Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal Emerald Article: Postcolonial feminist research: challenges and complexities

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the challenges and complexities in conductingresearch faced by scholars utilizing postcolonial feminist frameworks. The paper discussespostcolonial feminist key concepts, namely representation, subalternity, and reflexivity and thechallenges scholars face when deploying these concepts in fieldwork settings. The paper then outlinesthe implications of these concepts for feminist praxis related to international management theory,research, and writing as well as entrepreneurship programs.Design/methodology/approach – This paper discusses the experiences of the author inconducting fieldwork on Turkish high-technology entrepreneurs in the USA and Turkey byfocusing explicitly on the challenges and complexities postcolonial feminist frameworks bring toethnography and auto-ethnography.Findings – The paper suggests that conducting fieldwork guided by postcolonial feministframeworks faces challenges related to representation inclusive of the author and the participants inthe study. It offers subalternity as a relational understanding of subjects in contrast to comparativeapproaches to the study of business people. The paper also discusses how positionality impactsreflexivity through gender, ethnicity, and class relations.Originality/value – This paper offers a critical perspective on conducting research related tonon-Western subjects by addressing issues arising from feminist and postcolonial intersections. It is avaluable contribution to those researchers who are interested in conducting feminist researchparticularly with non-Western people and cultures.Keywords Postcolonial, Feminism, Subaltern, Reflexive, Non-Western, Entrepreneurs,Cross-cultural researchPaper type Viewpoint