Library:
Paris Champerret
Madrid
London
Paris Montparnasse
Turin
Berlin
- Item type
- Study and report
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Publication year
- 2025
- Contributors
- Subjects
- MARKETING - ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Startups are often regarded as the backbone of modern entrepreneurship. However, despite their prominence, failure among startups is far more common than success. While startup failure has been widely studied, the specific experience of women-led startup failures remains underexplored. Women founders often face not only the general consequences of failure, such as financial loss and reputational damage but also additional psychological, professional, and societal repercussions due to gender-based expectations and biases.
This study investigates the post-failure challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and explores the underlying factors that contribute to these disparities. The research is grounded in several theoretical frameworks, including social role theory, attribution theory, stigma theory, and cultural theory, to better understand how gender influences the perception and impact of entrepreneurial failure.
The methodology combines an extensive literature review with primary research. Data were collected through a survey of entrepreneurship students to capture prevailing attitudes, and through qualitative interviews with women entrepreneurs to gather personal narratives and insights. These mixed methods provided a multidimensional understanding of the topic. While some findings affirmed existing theoretical assumptions, others challenged them, prompting a deeper analysis of prevailing gender norms in the startup ecosystem.
The study concludes with a discussion of its limitations, proposes policy recommendations to create a more inclusive entrepreneurial environment, and reflects on key implications for future research.
Keywords: gender bias, startup failure, women entrepreneurs, social role theory, culture theory, qualitative research
