TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in how men and women small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs make decisions regarding whether to invest in technologies for their firms. Answering recent calls for a gendered perspective in entrepreneurial decision-making, this study integrates premises from social identity theory and role congruity theory to help explain innovation investment decisions among male and female SME entrepreneurs.Design/methodology/approach Using data from 121 SME entrepreneurs in the dry cleaning industry, the authors employ a conjoint experimental methodology to capture decisions SME entrepreneurs make to adopt or reject an environment-friendly dry cleaning technology. The authors examine the role gender, firm revenue, technology price, and technology complexity play in entrepreneur investment decisions.Findings The authors find that gender indirectly impacts innovation purchase decisions through interactions with firm revenue and key innovation characteristics. Women SME entrepreneurs were less likely to purchase the technology than their male counterparts at low (and high) firm revenue, high innovation price, and high innovation complexity—all highly risky, masculine, choice contexts.Research limitations/implications These findings suggest that men and women's entrepreneurial investment decisions might be shaped by gender stereotypes. Future research should sample additional industries and determine the norms guiding gendered decision-making.Originality/value Beyond the decision to launch a new venture, this multi-level analysis, using the lens of social identity and role congruity theories, helps illuminate how men and women SME entrepreneurs approach innovation investment decision-making in significantly different—and gender role consistent—ways.
VL  - 26
IS  - 4
SN  - 1355-2554
DO  - 10.1108/IJEBR-04-2019-0232
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-04-2019-0232
AU  - Bendell Bari L.
AU  - Sullivan Diane M.
AU  - Hanek Kathrin J.
PY  - 2020
Y1  - 2020/01/01
TI  - Gender, technology and decision-making: insights from an experimental conjoint analysis
T2  - International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 647
EP  - 670
Y2  - 2024/09/22
ER  -