Uncovering Gender Inequality in Spiritual Entrepreneurship
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Authors
Block, Candi Renae
Issue Date
2023
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
Female entrepreneurs , Gender and work , Gender inequality , Small business , Spiritual entrepreneurship , Women in business
Alternative Title
Abstract
Spiritual entrepreneurship infuses New Age spirituality (e.g., manifesting and trusting the energy of the universe) into business practices, either through products, services, or business marketing strategies. While sitting at the intersection of religion and economics, spiritual entrepreneurship is also rooted in gendered norms and ideals, emphasizing feminine characteristics and skillsets that, when harnessed, have the potential to sell millions. Spiritual entrepreneurship has primarily been studied using celebrities, social media influencers, and world-renowned authors and motivational speakers, but less is known about the adoption of these practices by small business owners. Data was collected from 30 female entrepreneurs using semi-structured in-depth interviews. This research confirms previous study’s findings of the characteristics of spiritual entrepreneurship (gendered rhetoric, spiritual narratives, spiritual practices/beliefs, selfless desire to teach/serve, and prioritization of a happy and well-paid team). Spiritual entrepreneurship also influenced these participants in two important ways; 1) it influenced the way women spoke about money, how they made financial decisions, and how they encouraged others to approach their business finances, and 2) it influenced the way they defined business success. Findings suggest that spiritual entrepreneurship may give business ownership an air of accessibility for women that has not historically existed. However, with the adoption of these practices, gender norms can also be perpetuated. Gender inequality persists among entrepreneurs when the reliance on gendered rhetoric and the use of spiritual narratives allows privileged entrepreneurs to downplay the economic, cultural, and social capital that advantaged them when starting their businesses. Under the illusion that all it takes is trust in the universe, a healthy money mindset, and the ability to manifest, gender norms are strengthened, and the forms of capital needed in entrepreneurship become barriers to entry that are simply masked, not eliminated.