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Abstract
Microenterprises (MEs) have played a pivotal role in the lives of women globally for a significant period of time. ME contributions are important to local economies and to individuals’ daily wellbeing and this has only intensified in the current global economy. Yet, understanding about how MEs start-up has been limited to traditional frameworks developed from a masculine perspective. An understanding of the gendered perspectives of start-ups is critical for understanding women’s ME. This study explores Black women’s MEs start-ups through the theoretical framework of a feminine gendered process (Bird & Brush, 2002). Results of the ethnographic study from data collected in Barbados suggested that Bird and Brush’s theory provided a reasonable framework for Black Barbadian Women’s MEs startup process, which are feminine in nature in response to concepts of reality, actions and interactions, temporal orientation, power motives, and ethics.