198 CLEARING THE HURDLES: WOMEN BUILDING HIGH-GROWTH BUSINESSES
those similar to themselves, and these similarities are usually based
both on characteristics such as gender, race, and age, as well as internal
states of values, beliefs, and norms.
11
Fact and Fiction about Women
and Teams
Are women really less willing to share ownership of their firms? If we
look at ownership, women entrepreneurs worldwide are more likely
than men to be sole owners of their businesses. For example, 85% of
women-owned businesses in the United States are sole proprietor-
ships.
12
However, according to the 1997 U.S. Census, 74% of all small
businesses in the United States are operated as sole proprietorships. It’s
just the most common way of organizing a small business. When ...