Expanding the Methodological Repertoire of Gender and Entrepreneurship Research: The potential of feminist informed engaged scholarship

Paper i proceeding, 2023

Objectives
This methodology paper argues for alternative (complementary) approaches to gender and entrepreneurship research; developing projects that actively involve practitioners to co-create and investigate new (research) questions that support theory and practice. In doing so we introduce feminist informed engaged scholarship, outlining its ontological, epistemological and axiological characteristics, and how it might help us to ask novel questions by privileging contextually embedded knowledge, that is often excluded in research design. To illustrate its empirical use, we draw on experiences and insights gained while developing pilot research on gender dynamics in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs) in Scandinavia. We hope others can use our insights to develop future feminist informed engaged scholarship research projects. We align with Rouse and Woolnough, who argue that academic research is “radically underused”, and seek ways to make our research relevant, timely and useful. We also address calls by Henry et al to develop “the methodological repertoire” of gender and entrepreneurship research, and to engage with feminist approaches, which requires “a radical move towards more innovative, in-depth qualitative methodologies”. In doing so, we extend consideration of the context-dependent nature of entrepreneurship theory and practice, furthering understandings of gendered social positionality within entrepreneurial contexts.
Literature Review
Contextualization is considered key to understanding how, when and why entrepreneurship occurs, as it highlights a spectrum of factors, including situational conditions and the influence of stakeholder groups. However, context is often treated as a mere backdrop, rather than an integral element, influencing all aspects of a phenomenon. Here we focus on the complex context of university Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs). We ground our perspective in Boyer’s, and Van de Ven’s foundational work on engaged scholarship, which we extend to include explicitly feminist aims. There is growing emphasis on the need for research and development of inclusive policies and practices to drive EEs more broadly, and we argue this is particularly important for technology-based entrepreneurship, given the historically masculinized foundations of many STEM disciplines. In order to understand the gendering of STEM EEs from the perspective of those embedded within such contexts, we argue for close collaboration with practitioners, to develop questions and research that addresses pressing issues in practice. Collaborative approaches are important, as they encourage research to be used and applied by practitioners. Furthermore, co-created research topics that arise in practice, rather than in theory, are especially important for equality orientated research and action-orientated social change. Indeed, engaged scholarship approaches often seek to challenge societal norms through specific changes in organizational activities, cultures and values. Through co-creation and collaboration, practitioners have the impetus and motivation to apply research findings, which address a specific and agreed problem, and where there is a tangible need to make evidence based changes.
Approach
We draw on experiences of developing and employing a feminist informed engaged scholarship approach in a recent pilot project; offering examples and insights that will help others to reflect on their own research and develop future feminist informed engaged scholarship research projects.
Results/Findings
We argue that feminist informed engaged scholarship has a number of distinct philosophical characteristics, which can help us collaborate with practitioners to co-create new research questions and avenues for research that will ultimately be useful and used.
Value and Implications
In taking a feminist perspective on theory and practice within university STEM EEs, we enter an undertheorized field. Although engaged scholarship has been used to investigate STEM educational settings such as university Engineering education, and the institutionalization of STEM subjects in teacher education, little extant research employs an explicitly feminist lens. We suggest that collaboration and co-creation with practitioners to develop feminist informed engaged scholarship research projects, will support those seeking to develop gender sensitive theories of and for change, addressing challenges in practice, and developing more impactful research.