PhD Research Student

Gunn Kro Kidd

Title of Research: Mumpreneurs: Perceptions and experiences of success

Degrees: PgDipTour (2008), BA Hospitality Business Management (2005)

Area of PhD Research: Entrepreneurship

Start of PhD: April 2009

Supervisors: Associate Professor Rob Aitken and Dr Anna Thompson (Tourism)

Short description of research topic:
Entrepreneurial success has commonly been investigated, and measured using economic criteria, from a positivist perspective. This has influenced knowledge on women’s entrepreneurial success in several ways; by creating and maintaining a discourse of women entrepreneurs being less successful and of less significance than their counterparts. This becomes problematic knowing that women often have multiple roles, and generally less time to dedicate to their businesses. Furthermore motherhood has recently been acknowledged as an important factor in the lives of many female entrepreneurs. This offers a theoretical framework for this study, which aims to investigate perceptions of success amongst women entrepreneurs who are also raising families.

The research aims to re-conceptualize success as a holistic construct, by investigating the emerging phenomenon of “mumpreneurs”. The research central research question is: “How do Mumpreneurs Perceive and Experience Success?” It is expected that by answering this question a richer picture of what it means to be successful in this context will surface. This re-conceptualization is important as it is expected to inform the development of policy, training and support programs that are tailored for women entrepreneurs.