As most general practices in Australia are specialised small businesses, it is appropriate to examine the findings from this ‘wider’ perspective, before examining medical practices or the use of ICT. It is also appropriate to note the observations of BakerAldrich, & Liou (1997) and Carter (2000) who found that research into gender differences in the ownership/management of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) is scarce by comparison to research that has examined SMEs in general. That having been said, however, there are a number of interesting findings in the literature that compare various facets of gender differences in the ownership/management of SMEs. These facets include comparisons of ownership/management statistics and reasons for the movement into the SME sector, finance availability, management style, networking, business types and success or failure of the business. These will now be considered separately.
Reasons for Movement into the SME Sector
A number of studies (Carter, 2000; Brooksbank, 2000; Reynolds, Savage, & Williams 1994,) have suggested that the primary motivation for moving into the SME sector is the desire to become selfemployed. Studies by Brush & Hisrich (1999), Nillson (1997) and Sandberg (2003) have provided similar findings in Europe, US and Scandinavia. While it is possible to argue that these figures are a little dated, more recent studies (Carrington, 2006; Leung, 2006; Walker & Webster 2007) would suggest that little has changed.
It is interesting to note that while early studies (Goffee & Skase, 1985; Hisrich & Brush, 1986;
Watkins & Watkins, 1984) concentrated on the motivational similarities (Male — Female), more recent studies found that females saw becoming self-employed within the SME sector as a means of circumventing the ‘glass ceiling’.