Comparative Analysis on Male versus Female Entrepreneurial Performance
Keywords:
entrepreneurship, performance, gender roles, patriarchy, feminist
Abstract
The comparative study was to establish whether there is a significant difference between male and female entrepreneurs in terms of entrepreneurial performance from selected variables. Data was obtained from the Zimbabwe Finscope national survey. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) multiple regression model was used. The comparison findings indicate that age, motivation, education level, IT skills, experience and hours worked per day had an influence on entrepreneurial performance. The findings do provide some support for both liberal and social feminist theories. As to liberal feminist theory, findings indicate that gender differences in education levels, skills and experience partly explain the differences on entrepreneurial performance. Whilst, social feminist theory based on the premise that male and female socialisation process is different, these inherent differences like gender roles at work and home between males and females lead to differences in entrepreneurial performance. Zimbabwean female entrepreneurs are still disadvantaged relative to their male counterpart’s entrepreneurial performance. It would be ideal in future to conduct a qualitative inquiry or a mixed methods study that could include the voices of men and women in order to appreciate the lived experiences.
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Shane, S. & Kepler, E. (2007). Are Male and Female Entrepreneurs Really that Different? Working Paper. Small Business Research Summary No. 309.
Tambunan, T. (2009). Woman entrepreneurship in Asian developing countries: Their development and main constraints. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 1(2), 027-040.
Verheul, I. (2005). Is there a female approach? Understanding gender differences in entrepreneurship. Erasmus Research Institute of Management, ISBN 90–5892–080–1.
Viete, S., & Erdsiek, D. (2020). Mobile Information Technologies and Firm Performance: The Role of Employee Autonomy. Information Economics and Policy, 51, 100863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoecopol.2020.100863
Afisi, O.T. (2012). Power and Womanhood in Africa: An Introductory Evaluation. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 3.
Anderson, R.C & Reeb, D.M. (2003). Founding-Family Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence from the S&P 500. The Journal of Finance, 58(3), 1301-1328.
Atiyas, I. & Dutz, M.A. (2023). Digital Technology Uses among Microenterprises: Why Is Productive Use So Low across Sub-Saharan Africa? (English). Policy Research working paper; no. WPS 10280 Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099553001242342863/IDU03cab9d8307d8f04f0c0a82e0c1ac48d75560
Bear, J. B., Cushenbery, L., London, M., & Sherman, G. D. (2017). Performance feedback, power retention, and the gender gap in leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(6), 721–740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.02.003
Boohene, R., Sheridan, A. & Kotey, B. (2008). Gender, personal values, strategies and small business performance. Equal Opportunities International, 27(3), 237-257.
Burns, S. A. (2018). M-Pesa and the ‘Market-Led’ Approach to Financial Inclusion. Economic Affairs, 38(3), 406–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecaf.12321.
Chidakwa, A.M. & Ngamanya Munhupedzi, R. (2017). Investigating the Impact of Dollarization on Economic Growth: A Case of Zimbabwe. Expert Journal of Finance, 5, 12-20.
Chirwa, E. W. (2008). Effects of gender on the performance of micro and small enterprises in Malawi. Development Southern Africa, 25(3).
Coleman, S. (2007). The Role of Human and Financial Capital in the Profitability and Growth of Women-Owned Small Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 45(3).
Collins-Dodd, Gordon, I.M. & Smart, C. (2004). Further evidence of the role of gender in financial performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 42(4), 395-417.
DeMartino, R. & Barbato, R. (2003). Differences between woman and men MBA entrepreneurs: exploring family flexibility and wealth creation as career motivators. Journal of Business venturing, 18, 815-832.
Diekman, A. B. & Eagly, A. H. (2000). Stereotypes as dynamic constructs: Women and men of the past, present, and future. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(10), 1171-1188.
Du Reitz, A. & Henrekson, M. (2000). Testing the female underperformance hypothesis. Small Business Economics, 14(1), 1-10.
Eagly, A. H & Steffen, V.J. (1984). Gender stereotypes stem from the distribution of women and men into social roles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 735-754.
Fairlie, R. W. & Robb, A. M. (2008). Gender Differences in Business Performance: Evidence from the Characteristics of Business Owners Survey: IZA DP No. 3718.
Fasci, M. A. & Valdez, J. (1998). A performance contrast of male- and female owned small accounting practices. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(3), 1–7.
