Research note
Differences between women and men MBA entrepreneurs: exploring family flexibility and wealth creation as career motivators

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Abstract

Previous research into gender differences among entrepreneurs has yielded varied explanations as to why female entrepreneurs differ from male entrepreneurs. This study explores motivational differences using a sample of MBA entrepreneurs. This allows comparisons between male and female entrepreneurs, who are similar in terms of business education, educational credentials, and other important variables. Logistic regression is used to measure the relationship between career motivators and gender and between career motivators and gender adjusted for marital status and the presence of dependent children. The study concludes that differences between female and male entrepreneurs become larger if the entrepreneurs are married with dependent children.

Section snippets

Executive summary

Previous research reveals that while there are many similarities between female and male entrepreneurs, a number of differences exist. Women and men possess differing motivators for becoming entrepreneurs. A higher proportion of women become entrepreneurs in order to balance work and family, while a higher proportion of men seek wealth creation and/or economic advancement. Comparisons between women and men entrepreneurs, however, have suffered because studies have not controlled for educational

Previous research

Most previous research suggests that while there are similarities between women and men entrepreneurs in the areas of personality factors Chaganti, 1986, Longstreth et al., 1988, Brush, 1992 and motivations Sexton and Bowman, 1986, Sexton and Bowman-Upton, 1990, important differences exist. In a comprehensive literature review, Brush (1992) notes that previous research identifies a number of motivational differences between women and men entrepreneurs. She observes that a higher proportion of

Survey and research methods

In 1998, a survey was administered to alumni of an MBA program from a well-known business school that consistently ranks among the top 10 business schools in the United States. Its program focuses primarily on traditional MBA applicants, with the average admitted student in the past 20 years possessing approximately 4 years of work experience.2

Analysis

This analysis employed both descriptive and inferential statistics. The first segment of the analysis provides cross-tabulation tables. Variables were divided by gender and career preferences, gender with marital and dependent child status, and career preferences, etc. Additionally, career preferences were divided by gender and the number of years since receiving an undergraduate degree (approximate age). Corresponding chi-square tests of independence and t tests were provided. Next, factor

Findings

Comparisons between MBA women and men who became entrepreneurs show support for all three hypotheses.

Factor analysis and regression findings

As expected, factor analysis identified two central components. Table 8 notes that the variables family friendly employment policies, family obligations, and spouse/partner co-career issues loaded on the first component. Somewhat unexpectedly, the career flexibility variable did not load on this component. The variables potential for advancement and wealth creation loaded on the second component. Components 1 and 2, representing the hypothesized “family/lifestyle” and “advancement/wealth”

Summary and conclusions

Certain limitations and assets of this study should be kept in mind before discussing the implications of these results. All survey data were self-reported and thus potentially subject to a number of cognitive and motivational biases and errors. The challenges of retrospective data are well documented in strategic, organizational Golden, 1992, Golden, 1997, and social science literature Paulhus, 1991, Brown, 1991. These limitations are inherent in all survey research related to previous motives

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