Chapter 1: Introduction

Manolova, T.S., Brush, C.G., Edelman, L.F., and Elam, A. (2020) ‘Pivoting to stay the course: how women entrepreneurs take advantage of opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic’. International Small Business Journal, 38, 6: 481-491.

This article touches on a number of the themes covered in this introductory chapter. It examines the changing contexts in which entrepreneurial activities take place – in this case, due to the profound impact of the global Covid-19 epidemic. It also illustrates how gender differences can influence entrepreneurship. The authors argue that, ‘while all businesses must pivot their business models in times of tumultuous change, simultaneously reducing risk and seizing new opportunities, this is particularly difficult for women entrepreneurs, whose businesses are concentrated in the industry sectors most severely affected by the economic shutdown’. Lastly, the article shows you can use entrepreneurship research – in this case survey data from the Diana International Research Institute (DIRI) – to find out more about this important issue.

Zulfiqar, S., Sohail, K., and Qureshi, M. S. (2016) ‘Sam’s Cake Factory: a delectable journey of a woman entrepreneur’. Asian Journal of Management Cases, 13, 2: 67–81.

This article is a case study that reflects on the life of a woman entrepreneur, Sumaira Waseem, who had set up an online cake business by the name of Sam’s Cake Factory. Sam’s Cake Factory was a start-up, which was only four years old but had become the preferred choice among the consumers looking for customised fondant cakes in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. The case describes the entrepreneurial journey embarked upon by Sumaira who, through her passion, resilience and creativity, turned a home-based small business into a full-fledged growing enterprise. The case further examines the vision Sumaira had of expanding her business and taking it to the next level.

Imas, J. M., Wilson, N., and Weston, A. (2012) ‘Barefoot entrepreneurs’. Organization, 19, 5: 563­85.

The authors of this article explore what they describe as ‘barefoot’ entrepreneur[ing], meaning the entrepreneurial practices and narratives of individuals who live primarily in marginal, poor and excluded places and contexts. By sharing the stories of barefoot entrepreneurs in deprived areas of Chile, Argentina, Zimbabwe and Ghana, they challenge us to reconsider our existing ideas about entrepreneurship and how it should be explored.