An intuitive entrepreneurial gender ceiling and its impact on entrepreneurial success and access to finance

Despite the growing number of female-led firms in Europe, such entrepreneurial ventures tend to be smaller in size, have more limited access to finance, and show slower growth and lower profits than male-owned businesses.

Because of the nature of entrepreneurship, it is postulated, in line with emotions-as-information theory, that intuition affects decision-making.

How intuition affects profits and growth of female and male ventures as well as access to finance, which are crucial for survival, has not to date been objectively investigated.Applying the social-psychology theory of the stereotype content model, ROLLER-COASTER’s aim is to investigate entrepreneurs’ and venture capitalists’ (VCs) intuition and its impact on success.Three research objectives are targeted:1) to create a solid interdisciplinary framework2) to explore the ‘entrepreneurial gender ceiling’3) to enhance related theories and conceptsTwo study phases focus on achieving the objectives:Study 1: Does intuition among entrepreneurs facilitate profit and growth similarly for men and women?Based on Orbis data, self-reports and biophysiological, and behavioral data relating to at least 200 entrepreneurs of both sexes, it is proposed to analyze if female entrepreneurs show higher attributions to intuition but use it less effectively in realizing firm profit and growth than males do.Study 2: Does VCs’ intuition influence investment decision preferences in either female- or male-led ventures?Based on Study 1, pitches will be produced with switched genders and shown to at least 200 VCs to explore whether VCs with high attributions and use of intuition are more likely to invest in male than in female ventures.ROLLER-COASTER will support European educators and policy-makers as they develop instruments to support entrepreneurs --- in particular females as an under-exploited source of economic growth and jobs --- to use their intuition to make faster, more accurate, and more confident decisions.