Exploring Stratification and Entrepreneurship: African American Women Entrepreneurs Redefine Success in Growth Ventures

• Published in: The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 2007-09, Vol.613 (1), p.131-154
• Main Authors: Robinson, Jeffrey, Blockson, Laquita, Robinson, Sammie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African American studies; African Americans; Black communities; Business growth; Business ownership; Business structures; Communities; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Females; Functionalism; Management; Minority Businesses; Small businesses; Social Institutions; Social Stratification; Social Structure; Sociocultural Factors; Venture capital; Women; Women owned businesses; Women's studies; Womens Roles
• ISSN: 0002-7162; 1552-3349
• DOI: 10.1177/0002716207303586

The relationship between social stratification and entrepreneurship is one that is underexplored in the literature of management and organizations. In the authors' view, social stratification (social structure, institutions, and culture) influences the context, process, experience, and outcomes of entrepreneurship. In this article, the authors discuss these relationships in the context of African American women engaged in high-growth entrepreneurship. The authors support their premise by presenting the limitations of prevailing approaches that exist within the current minority and women entrepreneurship literatures. Using the concept of entrepreneurial success as an example, the authors demonstrate how a social stratification and entrepreneurship framework may be useful for scholars who seek to understand the process of entrepreneurship.