THE INFLUENCE OF FOUNDERS’ GENDER AND HUMAN CAPITAL ON NEW VENTURE PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF GENERAL AND SPECIFIC HUMAN CAPITAL EFFECTS

KARY, SARA ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7861-822X, SMITH, STEVEN A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8725-0674, BOUDREAUX, CHRISTOPHER ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7098-7184, BORDAS, RENE ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5200-325X, ZADEH, MOHAMMAD REZAEI ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8595-7252 and ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8513-4646 (2026) THE INFLUENCE OF FOUNDERS’ GENDER AND HUMAN CAPITAL ON NEW VENTURE PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF GENERAL AND SPECIFIC HUMAN CAPITAL EFFECTS. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 31 (01). doi:10.1142/S1084946726500068

Text 16216 Kary, S et al (2026) The-influence-of-founders-gender-and-human-capital-on-new-venture-performance-a-study-of-general-and-specific-human.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 7 April 2027. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (624kB)

Abstract

Human capital is a critical resource for new ventures; the distinct differences between general and specific human capital in the context of founder gender remain underexplored. Drawing on human capital theory, we investigate how general human capital (GHC) and specific human capital (SHC) influence new venture performance and whether these effects are moderated by founder gender. Informed by feminist perspectives, which highlight gendered barriers, we explore how the benefits of human capital might differ for male and female entrepreneurs. Analysis of longitudinal data from the Growing America Through Entrepreneurship (GATE) study reveals that GHC has a stronger positive association with venture continuation and growth, with this effect amplified for male founders compared to female founders. This disparity underscores the need for a deeper understanding of how gender intersects with human capital in shaping entrepreneurial outcomes. The study contributes to human capital theory and gendered perspectives on entrepreneurship by suggesting the need for tailored support programs that address gender-specific barriers to the utilization of human capital.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	General human capital; Specific human capital; Gender; Entrepreneurship; New venture performance
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business > HF5387 Business Ethics H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business > HF5549 Personnel management. Employment management H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business > HF5717 Business communication
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Kamila Niekoraniec
Date Deposited:	08 May 2026 12:00
Last Modified:	10 May 2026 09:30
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/16216

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