The gendering of entrepreneurship: theoretical and empirical insights

Purpose – This extended Editorial outlines the genesis and theoretical interests of the Gender and Enterprise Network from which this special issue of the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research emerged. In the call for papers, researchers were asked to employ existing gender theories to explore entrepreneurship. The theories and empirical insights presented in the five papers are summarised and compared. Key directions for future work are outlined. Design/methodology/approach – Articles in the special issue include cross-national studies, multi-level analyses drawing on qualitative and quantitative methods, longitudinal analysis and feminist research. The Editorial explores methodological challenges, including how to encourage cross-national collaboration, research the circumstances in which entrepreneurship is gender liberating and embed gender theory in research on male entrepreneurship. Findings – A comparison is made of the findings from the papers in this special issue, to draw out wider implications for our understanding of entrepreneurship as a gendered process. Originality/value – This special issue represents a significant milestone in advancing our understanding of all entrepreneurship as gendered. Its focus on gender theory (rather than on the empirical study of women ' s entrepreneurship) is novel and marks the theoretical direction advocated by the Gender and Enterprise Network. It is hoped that the employment of gender theory in the Editorial and articles will spark the interest, and raise the contribution, of the wider entrepreneurship research community. An agenda for the future is outlined.