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Incubation or Induction? Gendered Identity Work in the Context of Technology Business Incubation

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  • Susan Marlow
  • Maura McAdam

Abstract

While there is a substantial body of literature exploring the influence of business incubation upon early stage firms, this debate remains almost entirely gender blind. This article challenges this assumption by adopting a feminist perspective to reveal business incubation as a gendered process shaping the identity work undertaken by women seeking legitimacy as technology venturers. In so doing, we critically evaluate prevailing normative analyses of the business incubation process and entrepreneurial legitimation. To illustrate this argument, we draw upon empirical evidence which reveals technology incubation as a legitimating induction process encouraging women to reproduce masculinized representations of the normative technology entrepreneur.

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  • Susan Marlow & Maura McAdam, 2015. "Incubation or Induction? Gendered Identity Work in the Context of Technology Business Incubation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(4), pages 791-816, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:39:y:2015:i:4:p:791-816
    DOI: 10.1111/etap.12062
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Katherina Kuschel, 2019. "Women Founders in the Technology Industry: The Startup-Relatedness of the Decision to Become a Mother," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, April.
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    5. Prashantham, Shameen & Floyd, Steven W., 2019. "Navigating liminality in new venture internationalization," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 513-527.
    6. Sullivan, Diane M. & Marvel, Matthew R. & Wolfe, Marcus T., 2021. "With a little help from my friends? How learning activities and network ties impact performance for high tech startups in incubators," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    7. Marc Cowling & Susan Marlow & Weixi Liu, 0. "Gender and bank lending after the global financial crisis: are women entrepreneurs safer bets?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-28.
    8. Brian J. Bergman & Jeffery S. McMullen, 2022. "Helping Entrepreneurs Help Themselves: A Review and Relational Research Agenda on Entrepreneurial Support Organizations," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(3), pages 688-728, May.
    9. Fisher, Greg & Kuratko, Donald F. & Bloodgood, James M. & Hornsby, Jeffrey S., 2017. "Legitimate to whom? The challenge of audience diversity and new venture legitimacy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 52-71.
    10. Lauri Laine & Ewald Kibler, 2022. "The Social Imaginary of Emancipation in Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(2), pages 393-420, March.
    11. Marc Cowling & Susan Marlow & Weixi Liu, 2020. "Gender and bank lending after the global financial crisis: are women entrepreneurs safer bets?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 853-880, December.
    12. Ludovico Bullini Orlandi, 2017. "Am I an Entrepreneur? Identity Struggle in the Contemporary Women Entrepreneurship Discourse," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 11(4), December.
    13. Frank J. Van Rijnsoever & Marijn A. Van Weele & Chris P. Eveleens, 2017. "Network brokers or hit makers? Analyzing the influence of incubation on start-up investments," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 605-629, June.
    14. Katherina Kuschel & Kerstin Ettl & Cristina Díaz-García & Gry Agnete Alsos, 2020. "Stemming the gender gap in STEM entrepreneurship – insights into women’s entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, March.
    15. Amandine Maus & Sylvie Sammut, 2016. "Le lean management, source d’accélération de l’accompagnement entrepreneurial ?," Post-Print hal-02130357, HAL.
    16. Sara Poggesi & Michela Mari & Luisa Vita & Lene Foss, 2020. "Women entrepreneurship in STEM fields: literature review and future research avenues," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 17-41, March.
    17. McAdam, Maura & Crowley, Caren & Harrison, Richard T., 2019. "“To boldly go where no [man] has gone before” - Institutional voids and the development of women's digital entrepreneurship11The title is taken from the original titles voice-over for the TV series St," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 912-922.
    18. Alsen Florian Kapinga & Calkin Suero Montero & Godfrey Issac Mwandosya & Esther Rosinner Mbise, 2018. "Exploring the contribution of business and technology incubators to women entrepreneurs’ business development in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, December.
    19. Abdullah Promise Opute & Kalu Ibe Kalu & Ogechi Adeola & Chux Gervase Iwu, 2021. "Steering Sustainable Economic Growth: Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Approach," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 7(2), pages 216-245, July.
    20. Ulla Hytti & Päivi Karhunen & Miruna Radu-Lefebvre, 2024. "Entrepreneurial Masculinity: A Fatherhood Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 48(1), pages 246-273, January.
    21. Franczak, Jennifer & Lanivich, Stephen E. & Adomako, Samuel, 2023. "Filling institutional voids: Combinative effects of institutional shortcomings and gender on the alertness – Opportunity recognition relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    22. Azeem, Muhammad Masood & Sheridan, Alison & Adapa, Sujana, 2022. "Women to women: Enabling innovation and firm performance in developing countries," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(PA).
    23. Shymko, Yuliya & Khoury, Theodore A., 2023. "From community rootedness to individuated entrepreneuring: The development of entrepreneurial motivation through a temporary community of practice," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(3).
    24. Frank J. Van Rijnsoever & Marijn A. Van Weele & Chris P. Eveleens, 0. "Network brokers or hit makers? Analyzing the influence of incubation on start-up investments," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-25.

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