Viviane de Beaufort : Sociology of Femal Entrepreneurs

A new sociological perspective put forth by Viviane de Beaufort, Professor of European Union Law at ESSEC and co-director of the European Center for Law and Economy (CEDE) describes the motivations that spur different groups of European women to become entrepreneurs, and the obstacles they come up against as they start their own businesses.  Professor De Beaufort is available for comment on stories pertaining to women’s issues, especially in entrepreneurship.

Professor De Beaufort’s perspective is based on the findings of her 2007 study on entrepreneurship among European women, which she carried out under the aegis of the Women’s Forum.  Her primary conclusions indicated a wave of female entrepreneurship in Europe, but highlighted the existence of specific barriers to success, including a lack of training for women with business aspirations.

She uses three broad categories to describe how and why different groups of European women become entrepreneurs, the obstacles they face, and the training and support they need to succeed.

• Generation Y (Women between 22 and 30): With an average of 3 years of professional experience and a solid amount of training, these young women deliberately step out of the system and assert their autonomy.

• Generation X: These women, mostly college graduates with excellent track records in business, hit the “glass ceiling” and must create their own opportunities for advancement. They capitalize on their experience and the strength of their professional networks.  These women are looking for training that emphasizes transferable management skills.

• The “forgotten” (women between 45 and 60, usually without degrees): These women are often unemployed or underemployed.  They need training that will help them learn the fundamentals of management and help them overcome the age barrier through networking and coaching.  They create businesses to create jobs for themselves.

 
Accelerated training programs and on-going mentorship are particularly pertinent for all groups, De Beaufort found, as they help ambitious women overcome internal and external obstacles.

Women in all groups continue to face traditional obstacles to success.  They are affected by persistent self-censorship—a fear that life and family obligations will be adversely affected by the effort required to start a business.  Enduring masculine stereotypes of entrepreneurs mean that women must consistently “prove themselves” in order to succeed. 

• For further information, learn about  Entreprendre au Féminin de l'ESSEC