Shattering the Glass Ceiling? How the Institutional Context Mitigates the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship

34 Pages Posted: 24 Oct 2018

See all articles by Christopher Boudreaux

Christopher Boudreaux

Florida Atlantic University

Boris Nikolaev

Baylor University - Department of Management & Entrepreneurship

Date Written: October 3, 2018

Abstract

We examine how the institutional context affects the relationship between gender and opportunity entrepreneurship. To do this, we develop a multi-level model that connects feminist theory at the micro-level to institutional theory at the macro-level. It is hypothesized that the gender gap in opportunity entrepreneurship is more pronounced in low-quality institutional contexts and less pronounced in high-quality institutional contexts. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and regulation data from the economic freedom of the world index (EFW), we test our predictions and find evidence in support of our model. Our findings suggest that, while there is a gender gap in entrepreneurship, these disparities are reduced as the quality of the institutional context improves.

Keywords: female entrepreneurship, gender gaps, opportunity entrepreneurship, institutional context, regulation

JEL Classification: M13, L26

Suggested Citation

Boudreaux, Christopher and Nikolaev, Boris, Shattering the Glass Ceiling? How the Institutional Context Mitigates the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship (October 3, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3259670 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3259670

Christopher Boudreaux (Contact Author)

Florida Atlantic University ( email )

777 Glades Road
KH 145
Boca Raton, FL 33431
United States

HOME PAGE: http://home.fau.edu/cboudreaux/web/

Boris Nikolaev

Baylor University - Department of Management & Entrepreneurship ( email )

PO Box 98006
Waco, TX 76798-8006
United States

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