A Different World
A new study highlights the differences between male and female entrepreneurs.
It's a well-known fact that men and women run their
businesses differently, but exactly how entrepreneurial behaviors
differ is less understood. To shed some light on the matter, Brooke
R. Envick, an assistant professor of management at St. Mary's
University in San Antonio, recently released the results of her
study, Behaviors of Entrepreneurs: A Gender Comparison.
While previous studies examined only the psychological
differences between the sexes based on self-reported data, Envick
observed eight behaviors in her study: planning, controlling,
internal communication, human resources management, work-related
tasks, customer service, networking and on-the-job personal
time.
One of Envick's most surprising findings was that
controlling behavior, previously considered a male-dominant trait,
was actually more prevalent in female entrepreneurs. "I've
looked through [previous corporate management studies] and found
complete support for the [idea] that men are more assertive and
controlling," Envick says. "But in this study, females
were more controlling." Her explanation? "Female
entrepreneurs are motivated by the desire to have control, so it
makes sense that [control] is exhibited at work."
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Envick also discovered that male entrepreneurs use more
on-the-job time for personal matters (reading the newspaper,
visiting with drop-in guests, etc.) than their female counterparts,
and that overall, male and female entrepreneurs exhibit similar
planning, customer service and networking behaviors.
Says Envick, "I think [the results] clearly show that
females can succeed as entrepreneurs, but they may succeed in a
different way."
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