Abstract
Abstract Objective of the Doctoral Dissertation The primary objective of this doctoral dissertation is to investigate female entrepreneurship in the field of silversmithing and goldsmithing, a sector within the creative industries, with the aim of highlighting its role in promoting women's employment. The focus on Greek women entrepreneurs in this sector stems from a personal interest in female creativity within craft-based practices, as well as from the particular significance of silversmithing and goldsmithing both to Greece's cultural heritage and its national economy. The region of Attica was selected due to its historical connection with jewelry-making, the concentration of related businesses, and its close ties to tourism. Silversmithing and goldsmithing, in particular, are closely linked to tourism, given that a significant portion of retail sales made by tourists involve jewelry products. Entrepreneurship was chosen as the central axis of the study because it contributes to nat ...
Abstract Objective of the Doctoral Dissertation The primary objective of this doctoral dissertation is to investigate female entrepreneurship in the field of silversmithing and goldsmithing, a sector within the creative industries, with the aim of highlighting its role in promoting women's employment. The focus on Greek women entrepreneurs in this sector stems from a personal interest in female creativity within craft-based practices, as well as from the particular significance of silversmithing and goldsmithing both to Greece's cultural heritage and its national economy. The region of Attica was selected due to its historical connection with jewelry-making, the concentration of related businesses, and its close ties to tourism. Silversmithing and goldsmithing, in particular, are closely linked to tourism, given that a significant portion of retail sales made by tourists involve jewelry products. Entrepreneurship was chosen as the central axis of the study because it contributes to national economic development and enhances women’s employment, especially within the creative sectors. Academic research to date has largely focused on nascent businesses rather than on established enterprises run by women. This dissertation concentrates on women-led businesses at a later stage of development. This focus, combined with the need to better understand the challenges and opportunities faced by Greek women in the jewelry sector, serves as a strong motivation for examining their role in the national economy, entrepreneurial activity, and women's empowerment. "Established entrepreneurship" refers to business activity that has been sustained for more than 3.5 years, whereas "early-stage entrepreneurship" concerns ventures that have been initiated within the previous 3.5 years (GEM, 2022/23). In 2016, Greece ranked first in Europe in terms of the proportion of women leading established businesses (10.8%), surpassing both the European average (4.7%) and the innovation-driven economies average (4.4%). This figure represented a 3.1% increase compared to 2014 (7.7%), which is attributed to the high level of self-employment in the country (General Secretariat for Family Policy and Gender Equality, 2019). Greece maintained its leading position in 2022–2023, with 10.2% of women managing established businesses (Gender/Activity Ratio: 0.64) (GEM, 2022/23). It has been argued that this phenomenon may be partly explained by the intra-family division of roles—i.e., men initiating businesses which are then continued by women. However, as evidenced by the present research, this is only minimally applicable to Greek female entrepreneurs in the field of silversmithing and goldsmithing. This study addresses the challenges faced by Greek women in this sector—particularly in accessing finance and developing human and social capital—while also exploring the diversity of female entrepreneurship within the broader cultural, historical, national, and social context in which it is embedded. The research also investigates the motivational factors that drive Greek women goldsmiths to engage in entrepreneurship and analyzes their personal background in order to construct a comprehensive profile. In this context, an extensive literature review was conducted, encompassing the historical Greek context, female employment, craftsmanship, the relationship between handicrafts and tourism, jewelry-making, entrepreneurship, and female entrepreneurship. Factors that enhance the performance and professional success of Greek women goldsmiths were identified, and the following were used as key variables: personality traits, motivations for entrepreneurship, available resources, and professional profiles. The entrepreneurial success of Greek women in the jewelry sector is assessed through two main dimensions:1.The economic dimension, which incorporates variables such as business experience and years of operation, job creation, export and local activity, and the need for additional financing;2.The psychosocial dimension, which considers personality traits, the degree of support from family and friends (including through professional networking), and the level of motivation for business activity. Methodology and Research Design The methodology of this study was grounded in three distinct theoretical paradigms that shaped the overall research design. Positivism emphasizes descriptive and correlational research, while phenomenology focuses on exploratory