Everything I Do is for Them: Motivations of African American Women Entrepreneurs in Apparel/Retail

Authors

Abstract

In this paper, we report on the motivations of African American women entrepreneurs concerning their lived experiences, as they consider and conduct aspects of their Apparel/Retail businesses. Data collection took place through in-depth interviews with thirteen African American women entrepreneurs. One major theme with two sub-themes was developed from the data. The theme revealed that African American women entrepreneurs viewed their Apparel/Retail businesses as a means of contributing to their communities. Our analysis suggested that gaining a better understanding of the entrepreneurial motivations of African American women entrepreneurs provides insight into creating more equitable and inclusive entrepreneurship initiatives. Essentially, their entrepreneurial motivations indicate how they can be further supported given their experiences in Apparel/Retail businesses.

Author Biographies

  • Kristen Nicole Adejuwon, North Carolina State University
    Kristen Adejuwon, Ph.D. is a graduate of the Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management Department within the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University.
  • Delisia Matthews, North Carolina State University
    Delisia Matthews, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management Department within the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University. Dr. Matthews may be contacted by email: drmatthe@ncsu.edu or mail: Wilson College of Textiles Office 3319, 1020 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC, 27606.
  • Lori Rothenberg, North Carolina State University
    Lori Rothenberg, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management Department within the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University. Dr. Rothenberg may be contacted by email: lfrothen@ncsu.edu, phone (919) 513-1597, or mail: Wilson College of Textiles Office 3312, 1020 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC, 27606.

Downloads

Published

2021-05-20

Issue

Special Issue: Emerging Issues in Management and Marketing for Textiles and Apparel - Part 1

Section

Peer Reviewed Article

License

By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright of all materials published in Journal of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management (JTATM) is transferred to the publisher if and when their manuscript is accepted for publication. Please note the following details as an understanding for submitting a manuscript to JTATM for publication.
Authors grant rights to JTATM to disseminate the paper and its contents as a file on the Internet when the paper is accepted. JTATM owns an exclusive right for the paper until it is either rejected or published. The authors cannot submit the same paper in part or in its entirety to another journal during the review.
Authors retain rights to be identified as the authors when the paper is published, and the patent right or rights relating to products or processes described in the paper. The authors retain rights to the educational and research uses of the paper, such as teaching and exchange of the published or pre-publication version of the paper with colleagues, for non-commercial purposes. The authors may obtain permission from the journal for a non-exclusive use of the contents in the paper, such as tables, figures and texts, with a proper acknowledgement to the journal.
Authors must warrant the originality of the paper in that the contents of the paper in part or in full have not been published or submitted elsewhere while the paper is under review.
Effective date for the above policies is December 1, 2010. The authors of the papers published before this date will be contacted via email for copyright transfer agreements.