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

Author

Listed:
  • Roy Thurik
  • Ingrid Verheul
  • Isabel Grilo

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 sociodemographic 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Roy Thurik & Ingrid Verheul & Isabel Grilo, 2010. "Explaining Preferences and Actual Involvement in Self-Employment: New Insights into the role of Gender," Scales Research Reports H200803, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:eim:papers:h200803
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Krug, B., 2008. "Public Finance in China since the Late Qing Dynasty," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2008-005-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    3. Patrick J. Murphy & João J. Ferreira & Cristina I. Fernandes & Arminda Paço, 2021. "Blended value and female entrepreneurial performance: social and economic aspects of education and technology transfer," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 759-777, June.
    4. Andersson Joona, Pernilla & Wadensjö, Eskil, 2008. "A Gender Perspective on Self-Employment Entry and Performance as Self-Employed," IZA Discussion Papers 3581, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Chris Dawson & Andrew Henley, 2015. "Gender, Risk, and Venture Creation Intentions," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(2), pages 501-515, April.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • M - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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