Motivations towards self-employment for women entrepreneurs in different geographical areas in Switzerland
Creators: name: Heinzer, Chiara Laura
Publisher: name: ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften
Year: 2021
Subjects: 305: Personengruppen (Alter, Herkunft, Geschlecht, Einkommen)
658.4: Leitendes Management

description: Switzerland offers favorable framework conditions for entrepreneurship, including optimal physical and legal infrastructure and tertiary education. However, for every ten male founders operating in Switzerland, there are only six female ones. It seems the perceived capabilities of women to explore and maximize their entrepreneurial potential are lower than that of men. The low participation rate of women in new enterprises in Switzerland indicates the Swiss market may not be conducive to female entrepreneurship. This issue is of increasing importance because women-owned enterprises have the potential to contribute substantially to innovation, employment, and wealth creation.
The research aimed to examine differences in the drivers of female entrepreneurship in different geographical areas of Switzerland and extrapolate these disparities to a broader context. The research consisted of a literature review to acquire the necessary knowledge about female entrepreneurship, motivations, and relevant influences. An examination of the cultural, social, and cognitive contexts offers an appropriate conceptual framework by acknowledging that existing theory provides a foundation for economic activity. A qualitative research design, including semi-structured interviews with female founders, was developed to provide insight into the motivations of female entrepreneurs.
The findings indicate the complexity of drivers of self-employment due to the many different factors influencing decision-making. Social embeddedness was crucial for women, whether it was assistance in the household or encouragement to step into entrepreneurship. These findings may highlight the underdevelopment of Switzerland’s cognitive and cultural realms that encourage women to become self-employed. A stereotyped portrayal of women in entrepreneurship, especially among older men, is persistent, as apparent in some of the interviews. Moreover, living in a rural area positively influenced the motivation for entrepreneurship due to the limited opportunities available for women.
Overall, the study found similarities in the obstacles female founders face in Switzerland, regardless of their geographical area. The cognitive and cultural framework lacks representation of female entrepreneurs. The promotion of female role models across different socio-demographics is recommended to encourage future female founders to step out of existing social constructs. In addition, earlier education about female entrepreneurship and improved framework conditions for reconciling family and entrepreneurship should further shift societal stigmatizations.
Future research should focus on the embeddedness of women from rural areas in societal constructs to allow for a deepened comparison of female entrepreneurship in urban and rural areas. The use of mixed-method approaches should expand our understanding of female entrepreneurs in Switzerland more broadly.