Does gender balance in entrepreneurship education make a difference to prospective start-up behaviour?

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine the role of gender balance in forming individuals’ understanding of entrepreneurship as manifested in the graduates’ occupational choices, asking: Does gender balance in entrepreneurship education influence start-up behaviour after graduation? Based on gender mainstreaming, this study builds on the assumption that gender balance influences classroom and student community discourses. This study presents two hypotheses suggesting a positive relationship between gender balance (student and mentor gender balance, respectively) and the likelihood of engaging in start-up behaviour after graduation.Design/methodology/approachThe context is an international one-year master's programme in entrepreneurship and innovation, which adopts an experienced-based pedagogical approach to support learning. This study applies binary logistic regression analysis to test the hypotheses on a sample of 107 graduates who responded to a web-based questionnaire on post-graduation career paths.FindingsThis study finds support for the first hypothesis indicating that student gender balance in the classroom has a significant positive impact on graduates' likelihood of engaging in start-up activity post-graduation. In the interpretation of these findings, this study emphasizes that a master's programme in entrepreneurship is an important arena where students' attitudes, values, aspirations and intentions towards entrepreneurship are shaped and their identity developed.Originality/valueWhile studies have demonstrated gender bias in the discourses on entrepreneurship education and content, there is little evidence of its consequences or how it is addressed. Findings of this study point directly to this gap by revealing that improved gender balance is not only beneficial to the underrepresented gender, but to the overall student group.

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“…Although global progress has been made in reaching gender equity, the unequal opportunities and treatment of women remain a concern in many countries and sectors (Madsen and Scribner, 2017). From the view of gender mainstreaming, the gender balance of men and women representation in different areas remains an equality goal (Hagg et al ., 2022), meaning the quantitative aspect of gender equality. Entrepreneurship is one of these examples of inequality, since it is perceived as a gendered phenomenon with masculinity features (Hagg et al ., 2022).…”

“…From the view of gender mainstreaming, the gender balance of men and women representation in different areas remains an equality goal (Hagg et al ., 2022), meaning the quantitative aspect of gender equality. Entrepreneurship is one of these examples of inequality, since it is perceived as a gendered phenomenon with masculinity features (Hagg et al ., 2022). The gender gap in entrepreneurship is observed over time and space (Ughetto et al ., 2020; Lopez-Nicolas et al ., 2020).…”

“…There are several theories explaining this gender gap, as gender is seen in structures, institutions and cultural aspects of entrepreneurship (Hagg et al ., 2022). The institutional theory is a commonly used theoretical background for explaining entrepreneurship, regardless of the gender of an entrepreneur.…”

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