Governance and public policies: Support for women entrepreneurs in France and England?
| Published date | 01 December 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00208523221120142 |
| Author | Karen Johnston,Ekoua J Danho,Emily Yarrow,Robert Cameron,Zoe Dann,Carol Ekinsmyth,Georgiana Busoi,Amy Doyle |
| Date | 01 December 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Governance and public
policies: Support for
women entrepreneurs
in France and England?
Karen Johnston
University of Portsmouth, UK
Ekoua J Danho
University of Essex, UK
Emily Yarrow
Newcastle University, UK
Robert Cameron
University of Cape Town, South Africa
Zoe Dann
University of Portsmouth, UK
Carol Ekinsmyth
University of Portsmouth, UK
Georgiana Busoi
University of Portsmouth, UK
Amy Doyle
University of Portsmouth, UK
Corresponding author:
Karen Johnston, University of Portsmouth, Faculty of Business and Law, Richmond Building, Portland Street
Portsmouth PO1 3DE, UK.
Email: karen.johnston@port.ac.uk
Article
International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
International Review of Administrative
Sciences
2023, Vol. 89(4) 1097–1115
© The Author(s) 2022
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/00208523221120142
journals.sagepub.com/home/ras
Abstract
We extend the current literature on barriers to women’s entrepreneurship by providing the
perspectives of women entrepreneurs’lived experience of governance and public policies
designed to support entrepreneurship, in France and England. The research draws on pri-
mary data comprising interviews with 75 French and English women entrepreneurs as
well as secondary data. The research suggests that in France the system of governance is
relatively more supportive, whereas in England there are less favourable views of bureau-
cracy and the conditionality of financial policy instruments, which in turn create unintended
outcomes. We extend current understandings of gendered public policies and governance.
Points for practitioners
The public policy and governance context in France offers relatively more support for
women entrepreneurs than in England. There is a potential for policy learning in how to
support women entrepreneurs.
Financial policy instruments such as social welfare payments may affect women entre-
preneurship.
Bureaucracy creates time and opportunity costs for women entrepreneurs, which
have a gendered impact if they are single parents and have dependents.
Keywords
governance, public policies, women entrepreneurs, gender
Introduction
Globally, the proportion of women entrepreneurs remains lower than that of men (Global
Entrepreneurship Monitor [GEM], 2022). Although successive GEM reports have shown
that in many countries women’s entrepreneurship is increasing, particularly within social
development policy areas, men continue to dominate the entrepreneurial sector with a
gender gap in total entrepreneurial activity (TEA) (GEM, 2022). This is despite
women entrepreneurs being as successful as men in sustaining a business once estab-
lished (Rose, 2019). The study explores the extent to which the governance and public
policy context supports women entrepreneurs.
We locate the research in France and England, which have similar size economies and
rates of entrepreneurship (Eurostat, 2021). There has also been a history of cross-border eco-
nomic and political cooperation between England and France (Church and Reid, 1999),
although this is taking on increased complexity given the post-Brexit policy landscape
(Bailey et al., 2019) . Thomas (2006) emphasises the need to improve economic collaboration
and policy learning between the countries. The study therefore offers an opportunity, com-
paratively, to explore the extent to which the policy and governance context of England
and France supports women entrepreneurs with potential for policy learning.
Women entrepreneurs continue to face barriers, with access to finance often the
biggest challenge to start and grow their business (OECD, 2013; Orhan, 2001; Rose,
1098 International Review of Administrative Sciences 89(4)
To continue reading
Request your trial