The Potential Influence of Gender Role Perceptions on Behavioral Differences Between Male and Female Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Gender role perceptions, as a deeply ingrained social and cultural phenomenon, exert a profound and complex influence on the behavioral differences between male and female entrepreneurs. Rooted in the family, education, and social structures, these perceptions are transmitted and reinforced through various channels such as the media, culture, and traditional customs. Entrepreneurial activities play a pivotal role in economic development. At the macro level, entrepreneurship significantly contributes to economic growth, job creation, income mobility, and the promotion of innovation. At the micro level, entrepreneurship serves as a vital form of individual employment that not only increases personal wealth but also enhances subjective satisfaction and well-being. With the acceleration of social transformation and economic restructuring in China, along with deeper marketization, informatization, industrialization, and internationalization, as well as higher levels of education among women, female entrepreneurship has gained more opportunities. Increasingly, women—especially educated women—are joining the entrepreneurial wave and have become an indispensable part of China’s entrepreneurial talent pool. This paper delves into how gender role perceptions influence the behaviors of male and female entrepreneurs and, on this basis, proposes a range of specific measures to promote gender equality and encourage female entrepreneurship. The aim is to create a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse entrepreneurial environment for both men and women.