Women in Latin American Family Businesses: An Institutional Logics Perspective

Abstract

Much of prior research on women in family businesses has been conducted in developed economies where progress has been made in terms of promoting gender equality. However, several institutional logics in developing countries and, particularly, in Latin America may create different obstacles, missed opportunities, and opportunities for women in family businesses. Building on the institutional logics framework and exploring secondary data, we offer a novel conceptualization of women in family businesses that takes into consideration the peculiarities of the Latin American institutional setting. We find that while some logics are common to all Latin American countries, others are country-specific and, therefore, can affect women differently. Furthermore, this study addresses a major gap by highlighting significant differences between the treatment of women with family ties as compared to women with no family ties, with the former being provided better employment opportunities than the latter. Theoretical and...