Gender Role Characteristics and Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy: A Comparative Study of Female and Male Entrepreneurs in China.

Chengyan Li,Yelin Wang,Xiaowei Guo,Diana Bilimoria

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.585803

Abstract

This study, based on Bem’s (1974) gender schema theory, investigates gender differences in and the relationship between gender role characteristics and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) of 261 female and 265 male entrepreneurs in China. The results show that male and female entrepreneurs did not differ significantly in ESE or in masculine gender role characteristics, but differed significantly in feminine gender role characteristics. Examining four different stages in the entrepreneurial life cycle, we find that for female entrepreneurs, feminine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the searching and planning stages of entrepreneurship, and masculine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the searching stage. For male entrepreneurs, feminine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the searching and planning stages, and masculine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the marshaling and implementing stages. In addition, one feminine characteristic, “Friendly,” showed a positive association with male entrepreneurs’ ESE in the marshaling stage. Overall, the feminine gender role factor of “Friendly” and the masculine gender role factor of “Compete” played a greater role on ESE than other characteristics. Implications of the findings are discussed. This study contributes a new perspective to extant research on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and female entrepreneurship.

Highlights

Previous research offers diverse views of the relationship between gender and entrepreneurial selfefficacy (ESE)
While male entrepreneurs were higher than female entrepreneurs in the masculine factors, and females were higher in the feminine factors, the only significant differences were in the factors “Forthright and Sincere” and “Friendly,” supporting Hypothesis 1
The results reveal that the only significant mean differences between female and male entrepreneurs occur for the feminine gender role factors of “Forthright and Sincere” and “Friendly,” supporting Hypothesis 1

Summary

Introduction

Previous research offers diverse views of the relationship between gender and entrepreneurial selfefficacy (ESE). Women embark on entrepreneurial careers less often than men do, which some studies contend may be ascribed to a higher level of ESE of male entrepreneurs than female entrepreneurs. Scherer et al (1990) found that the ESE of female MBA students was lower than that of male MBA students, and that female students were lower than male students in their aspirations of entrepreneurship as a career choice. Wilson et al (2007) found that gender differences in ESE appear early, with implications for entrepreneurial career choices. Building on previous scholarship on the relationship between gender and ESE, the present study examines gender differences in and the relationship between gender role characteristics and ESE in a Chinese context

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Conclusion