Contextualising gender policy in tech entrepreneurship: a cross national and multiple-level analysis

Abstract

PurposeIn order to address the gender divide in technology entrepreneurship, we explore how different national contexts impact policies and policy implementation. We investigate how transnational concerns (macro level) about women’s low participation in (technology) entrepreneurship are translated and implemented amongst actors at the meso level (technology incubators) and understood at the micro level (women tech entrepreneurs).Design/methodology/approachWe adopt gender institutionalism as a theoretical lens to understand what happens in the implementation of gender equality goals in technology entrepreneurship policy. We apply Gains and Lowndes’ (2014) conceptual framework to investigate the gendered character and effects of institutional formation. Four countries represent different levels of gender equality: high (Norway and Sweden), medium (Ireland) and low (Israel). An initial policy document analysis provides the macro level understanding (Heilbrunn et al., 2020). At the meso level, managers of technology business incubators (n = 3–5) in each country were interviewed. At the micro level, 10 female technology entrepreneurs in each country were interviewed. We use an inductive research approach, combined with thematic analysis.FindingsPolicies differ across the four countries, ranging from women-centred approaches to gender mainstreaming. Macro level policies are interpreted and implemented in different ways amongst actors at the meso level, who tend to act in line with given national policies. Actors at the micro level often understand gender equality in ways that reflect their national policies. However, women in all four countries share similar struggles with work-life balance and gendered expectations in relation to family responsibilities.Originality/valueThe contribution of our paper is to (1) entrepreneurship theory by applying gendered institutionalism theory to (tech) entrepreneurship, and (2) our findings clearly show that the gendered context matters for policy implementation.

Masculinity in Scandinavian tech entrepreneurship: male technology entrepreneurs negotiating gender (in)equality

“…They ascribe themselves to an "unbiased" vision that enables them to change the entrepreneurial culture. This suggest that younger men embody more easily the "cult of the new" in tech entrepreneurship, a context where non-old masculinities are the unmarked norm (Callerstig et al, 2024;Hearn and Parkin, 2021, p. 15). Whilst articulations like these could be read as expressing attitudes as being more inclusive of women and further genders traditionally marginalised by hegemonic masculinity (Anderson, 2009), change in attitudes does not say much about to what extent they actively challenge patriarchal relations and structural inequality (Christofidou, 2021).…”

“…They ascribe themselves to an “unbiased” vision that enables them to change the entrepreneurial culture. This suggest that younger men embody more easily the “cult of the new” in tech entrepreneurship, a context where non-old masculinities are the unmarked norm (Callerstig et al. , 2024; Hearn and Parkin, 2021, p. 15).…”

“…This suggests a need to expand the "missing women" approach to explore the role of men in gender equality work and policies, including countries with weaker gender equality discourses compared to the Scandinavian countries. Callerstig et al (2024) have addressed the gender divide in technology entrepreneurship by exploring how the different national contexts of Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Israel impact gender equality policies and policy implementation. Whilst there are clear differences with regard to gender equality policies between the four countries, technology entrepreneurship remains male dominated across all four countries compared, which in turn "creates very similar outcomes in terms of the entrenched gender divide" (Callerstig et al, 2024, p. 14).…”

“…A persistent gender bias continues to exist in entrepreneurship discourses and practices, affecting who obtains support within and from the entrepreneurial ecosystem (McAdam et al, 2019;McAdam, 2022). Despite decades of policy interventions to address gender inequality, in both entrepreneurship and technology environments, these domains are still dominated by men and have strong masculine connotations (Callerstig et al, 2024;Marlow and McAdam, 2012).…”

“…, 2019; McAdam, 2022). Despite decades of policy interventions to address gender inequality, in both entrepreneurship and technology environments, these domains are still dominated by men and have strong masculine connotations (Callerstig et al. , 2024; Marlow and McAdam, 2012).…”