Generation Y females in Ireland: an insight into this new entrepreneurial potential for value creation

Abstract

Value creation is central to any discussion on entrepreneurship. As early as Knight (1921), researchers and policy makers have debated the potential of entrepreneurship as a value creation strategy. For the most part these discussions focused on the potential economic impact, particularly job creation, innovation and new business development. The emergence of research in the area of female entrepreneurship in the 1980s suggests that any discussion on value creation needs to move beyond this traditional economic model to include a broader societal value creation approach. The emergence of Generation Y has reignited the debate on value creation and entrepreneurship, as this new generation of young and technologically savvy individuals, have a stronger motivation towards social responsibility and making an impact on the world. The purpose of this chapter is to provide some new insights into this new cohort of entrepreneurs and the implications for the development of appropriate training and supports.