HOFSTEDE' S MASCULINITY: CAN IT EXPLAIN WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATIVENESS?

Abstract

Feminists have argued that analysis of women entrepreneurs should view women as a distinct social entity which may require separate theoretical and methodological treatments than men. Since some cultural stimuli induce gender-differentiated responses, cultural constructs, in particular, deserve a closer inspection. Hence, the objective of the current study is to examine whether or not existing constructs of culture may sufficiently explain the behaviour of women entrepreneurs. Hofstede's masculinity is used as the independent variable and innovativeness as the dependent variable, and correlation analysis is performed on the relationship between the two. Additionally, factor analysis is conducted to examine discriminant and convergent validity of the relevant scales. The study is carried out in the form of a mail survey which yields a total of 87 usable responses. Results indicate that for a female sample, the masculinity dimension may very well require a thorough reconsideration.