| There are a large number of women starting new businesses in the world today. If the current trend continues women will own half of the businesses in the United States by the year 2000. However, these businesses are found primarily in retail and service sector industries: traditional industries for women. Far fewer women owned businesses are found in high technology, manufacturing, and construction industries: nontraditional industries for women. This dissertation examines women's venture intentions and the influences on their choices of businesses: traditional or nontraditional.; The research model of venture intentions is based on the theory of planned behavior. The model relates the probability of a woman starting a nontraditional business to her venture efficacy, outcome expectations, and social support.; To collect data for this study, a survey instrument was developed and mailed to a sample of women business owners in Utah and Illinois. Questionnaires were returned by 28% of the sample, providing 152 useable responses. The data were analyzed using logistic regression to determine if venture efficacy, outcome expectations, and support affected the decision to start a business in a nontraditional industry, while controlling for individual and precipitating environmental factors. In addition to the survey, 12 interviews also were completed with both traditional and nontraditional business owners to understand more about the experience of starting a business for women.; The results provide support for the model. In particular, venture efficacy for opportunity formal planning and the outcome expectation of money have a significant impact on the decision to start a nontraditional business. Venture efficacy for opportunity recognition and economic management, as well as the outcome expectations for security, are significant influences on the decision to start a traditional business. The results for the importance of support are inconclusive.; The qualitative illustrate the relationships found in the logistic regression analysis. In addition, some interesting findings were revealed in the qualitative data about precipitating factors (pushes and pulls) and also about the relationship between venture efficacy and the more global construct of self-esteem or locus of control. |
