Gendered cognitions: a socio-cognitive model of how gender affects entrepreneurial preferences

Alice M. Wieland, Markus Kemmelmeier, Vishal K. Gupta and William McKelvey

Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 2019, vol. 31, issue 3-4, 178-197

Abstract: This research explores the social-cognitive factors which lead both women and men to pursue ventures consistent with their gendered social identity, therefore, reinforcing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. We measured the self-assessments of individuals presented with experimentally manipulated entrepreneurial opportunities that were either consistent or inconsistent with their self-reported gender. A theoretical model derived from Social Role Theory is presented and tested. It posits that a gender match (mismatch) with the entrepreneurial opportunity results in higher (lower) reported self-efficacy, anticipated social resources, and venture desirability and lower (higher) venture risk perceptions. The experimental data are tested in a sequential mediation SEM model. We find evidence that self-efficacy and anticipated social resources mediate the effect of gender congruency on perceived risk and venture desirability. The results provide insight into the insidious barriers that play a role in reproducing a gender gap in entrepreneurial outcomes by ‘nudging’ women into lower-return ventures in less lucrative industries.

Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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DOI: 10.1080/08985626.2018.1551787

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