Factors Driving Foreign Women Entrepreneurship in China

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this article is to identify factors that drive and conditions that affect foreign women entrepreneurs in China. The emphasis is on the commonalities and differences between these women and women entrepreneurs in Western developed countries as reflected in the literature. Research Design & Methods: The study was designed to include both qualitative and quantitative data to allow better understanding of the topic. Interviews with foreign women entrepreneurs were first done to gain practical field insights which were then used with the information from the literature to develop the questionnaire for the survey for quantitative data. Findings: The findings from the interviews and the survey from a very small sample show the key differences lie in internal factors like motivation and family-business orientation, but there are also similarities in terms of external characteristics, such as business nature, business size, financing source, etc. between foreign female entrepreneurs in China and those represented in studies. And the key challenges and learning reported by foreign female entrepreneurs in China are both related to culture. Implications & Recommendations: The article intends to fill the gap by offering some insights into foreign women entrepreneurs in China. Broader and in-depth empirical studies on this subject are needed to verify these initial findings, and stimulate interests in this important but neglected field. Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in contributing to some understanding that the gender plays role in entrepreneurship across cultures, particularly in China.

Keywords

• entrepreneurship
• women entrepreneur
• female entrepreneur
• China
• foreign female entrepreneur
• cross culture entrepreneurship