Contribution à une lecture catégorielle et interactionniste de la légitimité des femmes entrepreneures

This paper focuses on the legitimacy perceived by women entrepreneurs (WE). It aims to explore how WE see themselves as legitimate entrepreneurs (“identity legitimacy”) and also how WE perceive recognition of their different stakeholders (“entrepreneurial legitimacy”). We use a qualitative research design based on grounded theory and undertaken with forty-one French WE in different sectors. The findings underline mechanisms of acquiring legitimacy through gendered social interactions. In this context, WE define and implement interesting strategies that challenge traditional norms.