The Entrepreneurial Stereotype
According to the theory of social role (TRS), certain gender stereotypes prevail in society. These are preconceived ideas about men and women, referring to how they are perceived (descriptive stereotypes) and how they are expected to behave (prescriptive stereotypes).
Traditionally masculine traits include proactiveness, competitiveness, and risk tolerance. Traditionally feminine traits include empathy, relationships, and sensitivity.
In most societies, entrepreneurial activity has been associated with the expression of typically masculine characteristics. This means that entrepreneurs are generally perceived as being very competitive, aggressive, or risk-taking.
The Entrepreneurial Process
The entrepreneurial process consists of two fundamental stages, according to the theory of planned action. The “cognitive” or “mental” stage develops entrepreneurial intentions, which may eventually lead to the creation phase (“action” stage).
Social gender stereotypes, both descriptive and prescriptive, influence both stages. However, their combined impact had not been studied until now. To investigate this, we analyzed a sample of adults at two different times. Initially, we measured their entrepreneurial intentions. Finally, we verified if they had taken action to create a business.
Gender vs. Sex
To understand how social gender stereotypes affect entrepreneurship, it’s essential to differentiate between sex and gender. Sex is biologically determined at birth (being male or female), while gender refers to roles and characteristics socially deemed appropriate for men and women. Thus, gender is not a static concept but changes over time and location.
Individuals can have different gender orientations (or expressions of gender), which may or may not correspond to their biological sex. A person with a masculine gender orientation tends to express characteristics socially considered masculine. Individuals who tend to express typically feminine characteristics have a feminine gender expression.
Some people combine both types of characteristics. These individuals are said to have a gender-neutral orientation. Finally, those who do not significantly express either set of characteristics are considered to have an undifferentiated gender expression.
Cognitive or Mental Stage
In potential entrepreneurship, that is, when people express intentions to start a business, gender expression is most important. Individuals with a gender expression associated with the masculine stereotype have a greater intention to entrepreneur than those with a feminine gender expression stereotype. This is because masculine traits (task-oriented or action-oriented) are socially linked to entrepreneurship (descriptive stereotype).
This entrepreneurial intention is even stronger in individuals with a gender-neutral expression, combining masculine trait expressions associated with the male stereotype and feminine traits (relationship-oriented, empathetic). This perception allows them to believe they have more tools and flexibility to tackle the entrepreneurship challenge.
Surprisingly, at this stage, being male or female (biological sex) shows no significant relationship with forming that entrepreneurial intention. In other words, the initial predisposition to entrepreneurship does not depend on being a man or woman but rather on how the potential entrepreneur perceives themselves (gender expression).
Creation of the Business
To predict actual business creation, the opposite occurs. While gender expression is irrelevant, biological sex is. Men have a significantly higher probability than women of taking action to create a business.
This is due to the social barriers imposed by prescriptive stereotypes associated with masculinity and femininity. Since the entrepreneur stereotype is masculine, women do not fit into this prototype image.
This can lead to key agents (such as funders, potential partners, or clients) having biases or doubting women’s potential simply because they do not fit the masculine stereotype of entrepreneurship.
Moreover, women themselves may hesitate when they realize they will encounter greater difficulties (due to the negative social stereotype and potential lack of social support) and decide not to take necessary steps to establish a business.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are social gender stereotypes? Social gender stereotypes are prevailing beliefs in society about how men and women should be, both in terms of their inherent qualities (descriptive stereotypes) and expected behaviors (prescriptive stereotypes).
- How do these stereotypes affect female entrepreneurship? Social gender stereotypes impact both the intention to start a business (cognitive stage) and the actual creation of a business. Women may have less intention to entrepreneur due to societal expectations, and they face more barriers when attempting to create a business because of these stereotypes.
- What is the difference between sex and gender? Sex refers to biological determination at birth (male or female), while gender encompasses socially deemed appropriate roles and characteristics for men and women, which can change over time and location.
- How do gender expressions influence entrepreneurship? Individuals with a masculine gender expression tend to have a stronger intention to entrepreneur, while those with feminine expressions face more barriers in actualizing their entrepreneurial intentions.
