Power to the she: early-stage female entrepreneurs and innovation

Abstract

Purpose

Our study draws on gender role congruity theory to theorize and test an integrative conceptual model outlining how motives for entrepreneurial action explain the relationship between female entrepreneurship and innovation in nascent ventures.

Design/methodology/approach

To test our hypotheses, we employed structural equation modeling (SEM) in a sample of early-stage entrepreneurs (N = 533).

Findings

We found a positive relationship between nascent female entrepreneurs and innovation, and that this relationship is mediated by motives for recognition, respect, and autonomy.

Originality/value

By revealing a positive relationship between female entrepreneurship and innovation, our work provides a complementary perspective to the literature, which suggests that there are limits to innovation potential for female entrepreneurs. Further, we find that this relationship is explained by motives for recognition, respect, and autonomy, but not financial security. Finally, most empirical research focuses on the innovative outputs of established new ventures, while our work leverages a sample of early-stage entrepreneurs.

Citation

Brownell, K., Kickul, J. and Hechavarria, D. (2024), "Power to the she: early-stage female entrepreneurs and innovation", International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 425-445. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-01-2024-0018