This thesis explores whether an enterprise education competition (EEC), promoted as best practice vehicle of entrepreneurial education (EE), may have gendered outcomes in terms of differential impacts upon women participants, given mixed findings relating to the efficacy of EE for women which is considered to relate to the acknowledged masculine construction of entrepreneurship. Thus, this thesis investigates the influence of an EEC on the entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and perceived gender barriers to entrepreneurship of STEMM women early career researchers (ECRs). Of novelty, the theoretical framework draws upon Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), from the career literature, which captures the socio-economic influences of perceived gender barriers upon entrepreneurial career intentions, while also exploring the predispositions of men and women EEC participants.
Underpinned by a critical realist methodology, a quantitative study of 120 pre- and post-surveys of men and women participants, followed by 45 semi-structured interviews of women participants, were undertaken. The quantitative findings suggest that EEC participation removed the gender gap in: (a) perceived stereotype threat, (b) perceived networking difficulty and (c) perceived ability related to entrepreneurial finance and cost estimation. However, following EEC participation, women participants continued to perceive high barriers in: (a) sex discrimination, (b) childcare-work conflict and (c) a lack of role models and mentors when compared to their male counterparts. In addition, the EEC deterred self-confidence in ESE of women participants who perceived a high barrier in stereotype threat.
Despite this, evidence from the qualitative study suggests that the EEC programme still reproduced unintended gendered outcomes for some women participants, particularly in: (a) perpetuating the stereotypical masculine stereotypes of an entrepreneur, (b) reinforcing perceived conflict between childcare and work-life of a woman entrepreneur as well as (c) highlighting a negative image of STEMM women entrepreneurs
