Building gender-aware ecosystems for learning, leadership, and growth
ISSN: 1754-2413
Article publication date: 31 January 2020
Issue publication date: 30 April 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to examine processes of entrepreneurial learning and leadership development (ELLD) for women involved in growth-oriented businesses. It considers how ELLD can be supported by building gender-aware ecosystems for growth.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are from a small-scale study of a growth accelerator program in Canada run by Alberta Women Entrepreneurs. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, drawing on interview, document, and observational data.
Findings
The study finds that three key activities – formal learning, informal learning and peer / community support – are central to women entrepreneurs’ learning and leadership development. In line with emerging scholarship, entrepreneurial learning is found to be strongly relational, with social capital playing a central role in the formation of human capital.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the understanding of the micro-foundations of growth, the processes involved in ELLD and the importance of developing gender-aware ecosystems.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported through an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC). We acknowledge this support with thanks.
We wish to thank our study participants for sharing their time and insights, and Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) for the opportunity to conduct an independent study of the Peer SparkTM Program. Earlier versions of this paper were presented at the DIANA International Research Conference on Women’s Entrepreneurship, Babson College, Wellesley, June 2015; RIMSIP 2016 Conference (Economic Development Stream) in Puebla, Mexico, January 2016; and the Women’s Entrepreneurship: Bridging Theory and Practice workshop, University of Regina, Canada, June 2019. We thank all attendees for their comments and interest in our work.
Citation
Hughes, K.D. and Yang, T. (2020), "Building gender-aware ecosystems for learning, leadership, and growth", Gender in Management, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 275-290. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-11-2019-0215
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited