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Entrepreneurial orientation and social capital as small firm strategies: A study of gender differences from a resource-based view

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Abstract

Women entrepreneurs have recently been the subject of many studies which have revealed that though women possess some of the same resources as male entrepreneurs, success levels are not the same. The current study looks at the resources utilized by small business owners within downtown business districts. Using a sample of 467 small business owners, we test differences in entrepreneurial orientation and social capital between men and women entrepreneurs. Though women actually reported higher levels of entrepreneurial orientation and social capital, there were no differences in their abilities to utilize these two resources in achieving firm performance. We offer discussion of why these findings are relevant, as well as research implications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Retailing, The University of South Carolina, 2026E Coliseum, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Rodney C. Runyan

  2. Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing, Michigan State University, 370 Communication Arts, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Patricia Huddleston

  3. Design, Housing and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, 445 HES Bldg, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Jane Swinney

Authors
  1. Rodney C. Runyan
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  2. Patricia Huddleston
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  3. Jane Swinney
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Correspondence to Rodney C. Runyan.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 5 Measurement scales: entrepreneurial orientation
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Table 6 Measurement scales: social capital
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Table 7 Measurement scales: firm performance
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Runyan, R.C., Huddleston, P. & Swinney, J. Entrepreneurial orientation and social capital as small firm strategies: A study of gender differences from a resource-based view. Int Entrep Manag J 2, 455–477 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-006-0010-3

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