Desislava Yordanova

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS: EVIDENCE FROM BULGARIA

Despite the increasing interest in researching female entrepreneurship, little is known about gender differences in pre-venture process and the variables that mediate the relationship between gender and entrepreneurial intentions. The purpose of this study is to provide a conceptual framework for understanding gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions. Using this framework, we explore gender effects on entrepreneurial intentions and identify factors that may account for the gender gap in entrepreneurial intentions in a sample of Bulgarian university students. Our results show that women have lower entrepreneurial intentions than men. The gender effect on entrepreneurial intentions is fully mediated by perceived behavioral control and partially mediated by perceived subjective norms and attitudes toward entrepreneurship. Policy measures designed to encourage female start-ups should be directed at attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and the link between entrepreneurial intentions and behavior among women.

Gender effects on risk‐taking of entrepreneurs: evidence from Bulgaria

Purpose – The research objective of the study is to investigate the gender effects on risk propensity, risk perception, and risk behaviour of entrepreneurs distinguishing between direct and indirect gender effects. The study seeks to address the gap in the knowledge of the link between risk taking, risk propensity, and risk perception in the context of women and risk (Brindley).Design/methodology/approach – Based on Sitkin and Pablos model of risk behaviour and the literature on cognitive factors as determinants of risk perception, the paper provides hypotheses about the link between gender, risk perception, risk propensity, and risk behaviour. The proposed hypotheses are tested on a sample of 382 Bulgarian entrepreneurs.Findings – Although female and male entrepreneurs have similar risk perceptions, female entrepreneurs are likely to have a lower risk propensity than male entrepreneurs. Risk propensity mediates completely the effect of gender on risk behaviour. The effect of gender on risk propensity is...

Gender and international entry mode

This article examines whether male- and female-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt different strategic directions when internationalising. We build on the notion of gendered socialisation and the resource-based view examining gender differences in international entry modes. We also analyse several contingencies in the relationship between gender and internationalisation. Findings indicate that female-led SMEs are more likely to internationalise via export than foreign direct investment (FDI). The results challenge conventional wisdom on the role of resources and capabilities accumulated with manager age in the process of internationalisation; younger female chief executive officers are more likely to internationalise via FDI. The results offer novel insights to the literature on internationalisation of SMEs calling for more attention towards the interplay of social norms and gendered structural arrangements, on the one hand, and entrepreneurial agency, on the other, for a better understanding of the internationalisation of female-led SMEs.

Exploring the moderation effects of family business status on the relationships between CEO's characteristics and SME internationalisation: evidence from Bulgaria

This study explores the moderating effects of the family business status on the relationships between the chief executive officers characteristics and internationalisation in a sample of Bulgarian SMEs. Drawing upon the upper echelons theory and the resource-based view, the paper proposes a conceptual model and hypotheses positing that the effects of the chief executive officers attributes on internationalisation may differ significantly between family and non-family SMEs. The empirical findings reveal the presence of diverging antecedents of internationalisation between family and non-family SMEs supporting the view that it is important to research family SMEs as distinctive research objects. The paper provides a discussion of practical implications and recommendations for future research.

Editorial Note: Entrepreneurship, Management and Performance in Transition and Emerging Economies

This special issue of the International Journal of Latest Trends in Finance and Economic Sciences is dedicated to entrepreneurship, management and performance in transition and emerging countries. Although emerging and transition economies are low or middle-income economies, they exhibit growth orientation and therefore have increasing importance for the world economy. The creation of new businesses and management and performance of established companies are driving forces behind this fast economic development. It was acknowledged that findings in the field of entrepreneurship and management from developed economies may not be directly applicable to other countries and contexts (Bruton et al., 2008; Wright at al., 2005). Both emerging and established businesses operating in emerging and transition economies may face specific challenges related to institutional environment, availability of resources, policy issues, organizational arrangements such as business groups and networks (Hoskisson et al., 2000). The papers included in this special issue of the Journal investigate a wide range of topics related to entrepreneurship, management and performance in transition and emerging economies in an attempt to fill existing knowledge gaps.

Management Practices in Bulgarian Family and Non-family SMEs: Exploring “Real” Differences

Family businesses constitute an important part of the economies in Central and Eastern Europe. However, there is a lack of understanding about differences between family and non-family businesses in this context. This study investigates differences in management practices between Bulgarian family and non-family SMEs. To detect real rather than sample differences we apply multivariate statistical techniques that controls for the effects of a number of contextual variables as recommended by Jorissen et al. (Family Business Review 18(3):229–246, 2005). The chapter ends with discussion of the empirical findings and research and practical implications.