inquiry. The positivist paradigm primarily aligns with quantitative research, whereas phenomenology is associated with qualitative methods, including techniques such as triangulation and interpretative research approaches. Both exploratory and interpretative approaches were employed to achieve an in-depth understanding of a field that remains largely underexplored. To strengthen the analysis, the philosophical paradigm of pragmatism was adopted. Pragmatism legitimizes the use of multiple methods, rejects methodological dogmatism, and promotes a creative form of research (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). The choice of methodology was dictated by the nature of the research problem. This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches to adequately address the research objectives. A mixed methods research approach, also known as triangulation, was implemented. Triangulation involves combining different research methods to explore a phenomenon comprehensively and to enhance the accuracy and reliability of findings (Kohlbacher, 2005).The quantitative research was conducted using a structured questionnaire, a common tool in exploratory descriptive research. The population for the primary quantitative study consisted of Greek women silversmiths and goldsmiths who operate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Attica and have been active in the sector for many years. Attica is a significant hub for the creative industries, such as craftsmanship in silversmithing and goldsmithing, producing three-quarters of their Gross Value Added. Six out of ten enterprises in the sector are headquartered in Attica, employing six out of ten workers in the field. Of the 120 Greek enterprises funded by Creative Europe between 2014 and 2020, ninety operate within Attica (Nikolaidis, 2023). Descriptive statistics and statistical models tailored for small populations were applied to analyze data from the sample of seventeen entrepreneurs. It is important to note that in sampling research, the emphasis is less on the sample size or representativeness and more on the extent to which each respondent can contribute to understanding the research phenomenon (Merriam, 1998).The qualitative research was based on content and thematic analysis, leading to the development of a categorization framework for the dimensions of female entrepreneurship in silversmithing and goldsmithing. Data were collected through in-depth personal interviews with six Greek women silversmiths and goldsmiths who were not participants in the quantitative phase but have extensive entrepreneurial experience in the Attica region. Findings The main findings of the research are that the profile of the Greek jewelry businesswoman was outlined and the psychological as well as the economic factors that motivated and keep them in business were identified. In summary, the psychological factors that push them for creating and maintaining a business are mainly the need for independence, creativity and self-esteem, while the economic factors are mainly financial independence. Independence, which was mentioned as both a psychological and an economic factor, proved to be statistically significant, i.e. the greater the desire for independence, the greater the business success. The factors of encouragement and motivation, strategic planning, and the combination of the roles of a woman and an entrepreneur showed also a high correlation with entrepreneurial success. The attributes believed that contribute to their good business performance are good financial planning, public relations and customer service. Especially the last two differentiates them from the other handicraft branches which mention them as a need for specialisation. Their business performance seems to be high and from the fact that although the economic crisis creates various problems, it has not ceased their business activity. The practical significance of the findings is that the Greek jewelry businesswoman is highlighted and in particular who she is and what makes her successful in a volatile industry. The knowledge of these factors can help women who want to be active in creating a jewelry business but also to help the rest of the women who are already active in it, to get more information. It will also help the Greek public sector to create policies for the development of existing women's businesses specialized by sector. The originality of the research lies in the following: it enriches the theoretical field of women's entrepreneurship and employment in a specific sector of handicrafts (silver and goldsmithing) and existing businesses, analyzing their success factors by exploring an aspect of women's entrepreneurship for which there is little existing research. Businesses in the maturity stage are foundational to the economy as they provide jobs and are more resilient to crises compared to startups. The study of mature businesses highlights the factors that contribute to their long-term stability and resilience in the face of market changes and economic crises. It examines a niche population operating in the Attica region (Athens), demonstrating both the uniqueness and the specific thematic and geographical focus, providing findings that are valuable for understanding the opportunities and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in this market. This focus on the geographical area of Athens is not a limitation but a strategic decision