Accelerating alienation: gender and self-efficacy in the accelerator context

Abstract

PurposeThis study focuses on the lived experiences of early-stage women founders in a venture accelerator context. In particular, this work explores how gender shapes entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) development in early-stage female founders in the venture accelerator context.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, feminist-sensitive research methodology was utilized, with empirical evidence drawn from interviews with fifty one female founders and four accelerator managers located in four, competitive accelerator programs located in the Northeastern United States.FindingsStudy findings highlight how accelerators contribute to ESE development. Data also shows how the micro-processes related to masculinized discourse, culture, as well as mentorship and training, contribute to the “othering” and minimization of women during early-stage venture development.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the accelerator literature through a provision of insights into the ways a dominant, masculinized discourse and culture alienates female participants, making them feel “othered’, and resulting in a lack of fit with critical networking and funding opportunities. Second, this study builds on self-efficacy theory by applying a gender lens to the areas of mastery learning, vicarious learning, social persuasion and mental state, thus illuminating ways that the masculinization of these processes negatively disrupts the ESE development of female founders. Third, this study builds more broadly on the women's entrepreneurship literature by showing how masculine norms and culture ultimately impact upon the well-being of women in an early-stage entrepreneurship context.

Creating Value Through Leveraging Gender Norms

“…One study of entrepreneurial accelerator programmes studied what norms showed up on co-ed versus all-female groups and found the co-ed groups were more masculine and did not work well for many of the female group members, in part because they encouraged overconfidence and a stoic toughness that did not feel natural to women. Researchers indicated that within such organizations, stereotypically masculine traits and behaviours are negatively affecting the well-being of female founders (MacNeil et al, 2022).…”

“…Masculine workplaces or environments repeatedly showed up in entrepreneurial and high-tech entrepreneurial ventures. Entrepreneurship was seen as a predominantly masculine environment that tends to exclude women and ethnic minorities, many of whom do not exhibit the traits and behaviours expected of employees within stereotypically masculine workplaces (MacNeil et al, 2022). One study of entrepreneurial accelerator programmes studied what norms showed up on co-ed versus all-female groups and found the co-ed groups were more masculine and did not work well for many of the female group members, in part because they encouraged overconfidence and a stoic toughness that did not feel natural to women.…”

“…For instance, the more masculine traits of teasing and pranking can feel hostile to people being pranked or can isolate people who are not interested in these behaviours (Wu, 2020). Similarly, the expectations for working long hours or inflexible hours or having few competing priorities outside of work, prove to destroy value both for individuals who do not fit these norms within organizations and for organizations that may fail to attract these employees (MacNeil et al, 2022).…”

“…Like the masculine-typed workplaces, these stereotypes and norms were particularly evident in the entrepreneurial sector (Gupta et al, 2019; MacNeil et al, 2022). Indeed, much of the research focuses on women’s experience in a stereotypically masculine profession and does not account for those who do not otherwise fit these norms.…”

“…In this study, participants were either part of a women only accelerator or a co-ed accelerator. Those in the co-ed accelerator found that they often felt belittled, excluded, or were otherwise unable to have access to the same networking and funding as their male counterparts (MacNeil et al, 2022).…”