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The ‘feminine’ entrepreneurial personality trait: The competitive advantage of female college-student entrepreneurs in Chinese wei-shang businesses?

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  • Jhony Choon Yeong Ng

    (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics)

  • Metis Meng Die Huang

    (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics)

  • Yiping Liu

    (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics)

Abstract

We conducted this grounded theory research to study the motivation of wei-shangs (i.e., wechat businesspersons) in starting their own business ventures, and their business model and entrepreneurial behaviors. We found that many college-student wei-shangs are risk-adverse individuals who think of entrepreneurship merely as a leisure-time pursuit. We also found that ‘feminine’ characteristics seem to hold a key to successful entrepreneurship. Furthermore, we found that wei-shangs use the wechat platform to extend their social network and to gain the trust of potential customers to get them to buy their products.

Suggested Citation

  • Jhony Choon Yeong Ng & Metis Meng Die Huang & Yiping Liu, 2016. "The ‘feminine’ entrepreneurial personality trait: The competitive advantage of female college-student entrepreneurs in Chinese wei-shang businesses?," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(5), pages 343-369, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:abaman:v:15:y:2016:i:5:d:10.1057_s41291-016-0012-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s41291-016-0012-0
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