Sizing Up Entrepreneurial Potential: Gender Differences in Communication and Investor Perceptions of Long-Term Growth and Scalability
Abstract
Female entrepreneurs have been found to face disadvantages when compared with male entrepreneurs, especially in acquiring the financial resources needed to sustain and grow their ventures. Across three studies, we examine how disparities in funding outcomes may be due to differences in how entrepreneurs communicate their ventures, whereby female entrepreneurs have a tendency to use more concrete language when describing their ventures than their male counterparts. We find that the use of abstract speech affects investors’ perceptions of which ventures are oriented toward long-term growth and scalability, which in turn affects the likelihood that a venture will receive investment. We conclude with a discussion of the important role of communication style as a key mediating mechanism in influencing investor cognition.
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Numerous aspects of how entrepreneurial ecosystems work, from the role of networks to the importance of gatekeepers such as investors and mentors, create the potential for discrimination against entrepreneurs who are women, minority, older, or otherwise outside of the white, male, mainstream of entrepreneurship.
“Beyond this, numerous aspects of how entrepreneurial ecosystems work, from the role of networks to the importance of gatekeepers such as investors and mentors, create the potential for discrimination against entrepreneurs who are women, minority, older, or otherwise outside of the white, male, mainstream of entrepreneurship (e.g., Abraham, 2020 ; Huang et al., 2020 ).”
From Toward an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Research Program (2022) · cites this paper as Huang et al., 2020
Cites
Construal-level theory of psychological distance.
Trope, Y., & Liberman, N. (2010) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/a0018963 · Cited by 6,618 · see citing works
Implementation intentions and goal achievement: a meta-analysis of effects and processes
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(06)38002-1 · Cited by 3,236 · see citing works
Walter, A., Auer, M., & Ritter, T. (2006) · Journal of Business Venturing · doi:10.1016/j.jbusvent.2005.02.005 · Cited by 1,222 · see citing works
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Toward an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Research Program
Wurth, B., Stam, E., & Spigel, B. (2022) · Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice · doi:10.1177/1042258721998948 · Cited by 789 · see citing works
“Beyond this, numerous aspects of how entrepreneurial ecosystems work, from the role of networks to the importance of gatekeepers such as investors and mentors, create the potential for discrimination against entrepreneurs who are women, minority, older, or otherwise outside of the white, male, mainstream of entreprene…”
- Authors
- Huang, L., Joshi, P., Wakslak, C., & Wu, A.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- San Francisco State University (US)
- University of Southern California (US)
- Venue
- Academy of Management Journal
- Publisher
- Academy of Management
- Published
- 2021-06
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 716-740
- ISSN
- 0001-4273 (ISSN-L)
- 1948-0989
- OpenAlex
- W3017017517
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 9.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Academy of Management Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management of Technology and Innovation › Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Accounting › Private Equity and Venture Capital
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Diversity and Inequality
- Keywords
- women entrepreneurs, gender differences, entrepreneurial communication, abstract language, concrete language, investor perception, venture financing, long-term growth, scalability, communication styles
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