This paper adds to the growing literature which explores the relationship between networks and the survival and success of small firms. However, the context of the paper is women business owner networks; therefore, the main aim of the paper is to advance knowledge about the relationship between small firm networks and social capital by considering the network experiences of women business owners. The authors aim to address the “gender bias” and “gender blindness” which has dominated business networks research.
Within the literature the role of social network theory in the entrepreneurial process is well documented (Aldrich and Zimmer, 1986; Shaw and Conway, 2000; Hoang and Antoncic, 2003). The main contribution of entrepreneurial networking lies in its supply of new ideas and information, which supports the growth of the small firm (Hite and Hesterly, 2001). Entrepreneurial networking provides an effective means of not only acquiring information, but also gaining access to scarce resources (Neergaard, 2005). However, the authors argue that despite this recognition, there appears to be inconsistencies within the literature relating to the nature and function of networking activities among women business owners. However, one conclusion evident in the literature is the recognition that women's business managers face particular challenges in not only establishing networks, but also accessing already developed networks (Brush, 1997, Moore and Buttner, 1997).
Network research has predominantly considered the network experiences of the male business owner and as a result women business network research to date has been defined in relation to those of male business owners (Greer and Greene, 2003). Therefore, the main contribution of this paper is the recognition of the impact of gender on networking experiences. The authors propose to achieve this by developing a conceptual model of business owner networks which is based on social support theory. Research relating to the role of the social capital and business ownership is somewhat in its infancy; however, the literature does recognise that social networks constitute a key component of an individual's social capital (Mitchell, 1969; Baron and Markman, 2000).
The application of social support theory in this paper is based on its ability to provide new insights into business networks and in particular the impact of gender and as such it facilitates the exploration of the structure, content and interaction within business networks. Consequently, the authors argue that social network theory provides the opportunity to provide insights into women business owner networks which are more reflective of women business networking experiences and, as such, address the gender imbalance within business network research.
However, the use of social support theory results in a number of methodological implications. Consequently, the paper goes on to describe the design and methodology of a planned cross country study which seeks to generate current empirical data about the structural interaction and content dimensions of business owner's social networks. Moreover, it aims to establish what impact, if any, gender has on the networks, social capital and business ownership experiences of male and female business owners in the UK and Demark. The proposed three‐stage methodology based on both quantitative and qualitative methods aims to address the gaps and inconsistencies in the literature and provide holistic and comprehensive insights in the impact of gender in business networks and business ownership experiences.
This paper makes a substantial contribution to the literature by addressing the relationships between gender business owner networks, social capital and male and female experiences of business ownership. Moreover, the authors argue that by incorporating social support theory into network studies a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between business owner networks, social capital and business ownership will be acquired. The authors consequently propose a conceptual framework by which to conduct such an investigation based on the relationship of the three network dimensions namely, structure, interaction and content. In conclusion therefore, the originality of this paper is not only the recognition of the scarcity of research relating to the female small business research but moreover, the provision of a conceptual model appropriate for female business owners' networking experiences.
