Family matters: Gender, networks, and entrepreneurial outcomes

In this article, we explore several factors that may have an effect on busi ness start-ups, focusing on possible gender differences. We conceptualize s ocial capital as inhering in people's relations with others and examine the association between men's and women's social capital and their likelihood of starting a business. Two aspects of respondents' social capital are high lighted: the extent to which their business discussion networks are heterog eneous and the extent to which they contain a high proportion of kin. We sh ow that a high proportion of kin and homogeneity in the network, rather tha n a high proportion of females in the network or being female, are critical disadvantages facing potential small business owners.