Gender differences in entrepreneurial attitudes

Abstract

PurposeThe main objective of this article is to analyse, in depth, the role of gender differences among potential entrepreneurs, their psycho‐sociological traits and the incentives and principal obstacles women encounter when initiating a business activity.Design/methodology/approachThe approach adopted in this study focuses on university students as a fundamental source of potential future entrepreneurs. The fieldwork is based on a sample of 1,400 students at the University of Córdoba (Spain).FindingsThe results suggest that women are less prone to initiate entrepreneurial activity and that fear of failure is a major obstacle to setting up a company. Furthermore, gender attributes were correlated to a higher probability of embarking on a venture of this type in the future.Practical implicationsThe Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) considers research in this area to be crucial for understanding the economic and social phenomenon of growing female entrepreneurship due to its enormous potential for innovation and job creation. Programmes to promote entrepreneurial activity must take into account differences between men and women in terms of their perceptions and entrepreneurial culture.Originality/valueResearch into the gender perspective of entrepreneurial intention is key to gaining deeper insight into the economic and social phenomenon of female entrepreneurship. This study focuses on education, namely the elements that influence the entrepreneurial attitudes and culture of young people and the differences in perception between women and men.

Gender differences in perception of the university education quality as applied to entrepreneurial intention

“…Concerning the gender gap debate, our results were consistent with previews scholars' findings, which concluded that business is still perceived as a male issue in the footprint (Dawson & Henley, 2015;Johansen, 2013;Minniti & Naudé, 2010). Furthermore, gaps are shown at the least in entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention relation, supporting that females are less oriented towards entrepreneurship compared to males (Cañizares & García, 2010;Goktan & Gupta, 2015;Joensuu-Salo, Varamäki, & Viljamaa, 2015;Maes, Leroy, & Sels, 2014;Maresch, Harms, Kailer, & Wimmer-Wurm, 2016;Perez-Quintana, Hormiga, Martori, & Madariaga, 2017;Shirokova, Tsukanova, & Morris, 2018). Similar results were found even in other European countries (i.e.…”

Policy Support for Women Entrepreneurs’ Access to Financial Capital: Evidence from Canada, Germany, Ireland, Norway, and the United States

“…Demand‐side barriers include women’s lower predilection for launching growth‐oriented firms (Bitler, Robb, and Wolken, ), differences in risk taking (Sánchez‐Cañizares and Fuentes‐Garcia, ), lower levels of entrepreneurial self‐efficacy (Kirkwood, ), and less financial knowledge (Lusardi and Mitchell, ; Riding, Nitani and Orser, ). There remains debate about the extent to which gender influences access to loans and the terms of lending.…”

Progress or pinkwashing: who benefits from digital women-focused capital funds?

“…At the individual-level, gender differences in financial knowledge (Lusardi & Mitchell, 2011), financial self-efficacy (Amatucci & Crawley, 2011), and risk tolerance (Sánchez Cañizares & Fuentes García, 2010;Watson & Newby, 2005) have been identified as factors impeding the ability of women entrepreneurs to secure (Coleman & Robb, 2018). Limited partners included 9 lead investors and 90 novice investors, all women, who had the financial means and desire to engage in angel investing.…”