Business Commons^™

Growth Of Women-Owned Businesses: The Effects Of Intangible Resources And Social Competence, Crystal X. Jiang, Monica A. Zimmerman, Chun (Grace) Guo

WCBT Faculty Publications

Previous research suggests that women entrepreneurs face many challenges in starting and growing a business. In this study, we examine the relationship of intangible resources and the growth of women-owned businesses. We focus on four intangible resources: social-, human-, and reputational capital, as well as social competence. Using case studies of women entrepreneurs, we found that a woman entrepreneur’s social-, human-, and reputational capital are related to the growth of her business. We alsofound that social competence moderates the social-, human-, and reputational capital – growth relationship in women entrepreneurs.