There has been a sustained research activity in investigating academic entrepreneurship. Although women are less likely to be involved in entrepreneurship than men, the research investigating the entrepreneurship of academic women has received limited attention. This paper investigates the influences on the entrepreneurial activities of women academics by conducting a literature review. Individual and educational background factors, such as management education, human capital, as well as being in a senior faculty position affect the entrepreneurial propensity of female academics in a positive way, while age and institute directorships have a negative influence on entrepreneurship. However, equal gender distributions of professorship, of a selection of specific disciplines, such as engineering or physical science, and of previous business experience would contribute to closing the gender gap and would be a catalyst for women academics to become entrepreneurs. This paper fills the research gap on systematizing the research on factors that influence entrepreneurial activities of female academics.
KeywordsEntrepreneurial Career ChoicesAcademic EntrepreneursFemale Academic EntrepreneurshipIndividual InfluencesContextual Influences
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