden and the United States," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 273-291.
    8. Per Davidsson & Johan Wiklund, 2001. "Levels of Analysis in Entrepreneurship Research: Current Research Practice and Suggestions for the Future," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 25(4), pages 81-100, July.
    9. Friederike Welter, 2011. "Contextualizing Entrepreneurship—Conceptual Challenges and Ways Forward," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(1), pages 165-184, January.
    10. Independent Evaluation Group, 2013. "World Bank Group Support for Innovation and Entrepreneurship : An Independent Evaluation," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 16665.
    11. repec:ilo:ilowps:346709 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Mayoux, Linda., 2001. "Jobs, gender and small enterprises : getting the policy environment right," ILO Working Papers 993467093402676, International Labour Organization.
    13. Lola Fabowale & Barbara Orser & Allan Riding, 1995. "Gender, Structural Factors, and Credit Terms between Canadian Small Businesses and Financial Institutions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 19(4), pages 41-65, July.
    14. Candida G. Brush, 1992. "Research on Women Business Owners: Past Trends, a New Perspective and Future Directions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 16(4), pages 5-30, July.
    15. Louise Nicholson & Alistair R. Anderson, 2005. "News and Nuances of the Entrepreneurial Myth and Metaphor: Linguistic Games in Entrepreneurial Sense–Making and Sense–Giving," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(2), pages 153-172, March.
    16. Helene Ahl & Karin Berglund & Katarina Pettersson & Malin Tillmar, 2016. "From feminism to FemInc.ism: On the uneasy relationship between feminism, entrepreneurship and the Nordic welfare state," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 369-392, June.
    17. Zoltan Acs & Laszlo Szerb, 2007. "Entrepreneurship, Economic Growth and Public Policy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 109-122, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Barbara Orser & Allan Riding & Julie Weeks, 2019. "The efficacy of gender-based federal procurement policies in the United States," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 491-515, August.
    2. Linda Elizabeth Ruiz & José Ernesto Amorós & Maribel Guerrero, 2023. "Does gender matter for corporate entrepreneurship? A cross-countries study," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 929-946, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anne De Bruin & Candida G. Brush & Friederike Welter, 2007. "Advancing a Framework for Coherent Research on Women's Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 31(3), pages 323-339, May.
    2. Barbara Orser & Allan Riding & Julie Weeks, 2019. "The efficacy of gender-based federal procurement policies in the United States," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 491-515, August.
    3. Franczak, Jennifer & Lanivich, Stephen E. & Adomako, Samuel, 2023. "Filling institutional voids: Combinative effects of institutional shortcomings and gender on the alertness – Opportunity recognition relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    4. Daniela Giménez & Andrea Calabrò, 2018. "The salient role of institutions in Women’s entrepreneurship: a critical review and agenda for future research," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 857-882, December.
    5. Helene Ahl, 2006. "Why Research on Women Entrepreneurs Needs New Directions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(5), pages 595-621, September.
    6. Marcus Box & Tommy Larsson Segerlind, 2018. "Entrepreneurial Teams, Gender, and New Venture Survival: Contexts and Institutions," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(2), pages 21582440187, May.
    7. Johnson, Michael A. & Stevenson, Regan M. & Letwin, Chaim R., 2018. "A woman's place is in the… startup! Crowdfunder judgments, implicit bias, and the stereotype content model," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 813-831.
    8. Alonso-Almeida, María del Mar, 2013. "Influence of gender and financing on tourist company growth," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(5), pages 621-631.
    9. Justo, Rachida & DeTienne, Dawn R. & Sieger, Philipp, 2015. "Failure or voluntary exit? Reassessing the female underperformance hypothesis," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 775-792.
    10. Erik Lundmark & Anna Krzeminska & Dean A. Shepherd, 2019. "Images of Entrepreneurship: Exploring Root Metaphors and Expanding Upon Them," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(1), pages 138-170, January.
    11. Verheul, Ingrid & Thurik, Roy & Grilo, Isabel & van der Zwan, Peter, 2012. "Explaining preferences and actual involvement in self-employment: Gender and the entrepreneurial personality," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 325-341.
    12. Maria Bastida & Ana Olveira & Miguel Ángel Vázquez Taín, 2023. "Are cooperatives gender sensitive? A confirmatory and predictive analysis of women's collective entrepreneurship," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(4), pages 1035-1059, December.
    13. Ana Tur-Porcar & Alicia Mas-Tur & José Antonio Belso, 2017. "Barriers to women entrepreneurship. Different methods, different results?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(5), pages 2019-2034, September.
    14. Helene Ahl & Karin Berglund & Katarina Pettersson & Malin Tillmar, 2016. "From feminism to FemInc.ism: On the uneasy relationship between feminism, entrepreneurship and the Nordic welfare state," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 369-392, June.
    15. Henry, Colette & Lewis, Kate V., 2023. "The art of dramatic construction: Enhancing the context dimension in women’s entrepreneurship research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    16. Xuemei Xie & Jiuchang Lv, 2016. "Social networks of female tech-entrepreneurs and new venture performance: the moderating effects of entrepreneurial alertness and gender discrimination," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 963-983, December.
    17. Forsström-Tuominen, Heidi & Jussila, Iiro & Kolhinen, Johanna, 2015. "Business school students’ social construction of entrepreneurship: Claiming space for collective entrepreneurship discourses," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 102-120.
    18. Lundmark, Erik & Milanov, Hana & Seigner, Benedikt David Christian, 2022. "Can it be measured? A quantitative assessment of critiques of the entrepreneurship literature," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    19. Alfonso Expósito & Juan A. Amparo Sanchis-Llopis & Juan A. Juan A. Sanchis-Llopis, 2023. "Does entrepreneur gender matter in SMEs performance? The role of innovations," Working Papers 2308, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    20. Maksim Belitski & Sameeksha Desai, 2021. "Female ownership, firm age and firm growth: a study of South Asian firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 825-855, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:33:y:2017:i:1:p:50-63. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/872/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.