Female Entrepreneurship in Transitional Economies: The Case of Poland

Abstract

As an EU member, Poland has followed a complicated path from a former communist country to a democracy with a market economy. One of the driving forces in this process was entrepreneurship. Economic freedom made it easier to set up their own firms for those with entrepreneurial abilities and ambition, both male and female. This paper answers the following question: What were the characteristics of female entrepreneurship in Poland during the transition period in comparison with female entrepreneurship in other transforming countries and in the EU-15 countries? On the basis of empirical research carried out in 1992, 1999 and 2004 among SMEs in the Gdansk region, personal and managerial profiles of female entrepreneurs and their performance in business were determined. The data from the research helped also to show differences between male and female entrepreneurship in Poland.