Women-Power under the Microscope: Gender-specific differences among jung entrepreneurs. An empirical analysis

Abstract

Because of its importance to a dynamic development of the economy, the formation of new firms has been viewed with rapidly increasing interest from the perspectives of practical economic policy at the national, regional and local levels and from the perspectives of private business associations, formal and informal networks. According to statements of the Swiss Federal Office for Vocational Education and Technology (BBT, Bern), there are more than 200 initiatives that aim at encouraging the formation of new firms in Switzerland. However, an accompanying scientific study of these initiatives is lacking. Serious knowledge gaps exist. The present research project attempts to make a contribution, in a systematic way, to fill some of these gaps. It is based on a systematic study of 20 case studies and of a large survey conducted in 1999 of 745 newly founded firms in Switzerland. In the paper results are presented concerning gender-specific differencces among jung entrepreneurs in the following areas: (1) Portrait of firm founders. (2) Success indicators of firm for-mation. (3) Factors affecting success of firm formation. (4) Relationships be-tween success and success factors. Finally policy recommendations are drawn from our findings.Formation of new firms; new enterprises; small firms; small-to-medium-sized en-terprises; self-employed; start-ups; firm foundations; promoting start-ups; firm promotion; private sector promotion; Switzerland; Gender issues. Woman entrepreneur; self-employed women