Study Finds Gender Differences in Reasons for Entrepreneurial Activity

A new study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati finds gender differences in the reasons for starting new small businesses. The researchers examined data on more than 10,000 entrepreneurs in 52 countries across the world.

The results showed that women are 1.17 times as likely as men to create enterprises that are vehicles for social change rather than having the goal of simply making money. The data also showed that women were 1.23 times as likely as men to start-up businesses that focused on improving the environment.

The research has been published as a chapter in a new book, Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Research: Diverse Settings, Questions, and Approaches, which has recently been released by Edward Elgar Publishing.