Gender stereotypes and entrepreneurial intentions

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of gender stereotypes in entrepreneurship and their relationship with men and women’s intentions to become an entrepreneur. Data on characteristics of males, females, and entrepreneurs were collected from young adults in 3 countries: US, Turkey and India. Results revealed that entrepreneurs are perceived to have predominantly male characteristics. Furthermore, although both men and women perceive entrepreneurs to have characteristics similar to those of males, only women also perceived entrepreneurs and females as having similar characteristics. Respondents who perceived themselves as more similar to males had higher entrepreneurial intentions than those who saw themselves as less similar to males. No such difference was found for people who saw themselves as more or less similar to females. The results were consistent across the 3 national cultures. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.