A study conducted by the german institute for the study of labour “What’s the difference?! Gender, Personality, and the Propensity to Start a Business” asks why women are less likely to start their own business than men.

Across industrialized countries men are self-employed more often than women. In Germany the start-up rate even differs by one third comparing men and women.

Socio-demographic factors fall short on explaining this gap. On the contrary socio-demographic factors would even propose that women had higher start-up rates: E.g. the average level of education is higher for women than men.

So the gap is more likely to be explained by differences in personality traits and behavioural components. Women tend to act more cautiously: Unrealistic optimism and entrepreneurial overconfidence are less prevalent. What sounds good on the one hand, also stops women more often from undertaking promising projects. Women seem to be more risk aversive and therefore make the step into owning their businesses less often.

What can be done to change those behavioural patterns that most likely evolve from society and upbringing?

What is your point of view: Is it really more men owning businesses?

Or do you know a lot of women starting businesses as a matter of course?