The role of female-only business networks in rural development
Evidence from NSW, Australia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12090069 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Angelo Saavedra (0000-0002-2750-3113, University of New England, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 106 |
| Pages | 103236-103236 |
| Publication date | 2024-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Rural Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0743-0167 • E-ISSN: 1873-1392 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2024.103236 |
| OpenAlex | W4391425166 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 37 |
This qualitative paper explores rural women entrepreneurs' motives for joining a female-founded, female-only business network. Using a theoretical framework based on the collective identity, territorial capital and gendered networks, we found that rural women's underlying motives to join the network is to harmonise the perceived dichotomy between their roles as women and as entrepreneurs and pave the way for a successful entrepreneurial journey. Their narratives suggest they prefer to connect and learn in business networks that they feel are extensions of who they are; that is where their identities are maintained and produce a sense of belonging. Network members perceive each other as ‘like-minded’, which suggests interpersonal congruence and behavioural integration, where they expect social interactions to be conflict-free. Therefore, the women perceived the network as supportive and non-competitive, with the main benefits of building their self-confidence while mitigating the social isolation and feelings of loneliness that characterise rural contexts in Australia. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of female-founded FOBNs as neo-endogenous agents catalysts for shifting social paradigms and fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive rural landscape
Business · Business development · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Sociology · Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences · Family Business Performance and Succession · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Marketing
Role Models and Women Entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurial Superwoman Has Her Say
Social Networks and Entrepreneurship
Gender, Entrepreneurial Self–Efficacy, and Entrepreneurial Career Intentions
Narrative and the Cultural Psychology of Identity
Cultural entrepreneurship
Identity as adaptation to social, cultural, and historical context
Seeking Qualitative Rigor in Inductive Research
What Do We Know When We Know a Person
Entrepreneurship ecosystems and women entrepreneurs
Stories from the field
A gender‐aware framework for women's entrepreneurship
Is a lack of self‐confidence hindering women entrepreneurs
Why women build less effective networks than men
Gender Stereotypes
Neoliberalism as a political rationality
Sharing the load? Partners' relative earnings and the division of domestic labour
The narrative constitution of identity
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |