Steget från tanke till handling
En studie om viktiga faktorer för nyföretagande bland kvinnliga studenter
Women who support themselves through self-employment are relatively low compared to men, in Sweden. Women make up around 30 percent of newly started enterprises. The Swedish government considers that the Swedish economical growth would increase if there were more companies. Through encouraging women to start enterprises to the same extent as men, Sweden can increase growth rate and create more employment. Despite all efforts being made, advances are not really reached. The ratio of businesswomen to businessmen has decreased in the past 20 years according to the Statistical Central Bureau.A previous survey showed that almost 60 percent of the students at the Swedish colleges would consider starting their own company. Despite that, there is a mapping by University of Economics and Business Administration in Jönköping and Stockholm that only 3, 5 percent of the university graduates really take on their self-owned enterprises. It is astonishing that so few proceed from thought to action.This study is limited to examine female students? views of what motivates them to start up a business. The paper also takes notice of what changes that are needed be done to encourage new enterprise start-ups.The aims of the study are to give a deeper understanding of the female students? situation by envisaging their thoughts on starting self-owned enterprises. And try to contribute with some research on female students and their relationship to self-owned enterprises.The basis of the empirical material consists of 40 questionnaires, two personal interviews and two e-mail interviews. The questionnaires where sent to Business Administration students at Södertörns University College, studying bachelor and master level courses during spring term 2007. The personal interviews and the e-mail interviews were conducted of complementive reasons to the study.On the basis of our empirical data and analysis we conclude that there are many different points of views of which the environment and individuals- have the biggest significance for motivation, being a source of information and guidance. The environment and the school must mediate a more positive attitude to entrepreneurship. This is adequate to make female students feel more motivated to start self-owned enterprises. The more female students can picture themselves as enterprisers, the bigger is the possibility to increase business activity/ business initiative. Nevertheless, it is in the end the woman?s own driving force, will, and courage to take risks that remains the decisive factors for starting a self-owned enterprise.