Gender features of innovative activity of entrepreneurs

In most modern national economies, the development of innovative activities, including those carried out by entrepreneurs, is an urgent problem, since it is innovations that make it possible to ensure the high quality of goods and services produced, as well as to gain competitive advantages in relevant markets. Aim of study is to assess values indicators that characterize current levels of innovation activity of women and men who are entrepreneurs in different countries. The study solved the problem of estimation: proportion of women involved in innovative activities, total number of women entrepreneurs; the specific weight of men engaged in innovation activities, and the total number of male entrepreneurs; relationship values of indicators describing the innovation activities of women and men. During study tested four hypotheses: the existence of gender differences in participation of entrepreneurs in innovation activities in most countries; values of considered parameters differ significantly in different countries; geographical location and level of income in countries do not have significant effect on values of indicators. Study used the results of surveys conducted in 59 countries during the implementation of Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring project as initial information. Study allowed us to estimate the distribution of values of the considered indicators for countries to establish average values, and to identify country with maximum and minimum values of indicators entrepreneurs innovative activity. It is shown that the share of women entrepreneurs in the countries under consideration is slightly lower than the share of men entrepreneurs. It is shown that the involvement of entrepreneurs in innovative activities in Russia is less in comparison with foreign countries. Innovative activity of women entrepreneurs in Russia is significantly higher than that of men entrepreneurs. Methodological approach presented in the article to the assessment of gender differences in innovative entrepreneurial activity can be applied in further research

Keywords: entrepreneurs, innovations, women, men, gender differences

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