Innovation by entrepreneurs in China: the increasing prominence of women

Purpose – Innovation differs among individuals and societies and changes over time. The question is whether female entrepreneurs in China are becoming more prominent in innovation? Are women entrepreneurs' participation, education, competence, opportunity-motivation and innovativeness increasing in China, perhaps faster than elsewhere around the world? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – These questions are addressed by analyzing the data from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor on nascent entrepreneurs in the countries surveyed in at least two years since 2001 with at least five years between first and most recent survey. The sample is 129,465 nascent entrepreneurs in 58 countries, including 4,433 entrepreneurs starting an enterprise in China. These entrepreneurs reported on their innovativeness, comprising newness of technology used in production, absence of competitors producing the same products, and three newness of the product to customers. The data are analyzed by multivariate statistics, especially regressions and hierarchical models. Findings – First, among the entrepreneurs starting enterprises in China, the proportion of women has increased dramatically over the years, approaching equality with the men. Second, women entrepreneurs compared to male entrepreneurs in China have increased in education, competences, opportunity motive and innovativeness. The increasing prominence of women in innovation in China is unsurpassed by any other country in the sample and thus seems unique in the world. Originality/value – This study is valuable by exploring the changing participation of women in entrepreneurship and especially in the entrepreneurship that is innovative.