Study of the Contribution of Research into Women Entrepreneurship : A Meta-analysis of Discourses in the Literature using ATLAS.ti

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, we have analyzed how existing literature contributes to women entrepreneurship research in terms of theoretical, methodological and practical ways of understanding. Based on relevant contents and discourses, a main line within the trend of development can be seen as women entrepreneurship shifting from a marginalized discipline to a more multi-dimensional research concept. Certain representative issues evoke development or are even being left as “atheoretical” at some point; the “alternative” angle is accordingly significant for an in-depth exploration through the relevant materials. The literature resources are chosen with close attention to the keywords “women entrepreneurship” in current issues from academically well-known journals and books. Therefore, we plan to set three objectives in this analysis based on the following three questions: (1) Why is it important to study women entrepreneurship? (2) How does current research contribute to women entrepreneurship both from theoretical and practical points of view? (3) What are the future concerns provided by the relevant discussions? The time range has been set from 2006 to 2012, so that we can anticipate the contemporary research situation and how women entrepreneurship has evolved. Four positions (“equal opportunities”, “meritocracy”, “special contribution”, and “alternative values”) synthesized by Alvesson and Billing (2009) as “approaches to the understanding of women and leadership” will be “borrowed” to help classify and understand the theoretical background. Useful discussions and conclusions can be generalized through integrating the four positions with multiple points, which have been summarized by reading through the literature. (Seven points include “overall research development of women entrepreneurship”, “empirical data gaps”, “enterprising promise of women entrepreneurship”, “comparisons between male and female entrepreneurs”, “barriers (inequality) for female entrepreneurs”, “important role of women entrepreneurs”, and “cultural (national) differences for studying women entrepreneurship”). Discourses related to diverse perspectives of studying women entrepreneurship will be highlighted and concentrated on in order to conduct a meta-analysis. During the analyzing process, ATLAS.ti will be used as a support tool.