due to the region's significant weight in the national economy, as well as its culture and history, given its long-standing tradition in jewelry making. Moreover, this focus aids in the in-depth exploration of the unique characteristics and challenges faced within a specific economic context, creating a basis for understanding how local dynamics shape business opportunities and practices. In this way, policies and support mechanisms can be developed that target women entrepreneurs in a significant region of the country. It is also the first research on this subject that uses a mixed-methods analysis (quantitative and qualitative research), thus providing a comprehensive picture of Greek women goldsmiths. Additionally, it creates a new field in the creative industries sector, specifically in handicrafts and silver and goldsmithing, by examining whether the factors of classical entrepreneurship influence women's entrepreneurship in the silver and goldsmithing sector in the same or a differentiated manner, emphasizing the psychological and economic factors that affect success in the industry. It also demonstrates a significant correlation between personal characteristics and business success. The study of women's businesses at the maturity stage, as opposed to startups, adds depth to the research findings because the entrepreneurs possess significant business experience. Most research focuses on startups, leaving a considerable research gap regarding how women entrepreneurs, particularly goldsmiths, develop their businesses. Therefore, studying women's businesses at the maturity stage is original and contributes to the knowledge regarding their long-term viability. This knowledge will assist not only new entrepreneurs but also those who already own businesses at the maturity stage to continue innovating and addressing issues such as economic crises. The integration of the study of labor law and legal funding tools adds a new dimension to the originality of this dissertation. Examining the legislative framework and ways to access funding provides important information on how Greek women goldsmiths can leverage existing laws and legal tools to strengthen their businesses and thereby overcome various economic and legal barriers. The contribution of the dissertation to scientific research is that it also creates the profile of the Greek woman goldsmith and enhances the understanding of the problems and opportunities they face as entrepreneurs, particularly in a male-dominated industry, thereby contributing to the existing academic literature on gender and entrepreneurship. It can also contribute to the public discussion about women's participation in business and the shaping of policies that support women entrepreneurs in the creative industries. Academic literature now recognizes that women are not the same and have different realities, and it has become evident that studies examining the profile of a "typical" woman entrepreneur are more substantive (Kabeer, 1999; Mirchandani, 1999). This dissertation contributes to the understanding of the personality traits of women goldsmith entrepreneurs and identifies specific categories of women goldsmiths, such as high achievers, balanced, innovative, and potentially extreme. A key contribution is that there is a gap in international literature because the majority of works have focused on services, retail, etc., while there is no extensive study examining the role of women entrepreneurs in the field of silver and goldsmithing, both internationally and in the Greek context. Although silver and goldsmithing is a sub-sector of creative industries, it has not been the subject of thorough academic study in relation to women's entrepreneurship. This fact makes the research pioneering as it is the first to focus on Greek women goldsmiths and how their entrepreneurial activities impact the economy. The dissertation examines the complex relationship between success and personal satisfaction, demonstrating that Greek women goldsmiths desire to be satisfied with their work, an important element for developing supportive policies for women’s entrepreneurship. The findings of the dissertation highlight how women entrepreneurs overcome barriers and maintain their activities, serving as role models for other women starting a business or transitioning through a transitional stage. Business success for women goldsmiths is shown to be complex. The findings indicate that Greek women goldsmiths who achieve a balance between personal and professional life are more likely to be business successful. This finding points to the direction for providing personalized training programs. The originality and findings of the research, along with the information provided, contribute to the shaping of government policies that could enhance women's employment in both the tourism sector and the creative industries, thereby assisting in the economic development of the country through specialized business initiatives that focus on maintaining and developing businesses that have proven their sustainability. These findings are also valuable internationally, as the policies that can be developed will support the social and economic position of women. The lack of corresponding research at the international level makes it necessary to conduct studies on how women's entrepreneurship develops in specific sectors of the creative industries.
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