Self-Leadership and Female Entrepreneurship: A Narrative Multi-Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which self-leadership appeared among women entrepreneurs who were also caretakers for others, such as children and elderly parents. For this research, I utilized a narrative multi-case study approach, followed by thematic analysis, in which to explore the roles of the women. Aside from the interviews, I collected and analyzed two years’ worth of digital information for each business, including marketing posts, YouTube videos, business website information, and podcasts. The findings of this study showed that self-leadership among women entrepreneurs looked slightly different from the original theory of self-leadership developed by Charles Manz in 1986. For the women participants, self-leadership was self-defined, multi-faceted, and incorporated overcoming obstacles personally and professionally due to gender roles. This study enhanced earlier research surrounding the notion of self-leadership by depicting the theory from a gendered point of view through the narratives of the participants as entrepreneurs and caretakers.