A gender perspectives in higher education on megatrends and innovations

Abstract

The current megatrends offer many innovation possibilities for women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs often operate in the service sector, where digitalization can transform the industry. However, it has been shown that gender is a constraining structure within innovation systems. The objective for this paper is twofold: 1) to examine the attitudes of women entrepreneurs related to megatrends and the opportunities they offer for women entrepreneurs, and 2) to examine the attitudes of women entrepreneurs towards innovation processes in their own businesses. The data was gathered from women entrepreneurs and nascent women entrepreneurs in the region of South Ostrobothnia in Finland. The data consists of four focus-group interviews organized in February 2016. Altogether 28 entrepreneurs participated in the focus-group interviews. The participants are involved in the project where the focus is to improve women’s digital and strategic capabilities and leadership. The focus-group interviews were the first contact with participants. The participants’ businesses represent three different industries (retail, service and manufacture), but the most of them are on service sector. The results show that the attitudes related to megatrends are positive rather than negative. Positive attitudes related to feminine traits and competence of women entrepreneurs, possibilities for firm growth, new ways of doing business and family and work integration. However, also negative attitudes existed. These related to well-being, unbelief towards the statements, job loss, demand for new skills and more work and masculine connotations. Some psychological factors hinder the innovation processes of women entrepreneurs. First, current mental models have an effect what kind of innovations they can perceive. The second factor of note is the gendered construction of technology. Keywords: Gender, higher education, megatrends, innovations