The Impact of Gender, Social Capital and Networks on Business Ownership: A Research Agenda

Abstract

Purpose – To advance knowledge about therelationship between small firm networks and social capital by considering thenetwork experiences of women business owners. To engage in such research, thepaper proposes a conceptual model of business owner networking which isinformed by social support theory. Design/methodology/approach – To develop a conceptual model of businessowner networking the paper reviews extant small business network research andargues that, while network theory can provide an understanding of the impactwhich social capital may have on the entrepreneurial process, a concentrationon quantitative methodologies has restricted understanding of this. To addressthe gender bias in small firm network research the paper integrates socialsupport theory into a conceptual model of business owner networks. Findings – The conceptual model proposed recognises the interplay betweennetwork structures, interactions and contents and argues that consideration ofthese three network dimensions may provide insights into the impact of genderon business owner networks, social capital and experiences of businessownership. The paper also discusses the methodological implications of thismodel and proposes a research agenda for future business owner networkresearch. Originality/value – The paper addresses a recognised gap in extant smallbusiness network research and proposes a conceptual model of business ownernetworking which may be better suited to and more reflective of women businessowners' networking experiences. (Publication abstract)

Keywords: Theoretical, Female entrepreneurs, Firm ownership, Females, Social capital, Social networks, Gender