Online communities and entrepreneuring mothers: practices of building, being and belonging
Vershinina, NataliaORCID: 0000-0002-7281-1043, Phillips, NicholaORCID: 0000-0002-9723-8327 and McAdam, MauraORCID: 0000-0003-2203-5485
(2022)
Online communities and entrepreneuring mothers: practices of building, being and belonging.
Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 34
(7/8).
pp. 742-764.
ISSN 0898-5626
Informed by contributions of Professor Alistair Anderson to social perspective of
entrepreneurship, rooted in the relations and social capital, this article examines how members
of an online community collectively interpret and negotiate the challenges of pursuing
entrepreneurship alongside parenthood. Article adopts a multi-staged research design,
incorporating netnography, participant observation, and qualitative semi-structured interviews.
The analysis reveals the critical role of networking in how entrepreneuring women construct
and maintain community connections and distinguishes between three dimensions of
community engagement: Building, Being and Belonging. Drawing on communities of practice
as an analytical lens, we offer new insights into the form and function of communal
entrepreneurial practices facilitated by the digital environment.
Metadata
Item Type:
Article (Published)
Refereed:
Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Entrepreneurship; motherhood; online communities; communities of practice; gender