Analyzing the Influence of Gender upon High–Technology Venturing within the Context of Business Incubation

Abstract

We explore the influence of sex role attribution and associated gendered ascriptions upon the entrepreneurial experiences of a female high–technology business owner operating within the context of business incubation. Our literature analysis and empirical evidence suggest that stereotypical gendered expectations surrounding incubated high–technology venturing reproduce masculine norms of entrepreneurial behavior. The adoption of a gendered perspective to explore the experience of business incubation responds to contemporary calls to embed feminist analyses within the entrepreneurial field of enquiry. Furthermore, we draw upon evidence from a detailed case study informed by a life history narrative to explore a female entrepreneur's experience of incubated high–technology entrepreneurship.