Navigating gendered spaces
A feminist phenomenological exploration of women entrepreneurs lived experiences within government support agencies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12927720 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Edicleia Oliveira (0000-0003-0693-5643, Technological University Dublin, corresponding author), Serge Basini (0000-0003-3191-3024, Technological University Dublin), Thomas M Cooney (0000-0002-5401-4366, Technological University Dublin) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 564-601 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-27 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1756-6266 • E-ISSN: 1756-6274 |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1108/ijge-10-2023-0258 |
| OpenAlex | W4401931049 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 48 |
Purpose This article explores women entrepreneurs' lived experiences in their interactions with government enterprise support agencies. It investigates the relationship between gendering and Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), as a normative orientation adopted at the institutional level and justified by an economic rationale. It also explores how women entrepreneurs articulate their experiences through embodied metaphors and image schemas, shedding light on how they navigate the institutional entrepreneurial space. Design/methodology/approach This study is framed within the concept of Phenomenological Orientation as conceptualised in feminist phenomenology. It applies Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, a qualitative methodology focused on interpreting accounts of first-person lived experiences of a phenomenon. It combines IPA with Conceptual Metaphor Theory to understand women's articulation of their embodied relationship within the entrepreneurial space. Findings Findings reveal that the entrepreneurial orientation functions as a gendering process within entrepreneurial institutions, reinforcing masculine hegemonic ideals and marginalising women entrepreneurs. Women's phenomenological orientations often diverge from the normative entrepreneurial orientation, highlighting the need for a more inclusive framework in institutional entrepreneurial spaces. Research limitations/implications This article contributes to women's entrepreneurship literature by underlining the temporal dimension of entrepreneurship and the tension that underpins their interactions with government support bodies. It calls for inclusive policies and procedures to match the heterogeneity of orientations. While highlighting its limitations, it also suggests future research directions to deepen the understanding of entrepreneurship and inform more suitable support structures for all entrepreneurs. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by shedding light on the nuanced interplay between gendering, entrepreneurial orientation, and women entrepreneurs' lived experiences. It extends previous research by framing “orientation” within a temporality framework, offering a novel perspective on the gendering of entrepreneurial spaces
Embodied cognition · Entrepreneurship · Epistemology · Government (linguistics · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Metaphor · Normative · Originality · Phenomenology (philosophy · Political science · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences · Family Business Performance and Succession · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Gender Studies
Shaping Entrepreneurship Research
Don’t Pitch Like a Girl!
Gender and entrepreneurship
Extending the Boundaries
Gender and entrepreneurship research
How policy positions women entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurial learning from failure
Clarifying the Entrepreneurial Orientation Construct and Linking It to Performance
The Dilemma of Growth
The pervasive effects of family on entrepreneurship
Mip
Gender and entrepreneurship
A gender‐aware framework for women's entrepreneurship
Women’s entrepreneurship policy
Contexts and gender – looking back and thinking forward
Women entrepreneurs and venture capital
Woman’s entrepreneurship as a gendered niche
Becoming ‘Real’ Entrepreneurs
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |