How to challenge gender bias in entrepreneurship 

Looking for a theoretical approach gendered norms in entrepreneurship

How to break down these norms has been the focus of extensive research by Monique Boddington, Management Practice Associate Professor at Cambridge Judge Business School and Deputy Director of the Business School’s Master of Studies in Entrepreneurship degree.

As for the willingness to take on risk, Monique points out that there are different types of risk (skydiving is not the same as buying low-grade but high-yielding bonds), and that risk in entrepreneurship has usually been defined in terms of financial risk rather than a broader definition that looks at balancing career and personal goals. 

But Monique’s research into entrepreneurship and gender goes far deeper, seeking a theoretical approach to how the interaction of individual action and collective activities such as workers’ collectives and virtual communities can help break down gendered norms. 

Changing our perception of what an entrepreneur looks like

“I was drawn to this topic because while there have been numerous studies about how gendered norms inhibit entrepreneurial practice, I wanted to explore how individualised practice and identity can shift those norms,” says Monique. 

“Over time, I became convinced that significant long-term change requires structural renegotiation in the form of a shift in the stereotypes we hold around entrepreneurship: what does an entrepreneur look like and what characteristics do they have?  For example, when we think about entrepreneurship, it is often thought about in terms of risk-taking, breaking things, going fast. Further, when asked ‘Who is an entrepreneur?’, or to name an entrepreneur, most people will think of or name a man.

“Society, is structured around these ideas, and these then reinforce the way we act, like the way funding is allocated. Individuals who demonstrate characteristics that mirror our idea of what a successful entrepreneur looks like are more likely to receive funding. Thus, to create real long-term change, to support those who do not fit with the stereotype, we need to renegotiate the structural norms that guide our behaviours . We need to broaden our conception of what and who an entrepreneur is.”

Are efforts to change the gendered norm futile or can collective action change things?

In her research, Monique draws on the contrasting views of 2 well-known figures in the field – French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, who published numerous papers between the mid-1970s and around the turn of the Millennium, and British sociologist Margaret Archer, whose papers include several gender-related studies between 2000 and 2015.  

Bourdieu wrote about how, as Monique describes it, “the very idea of a woman entrepreneur is outside the norm”, so efforts to change this gendered norm “are futile, as the normative order is naturalised”. This has translated into entrepreneurs being socially expected to embody masculine characteristics, and by further extension to be male. 

Archer, on the other hand, wrote a series of papers explaining what Monique’s research describes as the “increasing variability within society as social norms break down”. Archer also focuses on a concept of ‘reflexivity’ (in which people examine their own views) which emphasises how individuals have the potential through collective action to change structural norms. Change requires more than just individuals but collaborative efforts of groups, advocacy groups, social movements, community-based initiatives and online campaigns – which can provide mentoring and education while lobbying government for policies that support more diverse entrepreneurship. A great example are funds focused on investing in women like Astia or the Female Founders Fund.

Why a postfeminist perspective is needed on gender and entrepreneurship

The goal, as Monique describes it, is to facilitate the conceptualisation of gender from a postfeminist perspective in which a woman entrepreneur’s position is “not conceived of as exclusion to a dominant male norm”. 

“Such reflexivity can help facilitate structural shifts, but given how deep-seated these gender norms are in entrepreneurship it will require ongoing collective action. This is not something that will be change overnight or even in a decade, and therefore initiatives like women-focused funds, or educational initiatives to provide mentoring will be needed in the long term  So at the moment, we have got much better at supporting women starting businesses, but where the biggest issue is in scaling we need more support to help women grow – advice and money” says Monique, whose research on gender issues has also looked at the prospective motherhood penalty in which some women face career obstacles because employers believe they may take time off to raise children. 

“There are some parallels between my research on gender and entrepreneurship and the study on the prospective motherhood penalty,” says Monique. “In both cases perceptions often don’t reflect reality, and the perceptions are mostly from a perspective of male-dominated power structures.” 

5 key findings on gender and entrepreneurship

We asked Monique to take a deeper dive into some aspects of her research on gender and entrepreneurship.