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Does digitalization sufficiently empower female entrepreneurs? Evidence from their online gender identities and crowdfunding performance

Author

Listed:
  • Yalin Wang

    (Hefei University of Technology)

  • Yaokuang Li

    (Hefei University of Technology)

  • Juan Wu

    (Anhui Medical University)

  • Li Ling

    (Anhui Medical University)

  • Dan Long

    (Hefei University of Technology)

Abstract

Drawing upon cyberfeminist theory with a socially constructed view of gender, this paper aims to objectively reveal the extent of digitalization in female entrepreneurs’ empowerment by examining the impacts of their online gender identities on crowdfunding performance. Leveraging a female-led sample of 3125 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns, we develop a measure of gender identity online using natural language processing analytic techniques to mine linguistic narratives, and empirically investigate our questions. The results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between the online displays of masculinity and crowdfunding performance for female entrepreneurs and no significant effect of femininity on crowdfunding performance. Regarding hybrid masculinity and femininity, we find those female entrepreneurs who display a masculine identity (i.e., high on masculinity and low on femininity) online perform better in crowdfunding. The results clearly demonstrate that the potential of crowdfunding for female entrepreneurs’ empowerment is overestimated in that embracing masculinity is reproduced online in addressing women’s financial constraints, thus providing objective and reliable evidence for informing the debate on the extent of digitalization in female entrepreneurs’ empowerment.

Suggested Citation

  • Yalin Wang & Yaokuang Li & Juan Wu & Li Ling & Dan Long, 2023. "Does digitalization sufficiently empower female entrepreneurs? Evidence from their online gender identities and crowdfunding performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 325-348, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:61:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s11187-022-00690-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-022-00690-x
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Female entrepreneurship; Crowdfunding; Digital; Cyberfeminism; Gender identity; Natural language processing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B54 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Feminist Economics
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O36 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Open Innovation

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