Georgellis, Y. & Wall, H. (2004). Gender Differences in Self-Employment. Working paper, The Federal.
GSMA Intelligence. (2023). The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2022. In GSMA.
Inmyxai, S. & Takashi, Y. (2010). Performance Contrast and Its Determinants between Male and Female Headed Firms in Lao MSMEs. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(4).
Kambarami, M. (2006). Femininity, Sexuality and Culture: Patriarchy and Female Subordination in Zimbabwe. Africa regional sexuality resource Centre. University of Fort Hare.
Khalife, D. & Chalouhi, A. (2013). Gender and business performance. International Strategic Management Review, 1, 1-10.
Klein, K., Shapiro, D. & Young, J. (2005). Corporate Governance, Family Ownership and Firm Value: The Canadian evidence. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005. 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford.
Kowalewski, O., Talavera, O. & Stetsyuk, I. (2010). Influence of Family Involvement in Management and Ownership on Firm Performance: Evidence from Poland. Family Business Review, 23(1), 45–59.
Lee, J. (2004). The Effects of Family Ownership and Management on Firm Performance. S.A.M. Advanced Management Journal, 69.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). Paradigmatic Controversies, Contradictions, and Emerging Confluences. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (pp. 191–215). Sage Publications Ltd.
Loscocco, K. A., Robinson, J., Hall, R. H & Allen, J. K. (1991). Gender and small business success: An inquiry into women’s relative disadvantage. Social Forces, 70(1), 65-85.
Macaulay, V. (2003). Natural selection shaped regional mtDNA variation in humans. National Academy of Sciences, 100(1), 171-176.
Marcucci, P. N. (2001). Jobs, gender and small enterprises in Africa and Asia: Lessons drawn from Bangladesh, the Philippines, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. International Labour Office Geneva (ILO).
Mandiringana, M., Mwanza, J., & Simamba, H. (2018). The Relationship between Gender and business performance in Zimbabwe. The International Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Research. Paper-ID: CFP/749/2018.
Maury, B. (2003). Family ownership and firm performance: Empirical evidence from Western European corporations. Journal of Corporate Finance, 12(2006), 321–341.
Makgopa, S., & Mpetsheni, Z. (2022). Exploring the Impact of Load-shedding on SMME’s in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 28(03). https://www.abacademies.org/articles/exploring-the-impact-of-loadshedding-on-smmes-in-nelson-mandela-bay-municipality-14452.html
Miller, D., Breton-Miller, I. L., Lester, R. H & Cannella Jr, A. A. (2007). Are family firm’s superior performers? Journal of Corporate Finance, 13(2007), 829– 858.
Nani, G. V. (2011). Challenges faced by urban Zimbabwean woman entrepreneurs. PhD Thesis, University of the Free State.
Narayanasamy, K., Rasiah, D., & Jacobs, C.J. (2011). An Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Gender Differences in Entrepreneurship. International Business & Economics Research Journal, 10(10).
Neuman, S. B. & Dickson, D. K. (Eds.). (2003). Handbook of early literacy research (Vol. 1). Guilford Press.
Salaam, T. (2003). A Brief Analysis on the Situation of Women in Nigeria Today. DSM.
Shaikh, S. (2020). Challenges faced by women owned micro, small and medium enterprises in an emerging economy. International Journal of Management, 11(7). DOI: 10.34218/IJM.11.7.2020.135.
Shane, S. & Kepler, E. (2007). Are Male and Female Entrepreneurs Really that Different? Working Paper. Small Business Research Summary No. 309.
Tambunan, T. (2009). Woman entrepreneurship in Asian developing countries: Their development and main constraints. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 1(2), 027-040.
Verheul, I. (2005). Is there a female approach? Understanding gender differences in entrepreneurship. Erasmus Research Institute of Management, ISBN 90–5892–080–1.
Viete, S., & Erdsiek, D. (2020). Mobile Information Technologies and Firm Performance: The Role of Employee Autonomy. Information Economics and Policy, 51, 100863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoecopol.2020.100863
Published
2023-06-23
How to Cite
Mandiringana, M., Nkowane, B. J., & Ncube, M. (2023). Comparative Analysis on Male versus Female Entrepreneurial Performance. European Journal of Science, Innovation and Technology, 3(3), 188-197. Retrieved from https://ejsit-journal.com/index.php/ejsit/article/view/208
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Copyright (c) 2023 Mary Mandiringana, Benjamin Juma Nkowane, Melissa Ncube
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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