Gender Differences in Entrepreneur Values and Venture Mission

Abstract

The current research examined gender differences in nascent entrepreneurs’ value priorities and preferences for social or commercial entrepreneurship. An initial analysis revealed that male value priorities differ from both female and pan-cultural, non-entrepreneur value priority norms. In addition, based on Role Congruity Theory it was proposed that gender would predict diverging preferences for commercial and social entrepreneurship. Females were hypothesized to evidence greater preferences for social entrepreneurship relative to males. Males were expected to indicate elevated preferences for commercial entrepreneurship relative to females. These hypotheses were supported using data gathered from U.S. Midwestern nascent entrepreneurs recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk to take two self-report surveys.