Original scientific paper
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN EARLY-STAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THREE EUROPEAN POST-SOCIALIST COUNTRIES
Polona TOMINC
Miroslav REBERNIK
Abstract
This paper focuses on differences in male and female early-
-stage entrepreneurship in Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia. The
analysis was performed on two levels: cross-country analysis
and inter-country analysis. The paper focuses on three main
characteristics of early-stage entrepreneurial activity among
adults: entrepre-neurial capacity, analysed through
entrepreneurial awareness and risk aversion, motivation for
entrepreneurship, by analysing opportunity-driven and
necessity-pushed entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial growth
aspirations of male and female early-stage entrepreneurs in
Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia. Despite sharing a long history
of adjoining living, countries differ significantly in various
aspects. Significant gender differences were identified within
each of the three countries. Some of the most interesting
results include: lower entrepreneurial awareness also lowers
risk aversion among adults in a country; men are more likely
to perceive and exploit business opportunities than women;
women are, on average, less likely to start new firms; however,
once started, female entrepreneurs have similar growth
aspirations as their male counterparts.
Keywords
gender differences; entrepreneurial capacity; motivation for entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial growth aspirations
Hrčak ID:
19086
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2007.
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