Career options and entrepreneurial potential among female graduates: motivations, obstacles and realities

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to contribute for a better understanding of the perceived motivations, obstacles and self-employment realities in the advanced technology sectors and knowledge intensive-business. In terms of public policies in economic and business, promoting female entrepreneurship emerges as a factor of mobilization of women for active economic life, as well as a strategy to support business initiatives, particularly as factor conducive to the promotion of equality between men and women. However, according to a recent study on the promotion of innovative women and entrepreneurship, one of the main obstacles that explains the lower participation of women in entrepreneurial activities of an innovative nature are related to educational choices pursued in formal education systems and the persistence of traditional stereotypes about women, science and innovation. Also, in comparison to men, women not only possess a lack positive attitudes about their own personal capacities or inclinations for starting businesses, but also have less personal contact with entrepreneurs. Empirical results are based on a case study project centred on a Portuguese University and the potential of entrepreneurship among graduates who have completed their course between 2002 and 2008. Drawing upon information-rich evidence from in-depth interviews, insights are presented in order to highlight an important relationship between the entrepreneurial intention and the social origin, field of education and gender of the graduates.