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2024 (English)In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, ISSN 1355-2554, E-ISSN 1758-6534Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]
Purpose: In order to address the gender divide in technology entrepreneurship, we explore how different national contexts impact policies and policy implementation. We investigate how transnational concerns (macro level) about women's low participation in (technology) entrepreneurship are translated and implemented amongst actors at the meso level (technology incubators) and understood at the micro level (women tech entrepreneurs).
Design/methodology/approach: We adopt gender institutionalism as a theoretical lens to understand what happens in the implementation of gender equality goals in technology entrepreneurship policy. We apply Gains and Lowndes' (2014) conceptual framework to investigate the gendered character and effects of institutional formation. Four countries represent different levels of gender equality: high (Norway and Sweden), medium (Ireland) and low (Israel). An initial policy document analysis provides the macro level understanding (Heilbrunn et al., 2020). At the meso level, managers of technology business incubators (n = 3-5) in each country were interviewed. At the micro level, 10 female technology entrepreneurs in each country were interviewed. We use an inductive research approach, combined with thematic analysis.
Findings: Policies differ across the four countries, ranging from women-centred approaches to gender mainstreaming. Macro level policies are interpreted and implemented in different ways amongst actors at the meso level, who tend to act in line with given national policies. Actors at the micro level often understand gender equality in ways that reflect their national policies. However, women in all four countries share similar struggles with work-life balance and gendered expectations in relation to family responsibilities.
Originality/value: The contribution of our paper is to (1) entrepreneurship theory by applying gendered institutionalism theory to (tech) entrepreneurship, and (2) our findings clearly show that the gendered context matters for policy implementation.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2024
Keywords
Gendered institutionalism, Tech entrepreneurship, Gender equality policies, Country-comparison, Multiple-level analysis
National Category
Gender Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-112297 (URN)10.1108/IJEBR-04-2023-0422 (DOI)001169611600001 ()
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020The Research Council of Norway, 299704Swedish Research Council, 2018-00937
Note
This study is developed as a part of the Project Overcoming the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Gender Divide: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, funded under the GENDER-NET Plus Joint call of Horizon 2020, project ID: GNP-122. The authors thank the Horizon 2020, Gender-Net, the Irish Research Council, the Research Council of Norway (grant no. 299704), the Swedish Research Council (grant no. 2018-00937), and the State of Israel Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as our institutions for funding this research.
2024-03-152024-03-152024-03-15Bibliographically approved