Entrepreneurship, the act of starting or running a new business, is a key driver of economic growth, wealth and societal health. While women are increasingly becoming entrepreneurs across the globe, the field remains dominated by men.
In Canada, women are more involved in early-stage entrepreneurial activities compared to the global average (15 per cent versus 10 per cent). However, they are still less active than men (15 per cent versus 18 per cent). Additionally, only 17 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses in Canada are owned by women.
Women remain underrepresented in entrepreneurship for a number of reasons. Historically, entrepreneurship has been male-dominated, with successful entrepreneurs often described using male stereotypes, such as being “heroic” risk-takers.
At the same time, women still face gendered expectations to be warm and considerate, rather than competitive and assertive, which are traits typically associated with, and expected from, entrepreneurs.
This gender bias means entrepreneurial programs, policies and funding have generally been designed to motivate and support men, leading women to feel like they do not “fit in.” Because of this, a critical barrier many women face is an identity conflict between what is expected of them as women and the traits expected of successful entrepreneurs.
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Studying women’s experiences
Identity conflict refers to how individuals classify themselves into social categories (such as gender or occupation) to define themselves within their social context. These categories are defined by typical attributes and characteristics based on what is expected of exemplary members of those categories.
To investigate potential identity conflict among women entrepreneurs, we carried out in-depth interviews and focus groups with 64 women in Canada.
In our interviews, we asked 20 women to tell us why they became entrepreneurs, how they measured success and what they found most satisfying and challenging about their work as entrepreneurs.
We also organized three focus groups with 44 more women, including entrepreneurs and professionals working with or supporting entrepreneurs in government agencies, incubators or diversity units in global corporations.
We then coded the data to identify emerging concepts and themes. We shared our findings with a subset of our participants to confirm that these resonated with their experiences before coming to any conclusions.
Identity and mindset challenges
Based on participants’ stories, we classified them based on two dimensions: gender-entrepreneurial fit and mindset.
The first dimension — gender-entrepreneurial fit — indicates whether entrepreneurs see their gender and entrepreneurial identities as complementary or conflicting.
Some of the entrepreneurs we spoke to experienced a fit between their gender and entrepreneurial identity. They were able to balance their identities as women and as entrepreneurs and encouraged other women entrepreneurs to pursue entrepreneurship.
Others experienced a conflict between their gender and entrepreneurial identity. This was often because they faced gender stereotypes or worked in male-dominated environments.
The second dimension — entrepreneurs’ mindset — refers to whether entrepreneurs believe their abilities can be developed or not. This indicates a growth or fixed mindset, respectively.
Some respondents told us about their fear of failure or lack of confidence, indicating they had more of a fixed mindset. Others were able to learn from challenges and emotions, indicating a growth mindset.
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The power of mindset
Based on these two dimensions — gender-entrepreneurial fit and mindset (growth or fixed) — we then classified women entrepreneurs into three categories:
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Imposter feelings: Entrepreneurs in this category experienced identity conflict combined with a fixed mindset leading to feelings of inadequacy.
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Acceptance: These entrepreneurs also faced identity conflict but also had a growth mindset. They did not talk about fear or a sense of giving up; instead, they accepted their identity conflict without being passive, making sense of this conflict and pushing through it.
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Authenticity: The largest group (about half of our study) displayed identity complementarity along with a growth mindset. Interestingly, apart from a few participants who reported never experiencing it at all, most entrepreneurs in this group told us they overcame identity conflict and imposter fears over time thanks to their growth mindset.
Our research found that women entrepreneurs often experience identity conflict and imposter feelings due to the male-dominated nature of entrepreneurship. However, with a growth mindset and identity complementarity, they were able to overcome imposter feelings and achieve acceptance and authenticity.
Championing women
Our findings indicate the importance of removing gendered challenges to create a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape in Canada and beyond, with an emphasis on changing the context rather than women.
In particular, efforts need to be made to highlight the value of women entrepreneurs to disrupt the current masculine norms and biases around what is entrepreneurship. This includes promoting female role models and broadening the definition of entrepreneurial success to reduce identity conflict for women.
Additionally, entrepreneurial programs and policies should be designed to better address the unique challenges women face, including funding opportunities that are more accessible to women. By establishing grants, loans and investment funds, like the Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, for women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, we can encourage more of them to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.
We also encourage educators and policymakers to use more inclusive language in entrepreneurship, as masculine terminology can discourage women from becoming and succeeding as entrepreneurs.
While the focus of this study was on the identity conflict that women may face due to their gender in entrepreneurship as a masculine context, it is critical to recognize that some women face additional barriers as entrepreneurs due to other social categories such as race and disability. These categories need to also be considered in the promotion and support of women entrepreneurs.
By highlighting the value of all types of women entrepreneurs and addressing the barriers they face, we can pave the way for a more diverse and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada.
