Gender Differences in Entrepreneurship: Situation, Characteristics, Motivation and Entrepreneurial Behavior of Women Entrepreneurs in Switzerland

Entrepreneurs are important for national labour markets and economies in that they contribute significantly to economic growth as well as provide the majority of jobs and create new ones. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s “Report on Women and Entrepreneurship”, investment in women’s entrepreneurship is an important way to exponentially increase the impact of new venture creation finding ways to empower women’s participation and success in entrepreneurship are critical for more sustainable and successful economic development. Our results confirm that they are still differences between men and women entrepreneurs The reasons seems to be the lack of specific business skills, the less extensive social network, and the lack of identification patterns among women. Those differences can be explained by the fact that women still have fewer opportunities to make a career. If this is correct, we can predict an increasing proportion of women among entrepreneurs in the next years. Concerning the development of a favorable environment for developing and enhancing women entrepreneurship activities, our results show the insertion in a network and the role of a model doubtless represent elements determining in the choice to launch an entrepreneurship activity, as well as a precious resource for the success of her company.

• Mathias Rossi
• Silna Borter
• Marie Sansonnens

• Women entrepreneurship
• entrepreneurship motivation
• entrepreneurial behavior.

[1] Allen I.E, Elam A., Langowitz N., Dean M. (2008). Global Entrepreneurship Monitor:2007 Report on Women and Entrepreneurship (Babson)
[2] Baldegger, R.,Rossi, M., and Schüffel, P. (2006). Le comportement
d'internationalisation des PME suisses : Born global et
internationalisation progressive. 8e Congrès International Francophone
en Entrepreneuriat et PME (CIFEPME), Fribourg.
[3] Baldegger R., Brülhart A., Rossi M., Schüffel P. (2009). Global
EntrepreneurshipMonitor: Unternehmertum in weltweiten Vergleich,
Länderbericht Schweiz 2009(Hochshule für Wirtschaft Freibourg)
[4] Bloch, F. (2008). BUSINESS NETWORKS. The New Palgrave
Dictionary of Economics 2nd Edition (L. Blume and S. Durlauf, eds.),
Palgrave Mac Millan, 2008
[5] Bosma N., Levie J. (2009). Global Entrepreneurship Monitor: 2009
Executive Report (Babson)
[6] Brush, C.G., 1992, Research on women business owners: past trends, a
new perspective and future directions, Entrepreneurship: Theory and
Practice 16 (4), 5-30.
[7] Davidsson, P. (2005). Researching entrepreneurship. New York:
Springer
[8] Fischer, E.M., Reuber, A.R. and L.S. Dyke, 1993, A theoretical
overview and extension of research on sex, gender and entrepreneurship,
Journal of Business Venturing 8, 151-168.
[9] Hebert, R. F., & Link, A. N. (1989). In search of the meaning of
entrepreneurship. Small Business, Economics, 1, 39–49.
[10] Klyver, K. and S. Grant (2010). "Gender differences in entrepreneurial
networking and participation." International Journal of Gender and
Entrepreneurship Vol. 2, N°3: 213.
[11] Minniti Colonna, M., &Arenuis, P. (2003). Women in entrepreneurship.
[12] OECD (2000). OECD employment outlook. Paris
[13] Tominc,&Rebernik. (2004). The scarcity of female entrepreneurship.
Drustvena Istrazivanja, 13(4-5), 779-802.
[14] Van Praag, C. M., &Versloot, P. H. (2007). What is the value of
entrepreneurship? A review of recent research. Small Business
Economics, 29, 351–382.