Learning to be entrepreneurial: Do family firms gain more from female leadership than nonfamily firms?

Abstract

We integrate social learning theory with gender role congruity theory to propose that family firms gain more from female leadership than nonfamily firms due to the congruence of female communal values with those of a family business. Results of our empirical study, based on a sample of 322 Spanish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), show that while all three dimensions of learning orientation (commitment to learning, shared vision, and open-mindedness) are positively related to an entrepreneurial orientation, significant differences exist based on the CEO's gender and whether the SME is a family or nonfamily firm. Strongest differences were found between female-led family and nonfamily SMEs whereby the entrepreneurial orientation of female-led family SMEs benefited significantly more from their firm's commitment to learning and open-mindedness.