Abstract
Only a small number of studies have investigated the process of identity work in the context of family businesses. Combining entrepreneurial identity construction and the forced-chosen phenomenon in the family business, this study aims to fill the gap of largely ignored the existence of forced-chosen female successors and attempts to unpack the mechanism of how these female successors construct their entrepreneurial identities, and what resources and strategies they use in the process. Taking a perspective of identity work, this paper uses qualitative methods to collect and analyze information on the construction of the identity of Taiwanese female forced-chosen successors. We interviewed seven second and third-generation female entrepreneurs in two cities with population spillover, and two expert interviews to build an overall understanding of the 'forced chosen' phenomena in Taiwan. Findings show that extra resources and identity can help female successors anchor their entrepreneurial identity and bring new discourse into family firms, especially when they cannot get internal help in the family.