The 'feminine' entrepreneurial personality trait: The competitive advantage of female college-student entrepreneurs in Chinese wei-shang businesses?. Issue 5 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ng, Jhony; Huang, Metis; Liu, Yiping
• Is Part Of: Asian business & management. Volume 15:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 343
• Page End: 369
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: college-student entrepreneur -- female entrepreneur -- gender research -- wei-shang -- China; Asia -- Commerce -- Periodicals; Management -- Asia -- Periodicals; 658.0095
• DOI: 10.1057/s41291-016-0012-0
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1472-4782

Abstract

Abstract We conducted this grounded theory research to study the motivation ofwei -shangs (i.e., wechat businesspersons) in starting their own business ventures, and their business model and entrepreneurial behaviors. We found that many college-studentwei -shangs are risk-adverse individuals who think of entrepreneurship merely as a leisure-time pursuit. We also found that 'feminine' characteristics seem to hold a key to successful entrepreneurship. Furthermore, we found thatwei -shangs use thewechat platform to extend their social network and to gain the trust of potential customers to get them to buy their products.