On Being Entrepreneurial: Exploring the Potential of Intersectionality in Business Incubation
2024 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
In my thesis, I examine the possibility of applying intersectionality to business incubation. Sharing my personal experiences as a white, hetero, middle-class, cis woman in the entrepreneurial world and highlighting the privileges I had, I criticize the ideal of "the female entrepreneur" that is often shaped by white feminism, which only caters to the needs of already privileged women. I argue that entrepreneurship has been considered a purely meritocratic activity, but it depends on a person’s personal background and their social positionality. Thus, a founder's success is influenced by factors such as gender, age, socio-economic background, dis/ability, or ethnicity. Using entrepreneurial ecosystems as contextual basis, I explore how intersectionality can be used to making business incubation more inclusive. For my case study research design, I employ semi-structured interviews, written documents, and analytic memos as my selected methods. Ultimately, I have developed an intersectional business incubation model that is designed to offer practical and theoretical insights to practitioners, policymakers, and scholars.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024. , p. 65
Keywords [en]
Intersectionality, female entrepreneurship, business incubation, feminism, case study research, inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems, entrepreneurial identity, safe spaces
National Category
Gender Studies Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-205818ISRN: LIU-TEMA G/GSIC1-A—24/008-SEOAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-205818DiVA, id: diva2:1881957
Supervisors
Examiners
2024-07-152024-07-042024-07-15Bibliographically approved