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What drives women out of entrepreneurship? The joint role of testosterone and culture

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  • Rustichini, Aldo
  • Guiso, Luigi

Abstract

The ratio of second to fourth digit (2D4D) has been shown to correlate negatively with entrepreneurial skills and financial success. We document that in a sample of entrepreneurs women have a lower 2D4D ratio than men, in sharp contrast with the features of the distribution in random samples. Exploiting variation across communities in indices correlated with women emancipation, we show that in regions where women are less emancipated their average DR is lower than that of men compared to regions with higher indices. This finding is consistent with the existence of gender related obstacles into entrepreneurship so that only women with well above average entrepreneurial skills find it attractive to self-select into entrepreneurship. This finding can rationalize three facts: a) fewer women than men are entrepreneurs; b) the proportion of women among entrepreneurs tends to be higher in countries with higher women emancipation; c) women who break the barrier into entrepreneurship seem to show more masculine traits. We also find that once women enter entrepreneurship, they are equally able than man to translate their ability into outcomes for the firm.

Suggested Citation

  • Rustichini, Aldo & Guiso, Luigi, 2011. "What drives women out of entrepreneurship? The joint role of testosterone and culture," CEPR Discussion Papers 8204, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:8204
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Werner Boente & Monika Jarosch, 2011. "Gender Differences in Competitiveness, Risk Tolerance, and other Personality Traits: Do they contribute to the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship?," Schumpeter Discussion Papers sdp11012, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    2. Wolfe, Marcus T. & Patel, Pankaj C., 2017. "Two are better than one: Cortisol as a contingency in the association between epinephrine and self-employment," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 78-86.
    3. Ruiu, Gabriele, 2012. "Is fatalism a cultural belief? An empirical analysis on the origin of fatalistic tendencies," MPRA Paper 41705, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Mario Daniele Amore & Orsola Garofalo & Alessandro Minichilli, 2014. "Gender Interactions Within the Family Firm," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(5), pages 1083-1097, May.
    5. Del Prete, Silvia & Papini, Giulio & Tonello, Marco, 2024. "Gender quotas, board diversity and spillover effects. Evidence from Italian banks," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 148-173.
    6. Silvia Del Prete & Maria Lucia Stefani, 2015. "Women as ‘gold dust’: gender diversity in top boards and the performance of Italian banks," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1014, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    7. Werner Bönte & Monika Piegeler, 2013. "Gender gap in latent and nascent entrepreneurship: driven by competitiveness," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 961-987, December.
    8. Silvia Del Prete & Maria Lucia Stefani, 2013. "Women on Italian bank boards: are they �gold dust�?," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 175, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    9. Werner Bönte & Vivien D. Procher & Diemo Urbig, 2016. "Biology and Selection into Entrepreneurship—The Relevance of Prenatal Testosterone Exposure," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(5), pages 1121-1148, September.
    10. Andreas C. Drichoutis & Rodolfo M. Nayga, 2015. "Do risk and time preferences have biological roots?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(1), pages 235-256, July.
    11. Silvia Del Prete & Maria Lucia Stefani, 2021. "Women as “gold dust”: Gender diversity in top boards and the performance of Italian banks," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 50(2), July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Women emancipation; Entrepreneurial ability; Digit ratio; Testosterone; entrepreneurship;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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