International Handbook of Women and Small Business Entrepreneurship

Book excerpt: Sandra Fielden and Marilyn Davidson, already well known for their contributions to gender issues in management, have brought together an absorbing collection of articles that serve to enhance our understanding of a complex area within organisation studies. . . this particular Handbook is not a mere glossary. The editors provide a forum for scholarly works in a specialised area of small business and entrepreneurship research. And the International Handbook of Women and Small Business Entrepreneurship provides a rich resource collectively, the papers serve to summarise and re-examine much of the relevant research to date. . . an accessible book that follows a logical and coherent pattern. . . the range of this book is significant, and the accomplishment considerable. . . the International Handbook of Women and Small Business Entrepreneurship is a serious contribution to a niche area of entrepreneurship scholarship. The editors and authors have established a place for women in the literature, confirming that gender issues cannot be dismissed as a mere adjunct to the broader field of entrepreneurship study. This collection offers the reader intelligent engagement with the range of research and ways of knowing about women and entrepreneurship. Established scholars will find much of interest, and we would also confidently recommend the Handbook to interested newcomers. Robyn Walker and Kate Lewis, Women in Management Review Sandra L. Fielden and Marilyn J. Davidson have put a great deal of work into producing this compilation of scientific studies on women and small business entrepreneurship. In this book, the editors have managed to put together an excellent compilation of studies that look at topics that have aroused the highest interest in this field in recent years. . . It offers a good balance between theory and practice-oriented studies and presents an academic viewpoint that comes extremely close to the real, current situation of this phenomenon. This book therefore provides a useful tool both for the academic community in general and for students, particularly at a postgraduate or doctorate level, who wish to gain a state-of-the-art overview of this business phenomenon. It may also be put to good use by women in management and entrepreneurship as well as policymakers and small service providers, given its high empirical content, supported by a sound empirical framework, which deals with real-life issues for women who wish to start up and manage their own businesses. María Ángeles Escribá Moreno, Entrepreneurship Management . . . a truly international, unique and impressive contribution to our knowledge and understanding of issues for females starting, running and growing businesses. . . an important read for anyone with an interest in female entrepreneurship, including researchers, support agents and policymakers. Moreover, this book may be of interest to those concerned with the theoretical development of the study of entrepreneurship. Laura Galloway, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation . . . this book can be recommended as an insightful and interesting work on women s entrepreneurship from a broad perspective. Wing Lam, International Small Business Journal This truly international Handbook makes a significant contribution to the field of women s entrepreneurship by broadening the scope of the conversation, hearing voices that are often unheard, and providing a framework that organizes the current body of knowledge but also presents pathways for future research and practice. Patricia G. Greene, Babson College, US This Handbook is a breakthrough collection. Women worldwide are now starting small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures at a faster rate than men. Though small in size, these initiatives represent a significant factor in economic growth, highlighting their importance. This collection sheds light on the motivations, personality and behaviors of women entrepreneurs, the constrai