Making meaning as well as money: the experience of young female entrepreneurs

The aim of this paper is to focus on the meaning of entrepreneurial work for young female entrepreneurs. Specific domains of exploratory emphasis are: the link between the individual and the business; the entwinement of self-esteem and business outcomes; and the language of attachment. Design/methodology/approach Four longitudinal case studies using multiple in-depth, phenomenologically oriented interviews inform the paper. Findings The nature of the relationship between the entrepreneurs and their work was intense and all-encompassing. Further, this sample overlaid their stories with an emotional dimension that was inseparable from the narratives of “business life” and openly advocated this emotional way of working. Originality value Coverage of age and gender in relation to entrepreneurship is virtually non-existent.

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