The Image of Female Entrepeneurs in Contemporary Montenegro

Entrepreneurship is one way for women to achieve fuller economic benefits and to attain better gender equality in all domains. Image is also important in social interaction and positioning for entrepreneurial women. The objective of this research proposal is to investigate the image of female entrepreneurs in Montenegro as it plays out against the ideal of femininity portrayed throughout history in various forms. The research will also cast light on the perception of female entrepreneurs in Montenegro. Since the concept of femininity and its intersection with entrepreneurship and leadership have not been mapped in the Montenegrin context so far, three determinants fill be in focus: perception of female entrepreneurs’ image in Montenegro, factors legitimating the image of femininity, and female leadership styles. Girls and women are often put in inferior position due to existence of idealize images of women. The emphasis is on body as an entity that reflects information about position in society and personal identity. This leads to the hypothesis that female entrepreneurs are perceived as less confident than male entrepreneurs. To counter that, female entrepreneurs tend to act and seem more like men. Finally, it is hypothesized that female entrepreneurs tend to have more collaborative approach to leadership. These hypotheses will be tested with text analysis of legal and regulatory documents along with a survey of Montenegrins from a variety of backgrounds, age groups, and educational levels.