Sostenibilidad femenina y startups: análisis de la comunicación del liderazgo de mujeres emprendedoras  en España y Portugal

Rocio Torres-Mancera; Estrella Martínez-Rodrigo; Claudia Amaral Santos

doi:10.4185/rlcs-2023-1978

Authors

Rocio Torres-Mancera Universidad de Málaga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7205-5639
Estrella Martínez-Rodrigo University of Granada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8063-0525
Claudia Amaral Santos University of Aveiro https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2630-294X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/rlcs-2023-1978

Keywords:

innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, stakeholders, leadership, communication, CSR

Abstract

Introduction: Innovation in undertaking responsible and sustainable business models is currently at the top of the list of the European Union's priorities, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in its international Agenda expected to be reached by 2030. The creation and development of activities, projects, and companies aware of their impact on the planet in the short, medium, and long term, generate much more value when this leadership comes from a female entrepreneurial vocation, by enriching and optimising the value of diversity in the management of resources, traditionally directed by the male ecosystem. Methodology: a methodological triangulation is applied through in-depth interviews with international key informants, analysis of digital contents in the regions of Andalusia (Spain) and Aveiro (Portugal) and the review of previous scientific literature. Results: The new Spanish-Portuguese startups are still mostly led by men, while the share of female entrepreneurial leadership represents the 26.5% of the total sample. Discussion: although there is a wide range of improvement in presence and communication, women are increasing their entrepreneurial and innovative activity. In any case, co-responsibility with the community and care for the environmental legacy are still latent values for professional differentiation. Conclusions: the research highlights current international objective data on entrepreneurial corporate digital communication, providing a complete picture of the reality of women who are committing to business models whose mission, vision and values are focused on sustainability.

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Author Biographies

Rocio Torres-Mancera, Universidad de Málaga

Psychologist and International Industrial Doctorate in Communication with a stay at the University of Oxford. Executive MBA from IE Business School, Masters in Business Communication and Advertising, HR Management, Local Economic Development and Strategic Management and Innovation in Communication (Extraordinary Award). Researcher and teaching collaborator with stays in the Netherlands, Portugal and Mexico. Margarita Salas Scholarship at the University of Granada. She has more than 20 years of professional experience; she is a collaborator in European Erasmus + projects for the international culture of sustainable development, and member of the research group SEJ-628 Open communication in startups led by women, competitive strategies for differentiation and innovation.

Estrella Martínez-Rodrigo, University of Granada

PhD in Audiovisual Communication and Advertising, Professor of the Department of Information and Communication of the University of Granada, in the Faculty of Communication and Documentation. She is responsible for the Research Group "Cyberculture, communicative processes and audiovisual media" of the Junta de Andalucía" (SEJ-508). Her research lines and publications focus on audiovisual communication and social networks, and science communication, paying attention to its social, cultural and educational effects. She has participated in several national and international research projects, and has directed several doctoral theses on these topics.

Claudia Amaral Santos, University of Aveiro

Has a PhD in Linguistics/Terminology from the University of Aveiro (UA) and NOVA Social School of Sciences and Humanities (NOVA-FCSH). She has been an Adjunct Professor at the Aveiro Institute of Accounting and Administration (ISCA-UA) since 2001 where she lectures Languages for Specific Purposes. She coordinates the Languages and Social Sciences team and International Mobility programs in her department. Claudia Amaral Santos is a member of the research unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policy (GOVCOPP) and a collaborator of the research unit on Languages, Literatures and Cultures (CLLC) at the University of Aveiro. She participates regularly in several international projects and her main research interests are focused on education and internationalization, consumer behaviour, innovation, and sustainability.

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