How women entrepreneurs start their own businesses: Perceived uncertainties, Motivations, and Entrepreneurial actions. A comparison between Spain and Singapore

Abstract

SUMMARY Entrepreneurs are recognized as enhancing the economic stability of nations. They provide proportionally more employment, innovation and productivity growth. However, the absolute potential of entrepreneurship has not been achieved. This is because the number of women entrepreneurs remains underrepresented worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the reasons for this underrepresentation and, thereby, promote female entrepreneurship. In understanding the low numbers of women entrepreneurs, studies have focused on the perceived uncertainties and motivations that women experience during entrepreneurship and which trigger their actions. However, such studies have yet to address understanding - in a dynamic way - how their perceived uncertainties (PUs) are reduced through their entrepreneurial actions (EAs), and these actions are triggered by their motivations (Ms) to start their own businesses. By doing so, possible clues might be provided to boost the number of women entrepreneurs. Based mainly on the theoretical insights of McMullen and Shepherd (2006) and Meijer et al. (2007), a theoretical framework was developed. Perceived uncertainties, motivations, and entrepreneurial actions comprised the objects of study and the research questions were addressed to these three main concepts. A cross-cultural investigation based on a qualitative approach was carried out. In particular, nine Singaporean and nine Spanish women entrepreneurs belonging to the branding and marketing sector were interviewed. After the transcription of the interviews, the data were scrutinized through a thematic analysis. As a result, significant PUs (10), Ms (12) and EAs (10) were recognized in each group. Subsequently, interpretations were applied to the results and the research questions were answered. The results mainly show that, while the Spanish women entrepreneurs have focused their EAs on being prepared before the launching of their businesses, the Singaporean women entrepreneurs concentrated their actions on growing them. This disparity resulted from the kinds of PUs exclusively present in each country. EAs were taken to reduce these uncertainties, providing, in turn, further motivation to keep going. The limitations of this research mainly derived from the number of women entrepreneurs interviewed, the sector in which they worked and the nations to which they belonged. Its theoretical implications were not possible to verify due to these limitations. However, theoretical contributions for further investigation were provided. Moreover, some policy recommendations are offered for the Spanish government. These are mainly based on the reduction of the legal requirements to create a business and the fiscal duties imposed during the first years of entrepreneurship. In summary, this study intends to serve as another small step in the promotion of female entrepreneurship.