How do women entrepreneurs use the virtual network Facebook? The impact of gender

This paper examines the views and attitudes of a sample of 228 female entrepreneurs towards the virtual social network Facebook. It identifies the main trends and uses statistical analysis to evaluate the impact of their gendered sector of activity and of their self-perception on their view of this network as a response to gender-related difficulties and their use of it in relation to their activities and objectives. The study further investigates how Facebook may encourage and support women’s networks as well as benefit women-owned businesses. It highlights certain implications for public and private initiatives and underlines the potential of this and other virtual social networking sites for women’s entrepreneurship.