This Research Handbook highlights the importance of women as agents of change, acknowledging women entrepreneurs' efforts and supporting their value-creation activities. With important implications for policymaking, contributing authors direct attention to and provide evidence for the positive contribution of women entrepreneurs to the economy, regardless of their businesses' size and formal status. Challenging the underperformance hypothesis associated with women entrepreneurs, chapters present evidence that women do not underperform in their businesses, but that they add value even in constrained environments. This intends to shift the focus of research from questions like 'what do entrepreneurs do?' to 'how do they do it?', focusing on the unique ways in which each woman entrepreneur creates value, and 'for whom do they do it?', looking at the multiple value outcomes women entrepreneurs create and the beneficiaries of that value. With a global perspective on women's entrepreneurship and their value creation, this Research Handbook will be vital reading for researchers of entrepreneurship, as well as government agencies and policymakers interested in promoting entrepreneurial activity.

This Research Handbook highlights the importance of women as agents of change, acknowledging women entrepreneurs’ efforts and supporting their value-creation activities. With important implications for policymaking, contributing authors direct attention to and provide evidence for the positive contribution of women entrepreneurs to the economy, regardless of their businesses’ size and formal status. Challenging the underperformance hypothesis associated with women entrepreneurs, chapters present evidence that women do not underperform in their businesses, but that they add value even in constrained environments. This intends to shift the focus of research from questions like ‘what do entrepreneurs do?’ to ‘how do they do it?’, focusing on the unique ways in which each woman entrepreneur creates value, and ‘for whom do they do it?’, looking at the multiple value outcomes women entrepreneurs create and the beneficiaries of that value. With a global perspective on women’s entrepreneurship and their value creation, this Research Handbook will be vital reading for researchers of entrepreneurship, as well as government agencies and policymakers interested in promoting entrepreneurial activity.

By exploring the economic and social value of disabled people with positive entrepreneurial traits and adaptive skills, this innovative book breaks away from normative entrepreneurial studies to recognise the overlooked value in disabled entrepreneurs. In the study of entrepreneurship, the social tendency to disregard people with disabilities has caused a paucity of knowledge about the successful ventures of disabled people worldwide. Seeking to improve public understanding of disabled entrepreneurs, this pioneering book re-evaluates their identity, value and contribution beyond economic, cultural and geographical contexts. Chapters explore disabled entrepreneurs from non-Western economies and marginalised social segments, with a focus on emphasising the importance of disabled women entrepreneurs from developing economies as agents of change for society and the economy. Exploring the push and pull factors that exist for disabled people in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, chapters disassemble the socially institutionalised barriers to important sources of value creation by disabled entrepreneurs. With a global scope, this book will prove invaluable for students and scholars of entrepreneurship and business management. With expert insights into innovative practices and evidence-based policymaking from a range of disabled entrepreneurs, it will be a vital resource for entrepreneurs looking to build and grow inclusive and successful ventures.

'A must read for all entrepreneurship scholars because it helps us to understand and appreciate the real and many roles of women entrepreneurs, their relevance and importance to societies across the World, as well as the challenges and issues women entrepreneurs can face. An exciting and interesting read which presents us with critical questions for the future - thank you.' - Sarah Jack, Lancaster University Management School, UK Taking a fresh look at how performance is defined by examining the institutional power structures and policies, eminent scholars herein explore ways to overcome constrained performance and encourage women?s entrepreneurial activities through a variety of methodological approaches and geographical contexts. Significantly, this book adds a critical perspective to defining ?success? and ?performance?, shattering misconceptions of underperformance in women-owned enterprises. The contributing authors raise questions on the limiting concept of the ?entrepreneur? and have valuable insights into policies to facilitate female entrepreneurs. Instead of taking a one-sided and narrow approach with regards to understanding the entrepreneurship performance phenomenon, this book argues that future researchers should take a fresh look at business performance, considering structural constraints, definitions of success and other socio-political factors. Scholars in the fields of entrepreneurship, gender studies, and institutional theory, as well as those who have a general interest in critical research, will benefit from this progressive step in entrepreneurship research. Contributors include: R. Aidis, A. Akdeniz, H. Baiya, M. Boddington, D. Brozik, J.O. De Castro, L. Delgado-Marquez, S. Dewitt, W. Farraj, A. Fayolle, A.T. Hailemariam, C. Henry, C. Hoyte, B. Irene, J. Johansson, N. Jurik, R. Justo, A. Kamau, P. Kamau, G. Khoury, B. Kroon, A. Lindgreen, J. Lockyer, M. Malmstroem, M. Milliance, D. Muia, R. Narendran, J. Ndung'u, S. Saeed, N. Sappleton, S. Sheikh, F. Sist, S. Sultan, A. Voitkane, J. Wincent, S. Yousafzai, A. Zapalska