Internationalization Through Digital Empowerment for Women Filigree Jewelry Artisan Entrepreneurs in Portugal

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how Portuguese women jewelry artisan entrepreneurs are empowered using digital technology. Recently, there has been an emphasis on the artisan and craft industry due to renewed interest in handicrafts but limited research exists about how digital and international entrepreneurship has influenced its growth. This study focuses on this gap by stressing the need to take a gender lens on international digital business activity in terms of how it is conducted. In-depth semistructured interviews with women jewelry makers located in Portugal were conducted to understand how their digital experiences led to increased levels of internationalization. The findings suggest that the use of digital technology was supported by co-creation, internationalization, and sustainability initiatives. The results of the study highlight the way crisis conditions from the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased emphasis by artisan entrepreneurs on digital entrepreneurship and this had flow-on effects leading to higher internationalization rates.