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 omen
business owners are continuing to demonstrate extraordinary
economic prowess worldwide, with one in 11 women
(8.9 percent) involved in entrepreneurship across
the globe, according to the Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor (GEM).
Among
the 37 countries studied by GEM in its 2002 worldwide
assessment of entrepreneurial activity, there exists
a wide range of women's entrepreneurial activity,
with women's entrepreneurship rates in the United
States (at 8.1 percent, or 1 in 12 women) being
outpaced by nine of the 36 other countries included
in the study.
These
findings are included in a recent National Women's
Business Council (NWBC) Issue in Brief entitled,
"Women's Entrepreneurship Around the Globe," which
highlights the major findings related to women's
entrepreneurship from four studies conducted by
GEM.
Worldwide,
women are much more likely than men to cite necessity
as a reason for starting their business. Fully 69
percent of men cite opportunity as their motivation
for starting a business, with 31 percent of men
citing necessity. In comparison, just 56 percent
of women cite opportunity, while 44 percent of women
cite necessity as their motivation for starting
a business. Thus, nearly half of women say that
they became entrepreneurs because there were no
other options available.
Despite relatively high levels of women's entrepreneurship
in a number of countries, women are still much less
likely to start a business than are men. Across
the 37 countries studied in 2002, men are about
50 percent more likely than women to be involved
in entrepreneurial activity, and nearly one in seven
men (13.9 percent) is an entrepreneur, compared
with one in 11 women (8.9 percent).
The
economic development level of a country appears
to have a significant impact on the motivations
for entrepreneurship among women.
Within
highly developed countries, opportunity entrepreneurship
is more common and a higher level of participation
of women in the labor force is associated with greater
female entrepreneurship. In these countries, entrepreneurship
is one career choice among many for women.
Within
developing countries, however, entrepreneurship
among women is more likely to be a result of necessity.
In these countries, the more job opportunities that
exist for women, the lower their levels of entrepreneurship,
since the need for it is reduced.
During
2002, the following countries in the GEM study had
the highest levels of entrepreneurship among women:
- Thailand
(18.5 percent);
- India
(14.1 percent);
- Argentina
(11.5 percent);
- Brazil
(11.1 percent);
- China
(11.0 percent);
- New
Zealand (10.6 percent);
- Mexico
(10.3 percent);
- Chile
(9.5 percent);
- Korea
(8.6 percent); and
- the
United States (8.1 percent).
The
countries in the study with the lowest rates of
female entrepreneurship during 2002 were:
- Japan
(0.6 percent);
- Belgium
(1.5 percent);
- Russia
(1.6 percent);
- Croatia
(1.8 percent);
- France
(2.1 percent);
- Hong
Kong (2.3 percent);
- Spain
(2.6 percent);
- Sweden
(2.6 percent);
- Singapore
(2.7 percent); and
- Slovenia
(2.9 percent).
GEM
researchers found that the level of entrepreneurial
activity among women increases as levels of education
rise, with a major jump in business ownership seen
among those who go beyond a secondary education.
This pattern is different from that of men. The
highest levels of business activity among men are
seen among those who have only a secondary education;
the lowest levels of entrepreneurship are seen among
those men who have both the most and the least amount
of education.
GEM
has published its reports for 1999 (10 countries
surveyed), 2000 (21 countries), 2001 (29 countries),
and 2002. Each of the four GEM reports includes
conclusions and recommendations related to the role
of women in entrepreneurship. Among the recommendations,
are suggestions to increase the level of entrepreneurial
start-up efforts by helping to get more women involved
and highlighting successful women entrepreneurs
who could serve as role models and encourage other
women to start their own businesses.
GEM
was spearheaded by Babson College, the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation, and the London School of Economics
with independent research teams in each of the 37
countries. More information about GEM can be found
at www.gemconsortium.org.
The
complete Issue in Brief, as well as links to the
GEM reports, can be found at the NWBC's web site,
www.nwbc.gov.
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