The phenomenon of women's entrepreneurship has gained significant momentum across the globe. Written by leading scholars from a wide range of countries, this book advances the understanding of women's entrepreneurship by drawing attention to the contexts they operate in. It is the fifth in the series of books produced in partnership with the Diana International Research Network. In this book, expert contributors explore female potential and how entrepreneurs make decisions within a multi-layered gendered context. As a rare and current overview of women's entrepreneurship, it presents evidence of the positive impact that achieving equality in gendered institutions would have, how to facilitate meso-institutions' impact and how to foster entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial initiative at the individual level. A crucial discussion of how women's entrepreneurship could benefit from a more comprehensive concept of innovation or implementing entrepreneurial policies focused on women is also included. With its focus on advancing knowledge about gender issues within the business realm, Women's Entrepreneurship in Global and Local Contexts will be of interest to researchers, faculty and students as well as policy-makers and practitioners. Contributors include: R. Aidis, L. Alexandre, G. Armannsdottir, T. Bijedic, A.M. Bojica, C. Brindley, S. Brink, C.G. Brush, S. Coleman, S. Cooper, L. De Vita, M. del Mar Fuentes, C. Diaz-Garcia, K. Ettl, A. Ford, C. Foster, E.J. Gatewood, G. Gunay, B.R. Hernandez-Sanchez, E.B. Kahraman, S. Kriwoluzky, J.V. Leon, M. Mari, D. Nziku, C. Pich, S. Poggesi, A. Robb, M. Ruiz-Arroyo, J.C. Sanchez-Garcia, M. Tillmar, D. Uygur, F. Welter, D. Wheatley

Women and Entrepreneurship is a careful selection of the most significant previously published material which has been influential in shaping the field of women's entrepreneurship. The volume presents early works which laid the foundations first asking whether women entrepreneurs were different, exploring issues about women entrepreneurs and their businesses and delving into more specific questions on individual, organizational, and environmental matters. An organizing framework connects the works from theory to the conceptual categories of human capital, including personal cognition and goals, social capital, financial capital, strategic choice, performance, outcomes and environment. The volume provides a comprehensive introduction for any researcher entering this field of study and illustrates those areas where additional research is greatly needed.

Women's Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century: An International Multi-Level Research Analysis is the fourth in the series of books produced in partnership with the Diana International Research Network. The volume takes a multi-dimensional approach to the central theme of gender and entrepreneurship today and in the future.The book takes a holistic approach to exploring, via empirical and theoretical lenses, why women's involvement in venture creation matters. It offers a contemporary and diverse range of topics, written by leading scholars, that builds on a tradition of previous Diana volumes. The chapters span a wide range of countries, methodologies, and levels of analysis, all designed to contribute to advancing understanding of women and their engagement with entrepreneurial endeavors. With its broad span of geographic relevance and research driven by empirical data, this book will prove an essential guide for academics, students and researchers in the field, as well as policymakers and practitioners. Contributors: C.G. Brush, J. Byrne, S. Chasserio, S. Coleman, J. Courvisanos, A. de Bruin, M. Dlouha, T. Esnard, S. Fattoum, H. Frederick, J. Gabrielsson, E.J.Gatewood, R.T. Harrison, C. Henry, K. Ibata-Arens, M. Jomaraty, N. Jurik, A. K i kova, T. Lebegue, C.M. Leitch, K.V. Lewis, A.L. Dahlstrand, E. Lisowska, D. Mo nik, C. Nguyen, H. Nguyen, D. Politis, C. Poroli, A. Robb, N. Sappleton, K. irec, J. Watson, F. Welter

This Handbook explores the current state of university-wide entrepreneurship education programs and provides a comprehensive reference guide for the planning and implementation of an entrepreneurship curriculum beyond the business school environment. A variety of authors spanning five countries and multiple disciplines discuss the opportunities and universal challenges in extending entrepreneurship education to the sciences, performing arts, social sciences, humanities, and liberal arts environments. The Handbook is designed to assist educators in developing new programs and pedagogical approaches based upon the previous experiences of others who have forged this exciting new path. Sections of the Handbook are devoted to philosophies and theory that provide a legitimate intellectual foundation for the fusion of entrepreneurship education with other traditional disciplines of the university, the politics and process of implementing entrepreneurship initiatives outside business schools, and examples of approaches to implementing entrepreneurship education outside business schools. The book identifies expected problems and solutions for new entrepreneurship curriculum development. It offers theory on education pedagogy that is critical to addressing concerns of non-business educators, and provides examples of successful efforts in a variety of non-business departments. Entrepreneurship faculty across disciplines and graduate students seeking ways to broaden involvement in entrepreneurship curriculum will find this volume invaluable, as will school administrators both in business and in the arts and sciences.

Women?s entrepreneurship research and the understanding of factors influencing the growth of women-owned business have advanced significantly over the last decade. Yet, challenges remain. Women Entrepreneurs and the Global Environment for Growth provides wide-ranging insights on the challenges that women entrepreneurs face growing their businesses and how these may be addressed. This volume is rooted in research and considers growth challenges, provoking thought and enriching the current literature on gender and entrepreneurship. Part I highlights how contextual factors, and especially social and familial settings of entrepreneurs, have a differential impact on men and women. Part II examines strategies, constraints and enablers of growth and performance. The authors aptly demonstrate that a well-focused gender lens is necessary to better explain the phenomenon of women?s entrepreneurship. Extending previous studies about women?s entrepreneurship, this volume is unique in its application of research from the Diana Project, a path-breaking initiative dating from 1999 to study female entrepreneurial success. Contributions from an international cast of authors make this a comprehensive and broadly appealing reference work.Lending a fresh perspective to the field, this book will serve not only as a learning tool and teaching implement but will cultivate further progress in women?s entrepreneurship. As such, it is ideally suited for students and scholars of entrepreneurship and women?s studies, policy-makers, economic development analysts and gender researchers.

Enterprising new firms drive economic growth, and women around the world are important contributors to that growth. As entrepreneurs, they seize opportunities, develop and deliver new goods and services and, in the process, create wealth for themselves, their families, communities, and countries. This volume explores the role women entrepreneurs play in this economic progress, highlighting the challenges they encounter in launching and growing their businesses, and providing detailed studies of how their experiences vary from country to country. Statistics show that businesses owned by women tend to remain smaller than those owned by men, whether measured by the number of employees or by the size of revenues. Because women-led firms fail to grow as robustly, the opportunities to innovate and expand are limited, as are the rewards. Based on recent studies that examine the links between entrepreneurial supply and demand issues, this volume provides insights into how women around the world are addressing the challenges of entrepreneurial growth. The first set of chapters consists of country overviews and provides discussions of the state of women growing businesses. The second set of chapters describes research projects under way in different countries and explores more focused topics under the umbrella of women business owners and business growth. The volume concludes with an agenda and projects for future research. Academics and policymakers will gain a greater understanding of women's entrepreneurial behaviors and outcomes through this path-breaking volume. Those who support women through education and training, policymaking, or providing entrepreneurial resources will also find the volume of great practical interest.