Gender Differences in Ethnic Entrepreneurship

Gender-based differences are the most important topic of discussion in female entrepreneurship studies. While earlier studies focused on psychological and sociological characteristics of female entrepreneurs, assuming there were only a few differences between males and females, more recent studies have addressed gender-based differences in entrepreneurship from a new perspective, referred to as the integrated perspective, which is rooted in psychological and sociological theory. This perspective focuses on gender differences in entrepreneurial characteristics and performance from the perspective of liberal feminist and social feminist theories, which attempt to explain the basis of the lower status of women in society. Against this background, the aim of the present paper is to investigate gender-based differences in a special field of entrepreneurship, viz. ethnic entrepreneurship, and to describe male and female profiles of ethnic entrepreneurs and enterprises. Copyright © 2006 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.