A Chip off the Old Block? Effects of Gender Homophily on Intergenerational Transmission of Entrepreneurial Behavior

Abstract

The intergenerational transmission is one of the key variables that shape entrepreneurship as an occupational choice. However, the role of gender is still a gap in the literature on intergenerational transmission of entrepreneurial behavior. Thus, this study aims to assess the effect of gender homophily in the intergenerational transmission of entrepreneurial behavior. The sample was composed of 10,889 students from the Federal Institute of Technology of Rio Grande do Norte. The probit regression method was applied to measure the probability of an individual becoming an entrepreneur if they are born of an entrepreneurial father or mother. The results show that being an offspring of an entrepreneurial father or entrepreneurial mother is associated with an increase in the probability of an individual becoming an entrepreneur. Moreover, the transmission is increased when the entrepreneurial parent and the offspring share the same gender.