Executive Summary: Institutions, Cultural Beliefs and the Maintenance of Gender Inequality in Entrepreneurship Across Industrialized Nations

Abstract

This dissertation utilizes Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data across 24 countries and laboratory experiments conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom to investigate why men are approximately two times more likely than women to be business owners in most industrialized nations after accounting for gender differences in relevant start-up resources. Findings demonstrate support for the theory that social policies and gender status beliefs contribute to this inequality by structuring both the context in which individuals perceive business ownership as a viable labor market option and the interactions through which they gain legitimacy and support for their business idea.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Gender Inequality, Social Psychology, Social Policy, Cross-National

JEL Classification: M13, J16