ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book represents the key strategic themes within the field of female entrepreneurship: context, ecosystems, supports, identity and demography. It reviews the literature on family firms' contribution to regional and national economies, especially their capacity to grow the next generation of entrepreneurs, including women entrepreneurs. The book also reviews the scant research around the nexus of women, entrepreneurship and sustainability. It explores how Saudis – specifically, women – may develop and articulate determinist and agentive approaches in relation to the gendered barriers and opportunities in entrepreneurial processes. The book investigates two competing propositions relating to the provision of commercial loans to female-owned new ventures. It presents a conceptual framework of the dynamic interplay of identity development and role modelling from a social constructionist perspective. The book develops the body of research that considers identity as an aspect of business ownership.
