Cultural Foundations of Female Entrepreneurship in Mexico: Challenges and Opportunities

Martha  Cantú Cavada; Vito Bobek; Hazbo Skoko; Anita Maček

Martha Cantú Cavada
Vito Bobek
Hazbo Skoko
Anita Maček

Keywords: female entrepreneurship, culture, Mexico, challenges, opportunities

Abstract

This paper analyses possible challenges and opportunities that Mexican female entrepreneurs face during the establishment of new enterprises. Based on in-depth interviews with female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship experts, authors researched opportunities in the form of governmental and non-governmental institutional support, growing entrepreneurship, social awareness and women empowerment. However, lack of credibility, fear of vulnerability to criticism and social pressure are some challenges associated with gender egalitarianism. In such, the authors proved that Mexican culture impacts women in some ways more than the others. Institutional collectivism was the cultural dimension with higher positive impact on women, followed by gender egalitarianism with a neutral to positive impact and the power distance with a neutral influence on women.

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Author Biographies

Martha Cantú Cavada

Quergasse 6/7, 8020 Graz, Austria
E-mail: mccavada@gmail.com

Martha Cantú Cavada graduated from the M.A. program Business in Emerging Markets from the University of Applied Sciences FH Joanneum in Graz, Austria. She is an exchange student at KEDGE Business school, France and Fudan University, China with a B.A. in International Business degree from ITESM Campus Monterrey, Mexico. Professional experience in the fields of business development, international procurement, digital marketing, e-commerce, commercial operations, account management and customer service. Adaptable, culturally sensitive with a great sense of empathy towards people needs. International citizen, currently based in Austria, with rich past experiences in Mexico, Brazil, France, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, among others.

Vito Bobek

FH Joanneum, University of Applied Sciences Graz, Austria
Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Slovenia
E-mail: vito.bobek@fh-joanneum.at, vito.bobek@um.si

Vito Bobek currently works as a professor of international management at the University of Applied Sciences FH Joanneum (Graz, Austria) and at the University of Maribor (Slovenia). Since 2017, he has acted as Vice-President for Global Operation at global platform for protection and communication of intellectual property Save-Ideas.com©. Other positions: Manager and owner of Palemid LLC, Member of supervisory board at KBM Infond, Regional editor for Central and Eastern Europe at European Journal of International Management, Member of editorial board at International Journal of Trade and Global Markets, Member of editorial board at Imago Europae (Florence, Italy), and Member of editorial board at International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy. Research interests: International Business, Strategic Management, Regional Economic Integration, Cross-Cultural Management and Management of Cities and Regions.

Hazbo Skoko

Faculty of Business, School of Accounting and Finance, Charles Sturt University, Australia
E-mail: hskoko@csu.edu.au

Hazbo Skoko holds a doctorate in IT/ICT Management, a Master in Information Economics, and a Master in International Business Management. His professional commercial, research and teaching experience includes working throughout the world. Besides working full-time at a University in Australia, he is also both a visiting and guest Professor at several prime universities around the world. In 2011, the World Education Congress Asia awarded Hazbo the ‘Best Professor in Economics’ for teaching, integrity and leadership. He has also founded several companies and NGOs in Australia, Ghana. Ethiopia, and Montenegro that he maintains an interest in.

Anita Maček

FH Joanneum, University of Applied Sciences Graz, Austria
Doba Faculty Maribor, Slovenia
E-mail: anita.macek@fh-joanneum.at, anita.macek@net.doba.si

Anita Maček holds Ph.D. degree in economics (2009) from the University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business. Currently she is employed at University of Applied Sciences FH Joanneum Graz, Austria and at Doba Faculty Maribor, Slovenia. In 2016 she became an Associate Professor of Economics. Her main research interests are International Capital Flows, Foreign Direct Investments, International Business, Smart Cities, and Regional Development.

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