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Gender Differences in the use of Social Capital for Entrepreneurial Activity Within Contexts of Poverty

  • Fernando X. Proaño Sánchez ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Ana M. Bojica
Published/Copyright: February 12, 2024
Entrepreneurship Research Journal
From the journal Entrepreneurship Research Journal Volume 14 Issue 4

Abstract

Previous research has pointed to differences in the use of social capital between male and female entrepreneurs that may explain, in part, the different outcomes they obtain. Adopting a gender perspective, this study analyses whether these differences depend on the contextual configurations in which their businesses operate, specifically the degree of hostility of the context and their household structure. Thirty male and female entrepreneurs who set up their businesses in poor neighbourhoods in and around the city of Guayaquil (Ecuador) were interviewed. Data was analysed using content analysis and comparative qualitative fuzzy set analysis. The results show that women rely on bridging and bonding social capital for favourable entrepreneurial outcomes, while men rely mainly on bonding social capital, with the structure of the household being one of the influences that condition whether or not they go outside their immediate environment to mobilise resources. This work contributes to a better understanding of how the relational behaviour of male and female entrepreneurs is conditioned by gender and context. These results differ from those obtained in previous research focusing more on developed countries and suggest that gender differences in social capital are at least partly explained by the contextual configurations in which entrepreneurs find themselves, and especially by the needs and agency space available to them, rather than by the faithful reproduction of gender roles and the behavioural patterns derived from them.

Keywords: FsQCA; female entrepreneurship; social capital; developing countries; poverty; household structure
Corresponding author: Fernando X. Proaño Sánchez, University of Guayaquil, Administrative Sciences School, Av. Delta, Guayaquil 090510, Ecuador, E-mail:

Funding source: PROGRAMA OPERATIVO FEDER ANDALUCIA 2014-2020

Award Identifier / Grant number: SOSTEMPRE Project (B-SEJ-682-UGR20)

Funding source: MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

Award Identifier / Grant number: COMPSOS Project (PID2020-117313RB-I00)

  1. Conflict of interest: Authors state no conflict of interest.

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Received: 2023-03-28
Accepted: 2023-11-30
Published Online: 2024-02-12

© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Competitive Research Articles
  3. Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation on MSME Performance: Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Competency
  4. The Development of Corporate Entrepreneurship among Emerging Economy SMEs: Insights from Both Institutional and Contingency Theory
  5. The Dynamic Capabilities of High-Turbulent Markets: Indonesian Start-Up Cases During COVID-19 Pandemic
  6. Entrepreneurship, Resource Rents and Institutions
  7. The Scaling Strategies and the Scaling Performance of Chinese Social Enterprises: The Moderating Role of Organizational Resources
  8. Research on Corporate Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries: A Review and Agenda for Future Directions
  9. The Impact of Initial Intellectual Property Decisions of Start-Ups on Innovation Performance
  10. Social Capital and Innovative Performance in Networks: The Journey of Romanian SaaS Entrepreneurs
  11. Gender Differences in the use of Social Capital for Entrepreneurial Activity Within Contexts of Poverty
  12. Commitment Helps: The Positive Effects of Long-Term Orientation and Family Ownership on Firms’ International Expansion
  13. Institutional Environment, Executive Equity Incentive, and Enterprise Innovation: The Case of China
  14. Determinants of Entrepreneurial Employee Activity in Saudi Arabia
  15. How Does Entrepreneurial Role Model Connect to Entrepreneurial Perceptions: The Moderating Role of Psychological Distance
  16. The Influence of Top Management’s Strategic Planning Capacity and Entrepreneurial Orientation on Corporate Entrepreneurship
  17. Innovation Ambidexterity and Firm Performance: The Moderating Effects of Contextual Factors
https://doi.org/10.1515/erj-2023-0124
Keywords for this article
FsQCA; female entrepreneurship; social capital; developing countries; poverty; household structure

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Competitive Research Articles
  3. Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation on MSME Performance: Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Competency
  4. The Development of Corporate Entrepreneurship among Emerging Economy SMEs: Insights from Both Institutional and Contingency Theory
  5. The Dynamic Capabilities of High-Turbulent Markets: Indonesian Start-Up Cases During COVID-19 Pandemic
  6. Entrepreneurship, Resource Rents and Institutions
  7. The Scaling Strategies and the Scaling Performance of Chinese Social Enterprises: The Moderating Role of Organizational Resources
  8. Research on Corporate Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries: A Review and Agenda for Future Directions
  9. The Impact of Initial Intellectual Property Decisions of Start-Ups on Innovation Performance
  10. Social Capital and Innovative Performance in Networks: The Journey of Romanian SaaS Entrepreneurs
  11. Gender Differences in the use of Social Capital for Entrepreneurial Activity Within Contexts of Poverty
  12. Commitment Helps: The Positive Effects of Long-Term Orientation and Family Ownership on Firms’ International Expansion
  13. Institutional Environment, Executive Equity Incentive, and Enterprise Innovation: The Case of China
  14. Determinants of Entrepreneurial Employee Activity in Saudi Arabia
  15. How Does Entrepreneurial Role Model Connect to Entrepreneurial Perceptions: The Moderating Role of Psychological Distance
  16. The Influence of Top Management’s Strategic Planning Capacity and Entrepreneurial Orientation on Corporate Entrepreneurship
  17. Innovation Ambidexterity and Firm Performance: The Moderating Effects of Contextual Factors
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