Kickstart OR Jumpstart? Understanding Women Entrepreneurs' Crowdfunding Performance

Abstract

Women entrepreneurs face hindrances while accessing financial capital for their ventures. With the emergence of crowdfunding as a popular mechanism for fundraising, women entrepreneurs are encouraged to seek funding through this platform from multiple funders. Drawing on the literature on social identity and entrepreneurial passion, we developed a theoretical framework on the factors that influence the crowdfunding performance of women entrepreneurs. We argue that as the women entrepreneurs behave like entrepreneurs, think like one in their cognitive schema, they will establish an identity with the entrepreneurs as a group. This positive identification will be further enhanced in the presence of entrepreneurial passion, prior industry related experience and self-efficacy which in turn will positively affect their crowdfunding performance.