The influence of gender upon social networks and bootstrapping behaviours

This article analyses the influence of gender upon networking and bootstrapping behaviour drawing on a sample of entrepreneurs in the early stages of business start-up in the context of deprived communities in a developed economy. Whilst the data confirms the importance of bootstrapping for all new ventures, gender differences are identified in the use of strong and weak ties to support bootstrapping activities. A number of variations are subject to gendered influences; in addition, men and women make differing use of brokers. We also note a number of broad similarities between the bootstrapping and networking activities of women and men which dispel notions of essential gender differences thus, responding to calls to use positivist research to challenge, rather than axiomatically seek confirmation, of assumptions of essential female entrepreneurial deficiency.