Imposter Phenomenon
One of the first studies to ask women entrepreneurs about their experiences of Imposter Phenomenon.
The research was presented at the British Psychological Society CyberPsychology Section Conference 2022.
Abstract
The prevalence of Imposter Phenomenon amongst high achievers has been widely reported across professions from academia to the board room, studies have focused on both the individual and organisational characteristics that result in people feeling like a fraud in comparison to peers. The contemporary experiences of women entrepreneurs navigating the online world of work, however, remain largely unexamined. This study explores the experience of women who are part of online communities for entrepreneurs. Semi-structured online synchronous interviews were conducted with 15 women recruited from online communities. Transcript data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three superordinate themes emerged: 1) The visibility trap, 2) coping with comparison, and 3) online level playing field. Our findings reveal how women with Imposter Phenomenon who are members of an online community benefit from deeper online connections with peers, the buffering effect online communities have from the visibility trap of social media, and the positive effect of being online, as a woman entrepreneur, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of these findings contribute to understanding the ways in which women cope with comparison, barriers facing women in modern day entrepreneurship, and highlight the role of online peer networks in creating psychologically safe spaces for women entrepreneurs to take risks, and the lessons learned from the pandemic. The preservation of cultural experiences in data collection is discussed along with online community involvement in the research.
to cite this work
Ainge, Leila & Newman, Kristina. (2022). ‘There’s no comparison’ The experiences of women entrepreneurs with Imposter Phenomenon in online communities. 10.13140/RG.2.2.20875.98089.