Gender-Gap in Entrepreneurship : A Study on Ideation, Efficacy, Planning Differentiation Measures

Data from various countries indicate gender gap in entrepreneurship. The gap is wider when compared to the labour force participation in other sectors. The case in India is not so different either. There are many socio-economic explanations on this gap found in literature, including the role of women in raising a family. The economics aspect is attributed to a disadvantage in owning the factors of production by women. However the ownership disadvantage does not explain the gap fully in all sectors. More number of entrepreneurs choose service sectors for entry and this sector requires the traditional factors of production to a lesser extent. Thus the gender gap in entrepreneurship is not fully explainable on this basis. For a few backward states in eastern India, the gender gap is much more adverse. This research paper, taking the case of eastern-Odisha, studies some of the factors involved in enterprise formation and tries to investigate from an attitudinal perspective. It tries to differentiate the proclivities of women with respect to men. It tries to give a behavioural, attitudinal, psychological explanation to such differences