Abstract

JONATHAN, Eva G.. Women entrepreneurs: the challenge of choosing entrepreneurship and the exercise of power. Psicol. clin. [online]. 2011, vol.23, n.1, pp.65-85. ISSN 0103-5665.

This article aims to think about women's relationship to power, based a synthesis of observations made in different studies on women's entrepreneurship. In view of the challenge of choosing entrepreneurship, analyses are performed on women's motivations to become entrepreneurs, on the consequences of this choice, as well as on the difficulties faced by women entrepreneurs and the strategies they use to cope with different demands linked to the multiplicity of gender roles. The examination of leadership characteristics of women entrepreneurs reveals that they tend to build social networks and to use their power with others and not over others. Furthermore, it becomes evident that women social entrepreneurs in charge of their social ventures, while exercising their power on behalf of women, aim to empower them and promote their social and professional inclusion thus causing significant social, economical and cultural changes.

Keywords : women's entrepreneurship; gender and power; empowerment; women social entrepreneurs; social change.

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