Explaining Preferences and Actual Involvement in Self-Employment: New Insights into the Role of Gender

33 Pages Posted: 26 Feb 2008

See all articles by I. Verheul

I. Verheul

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE); Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

Roy Thurik

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Centre for Advanced Small Business Economics (CASBEC); Montpellier Business School; Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM); EIM Netherlands - Business and Policy Research; Tinbergen Institute

Isabel Grilo

Catholic University of Louvain

Date Written: 28 2008 1,

Abstract

This paper investigates why women’s self-employment rates are consistently lower than those of men. It has three focal points. It discriminates between the preference for self-employment and actual involvement in self-employment using a two (probit) equation model. It makes a systematic distinction between different ways in which gender influences the preference for and actual involvement in self-employment (mediation and moderation). It includes perceived ability as a potential driver of self-employment next to risk attitude, self-employed parents and other socio-demographic drivers. A representative data set of more than 8,000 individuals from 29 countries (25 EU member states, US, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) is used (the 2004 Flash Eurobarometer survey). The findings show that women’s lower preference for becoming self-employed plays an important role in explaining their lower involvement in self-employment and that a gender effect remains that may point at gender-based obstacles to entrepreneurship.

Keywords: determinants of entrepreneurship, gender, latent & nascent entrepreneurship

JEL Classification: M, M13, O32, M12, M13

Suggested Citation

Verheul, Ingrid and Thurik, Roy and Thurik, Roy and Grilo, Isabel, Explaining Preferences and Actual Involvement in Self-Employment: New Insights into the Role of Gender (28 2008 1,). ERIM Report Series Reference No. ERS-2008-003-ORG, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1096782

Ingrid Verheul (Contact Author)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) ( email )

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3062 PA Rotterdam, NL 3062 PA
Netherlands
+31 10 4081398 (Phone)
+31 10 4089146 (Fax)

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

Roy Thurik

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Centre for Advanced Small Business Economics (CASBEC) ( email )

3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands
+31 10 408 2232 (Phone)
+31 10 408 9146 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.thurik.com

Montpellier Business School

France

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

EIM Netherlands - Business and Policy Research

Postbus 7001
2701 AA Zoetermeer
Netherlands
+31 79 341 3634 (Phone)
+31 79 331 3742 (Fax)

Tinbergen Institute ( email )

Burg. Oudlaan 50
Rotterdam, 3062 PA
Netherlands

Isabel Grilo

Catholic University of Louvain ( email )

Place Montesquieu, 3
B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348
Belgium
010 47 43 60 (Phone)

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