Profiling a new woman entrepreneur from a territorial perspective. A cross-sectoral exploratory study

This paper aims to outline the role of territory for the trajectories of international expansion, styles of command and innovative approaches of women business proprietorships operating in the various economic sectors. The exploratory investigation uses the three-dimensional ILI model which allows the joint analysis of the three dimensions of interest (internationalization, leadership, innovation) articulated into specific sub-dimensions. The ILI model is validated through a qualitative survey conducted on a convenience sample. The primary data is collected using the focus group technique. This work shows that territory influences internationalization, leadership and innovation of women business proprietorships in the different economic sectors. Moreover, it also leads to a new taxonomy of women business proprietorships, which can contribute to the understanding of the interconnections and interdependencies between business and territory