Team-oriented women entrepreneurs: a way to modern management

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to understand how women as small-business owners build good internal and external relations and to what extent they develop their businesses and contribute to community development.rnDesign/methodology/approach - This longitudinal study is ongoing. In the first broader study, personal interviews were made with 30 women business owners. To get a deeper understanding a case study was carried out with four of them. The result of this study was a typology with two categories. Findings - The paper finds that the category Visionary entrepreneurs are genuine entrepreneurs and they work in teams within the company and also have a network around their business. The team-oriented way of working develops their business as well as society. The dynamic process that supports the team is both stable and flexible and through openness, testing new ideas and discrediting habits, small changes take place all the time. The Visionary entrepreneurs represent a modern business role and are socially gifted. The Managing leaders, the other category representing a more traditional way of doing business, have not been able to create a team within the company or a network around it that could develop the business.rnPractical implications - Modern business management is characterised by a team-based way of working. Building relations with customers, partners and employees takes time and much effort and you have to meet and communicate.rnOriginality/value - The internal team in a small business, or a network that is team-oriented, is not often the subject of research. The team-oriented working method, supported by a dynamic process, develops the business and helps to renew society.