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Women self-perception and access to credit: The power of role models

Author

Listed:
  • Caroline Perrin

    (Universiteit Utrecht / Utrecht University [Utrecht])

  • Jérémie Bertrand

    (LEM - Lille économie management - UMR 9221 - UA - Université d'Artois - UCL - Université catholique de Lille - ULCO - Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale - Université de Lille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Paul-Olivier Klein

    (MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon)

Abstract

This study demonstrates how female role model encourages women-led firms to apply for a credit. Employing a sample of 29,157 firms from 112 countries between 2009 and 2020, our results indicate that the exposure to a female political leader offsets the likelihood for woman-led firms to be discouraged. This is explained by reduced emotional barriers to apply for a credit and is function of the personal status of the role model and its proximity with the female CEO.

Suggested Citation

  • Caroline Perrin & Jérémie Bertrand & Paul-Olivier Klein, 2023. "Women self-perception and access to credit: The power of role models," Post-Print hal-04381575, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04381575
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104426
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04381575v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lucia Nixon & Michael Robinson, 1999. "The educational attainment of young women: Role model effects of female high school faculty," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 36(2), pages 185-194, May.
    2. Anoosheh Rostamkalaei & Miwako Nitani & Allan Riding, 2020. "Borrower discouragement: the role of informal turndowns," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 173-188, January.
    3. Bertrand, Jérémie & Perrin, Caroline, 2022. "Girls Just Wanna Have Funds? The effect of women-friendly legislation on female-led firms’ access to credit," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    4. Priyanka, Sadia, 2020. "Do female politicians matter for female labor market outcomes? Evidence from state legislative elections in India," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    5. Kon, Y & Storey, D J, 2003. "A Theory of Discouraged Borrowers," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 37-49, August.
    6. Lori Beaman & Raghabendra Chattopadhyay & Esther Duflo & Rohini Pande & Petia Topalova, 2009. "Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Bias?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(4), pages 1497-1540.
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    8. Zoltan Acs & Elena Bardasi & Saul Estrin & Jan Svejnar, 2011. "Introduction to special issue of Small Business Economics on female entrepreneurship in developed and developing economies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 393-396, November.
    9. Chakravarty, Sugato & Xiang, Meifang, 2013. "The international evidence on discouraged small businesses," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 63-82.
    10. Lakshmi Iyer & Anandi Mani & Prachi Mishra & Petia Topalova, 2012. "The Power of Political Voice: Women's Political Representation and Crime in India," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 165-193, October.
    11. Bosma, Niels & Hessels, Jolanda & Schutjens, Veronique & Praag, Mirjam Van & Verheul, Ingrid, 2012. "Entrepreneurship and role models," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 410-424.
    12. Jérémie Bertrand & Caroline Perrin, 2022. "Girls Just Wanna Have Funds? The effect of women-friendly legislation on female-led firms’ access to credit," Post-Print hal-03976695, HAL.
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    Cited by:

    1. Liang, Weijuan & Tang, Mu & Wang, Yuanyuan & Ning, Bo & Chen, Jianing, 2025. "Women helping women? Female local official and gender gap in bank credit," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    2. Krystyniak, Karolina & Staneva, Viktoriya, 2024. "Executive gender and capital structure: New evidence from rebalancing events," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    3. Bertrand, Jérémie & Klein, Paul-Olivier & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2024. "National culture of secrecy and firms’ access to credit," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).

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