Journal of Enterprising Culture

The explosive growth in the rate of new business formation by women has spurred renewed research interest in the area of female entrepreneurship and its related economic impact. Yet, there has been a dearth of research into the influence of gender on new venture formation and development. This study draws on data from the annual survey of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor to examine the differences between female and male entrepreneurs in the early stages of small enterprise development. The data was aggregated for the period 2002 through 2004, and consisted of 444 Canadian entrepreneurs: 164 females and 280 males.

Gender differences are explored within the context of a variety of personal as well as business-related variables. Women entrepreneurs had a much greater propensity to have established a consumer or business services enterprise, and reported significantly lower income levels. In addition, they were less likely than their male counterparts to work full time at their business, to utilize new technology or to anticipate new business opportunities in the near term.

In terms of the enterprise's stage of development, it was found that 62 percent of the enterprises operated by females were ‘nascent’ small firms, while 38 percent were ‘new;’ the respective proportions for males were 55 percent and 45 percent. The analysis revealed that the difference between genders on business-related variables strengthens as the firm evolves through the stages of development from nascent to new; however, there was mixed support for the corollary hypothesis that differences in personal characteristics and attitudes diminish during this progression: even for ventures that have reached the ‘new’ phase, personal variables continue to act as important discriminators between genders.

The paper provides a discussion of the implications of these empirical findings, as well as some directions for future research.

This paper seeks to explore the religious valuation of entrepreneurship during a long period of Western cultural history that covers transformations of religious thinking from the early Church Fathers to the Reformation. The paper focuses on theological contributions to conceptualizations of labour, property and wealth, that serves as a basis for assessing entrepreneurial motives and enterprise activities. In doing so, this approach highlights the interactions between work motivation and entrepreneurship in distinct cultural and historical contexts. Particular attention is devoted to understanding the religious sanctification of labour. The emergence and formation of secular enterprise values are discussed and interpreted as integral parts of these religious worldviews in which they were deeply embedded.

Previous studies on CE behaviour and processes have neglected the role of employees, as the focus has been on one-way relationships (top-down) and the interaction between them. We question the straightforward model of CE implementation and suggest causality between different elements. This conceptual study discusses the different organisational and individual pre-requisites in order to promote understanding of how they confront in the CE context. We propose that top-down and bottom-up influences are parallel terms describing the co-evolution of managerial and employee behaviour and organisational structures. We conclude by introducing the concept of implementation and influencing modalities and conversational space, which enables the ‘voices’ of managers and subordinates to meet and negotiate. Finally, we argue that CE is a two-way interactive and recursive process in which structures and managerial initiatives affect individual behaviour, and individual behaviour affects structures and management behaviour. The paper discusses the implications and gives direction for further research endeavours.

U.S.-based stock exchanges (e.g., NASDAQ) continue to be the financial markets of choice for IPOs among Asian entrepreneurs, although many Asian firms, upon listing, have performed poorly. This paper surveys the existing literature and summarizes the main advantages and disadvantages associated with a U.S. listing by an Asia-based venture. The paper also examines the post-IPO experience of four Asian companies which illuminate issues that are particularly relevant for Asian entrepreneurs. Our findings indicate that a U.S. listing can provide Asian companies with increased liquidity, visibility, and business opportunities. But being public in the U.S. brings disadvantages that include disclosure and reporting requirements, risk of lawsuits, and additional expenses. Our case studies reveal that successful U.S. listings require Asian firms to fully commit to transparency and investor relations programs. Based on our findings, we develop practical guidelines as to when a U.S. IPO may be sensible for an Asian venture.