Does Gender Really Matter in Crowdfunding Campaigns?

The research aims to understand whether gender can or not influence the success of crowdfunding (CF) campaigns. To attain this objective, entrepreneurs that launch a CF campaign in the PPL platform are surveyed in order to examine if gender influences the characteristics of the projects, the motivations and satisfaction with the campaigns, and the use of social media. The paper uses a quantitative approach, based on an online survey sent to the entrepreneurs who have used the Portuguese CF platform (PPL) for funding. The results indicate that there are no major significant gender differences in the use of CF through the Portuguese platform, the motivations for using CF or the success achieved. In both cases, social media play an essential role in CF campaigns. Only culture-related projects exhibit an association with gender. The results show that CF is a tool that can contribute to reducing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. The design of CF operations and capacity building programs for women could either be improved in accordance with the new insights of the study.

Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to Measure the Moderating Effect of Gender: An Empirical Study

Over recent decades, much has been written about sustainable development and its main dimensions (environmental, social, and economic). However, to date, there is a lack of academic literature on the relationship between these dimensions of sustainability, as well as whether sustainability is moderated by an individual’s gender. To fill this gap in the literature, the aim of this study is two-fold: first, we want to empirically analyze whether there is a relationship between these dimensions and, if so, whether this relationship is positive; secondly, we aim to evaluate whether gender influences the link between these dimensions of sustainability. To this end, a sample of 411 responses was analyzed using the Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between the three dimensions of sustainability; however, the effect of gender was observed only in the case of the relationship between social and environmental sustainability. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results and an outline of their theoretical and practical implications for industry.

Leadership Traits

Women are gradually assuming important leadership roles in the social, business and political spheres. For this reason, the difference in leadership style and characteristics of men and women leaders has been the subject of controversial discussions both in society and in academia. Even though it is a current subject, there are few studies in the literature about it. This research aims to identify the characteristics and style of leaders to understand whether gender influences leadership style. For that, an integrative systematic review was developed in the Scopus, Web of Science and Scielo databases, between 2010 and 2020, chosen and analyzed 22 publications. Characteristics and leadership styles of men and women were found and related. It was found that gender may not have a direct influence on the style and characteristics of leaders, as they are influenced by the gender stereotype they assume. A woman can have more masculine style and leadership characteristics if she adopts the male stereotype, and vice versa. The results point to the need for more research on leadership style and gender, especially the development of more comprehensive quantitative studies and also qualitative research that focus on the experience of women and men leaders in organizations.

Germany

This chapter analyzes the institutional foundation of parliamentary debates in the German Bundestag. Based on 89,920 speeches given between 1990 and 2017, we explore factors influencing debate participation. Some systematic patterns of debate participation emerge: We show that policy expertise is a strong predictor of debate participation as many debates are dominated by the members of the respective working groups of the parliamentary party groups. Moreover, we show that government members and party leaders give more speeches than backbenchers. We find no significant differences between MPs from single-member districts and party lists, which is hardly surprising, given the complex contamination of electoral incentives between the two types of MPs. Personal characteristics of MPs also matter as MP’s gender influences the participation in debates.

Men in a women-dominated workplace: ten experiments on gender inequality

The authors use empirical research to identify how gender influences the interaction with female colleagues. The article describes the results of ten experiments conducted by two teams of researchers in 2020. The authors conclude that a women-dominated team is more tolerant of men’s unusual forms of behaviour and appearance. At the same time, a women-dominated team requires more from another female employee, which emphasizes the relevance of studying gender inequality still existing in many areas.

Required Project Designers' Attributes as Perceived by Male and Female Engineers

Project designer (PD) personality defines the way PDs cooperate with the project team, make decisions, and influence the project performance. The current research focused on identifying attributes associated with successful PDs as considered by male and female project engineers. In this context, a five-year questionnaire survey collected 423 responses from Greek engineers. The survey recorded data regarding the respondents and the scores assigned to the required PDs attributes. The methodological approach included an SPSS database, followed by descriptive statistics analysis, independent sample t-test, and correlation analysis. It became obvious that gender influences the assessment and selection of desired PD personality characteristics. Female engineers tend to assign the highest Likert scale-based scores, whereas male respondents tend to assign lower scores. The most highly ranked abilities included “responsibility,” “reliability,” and “obedience to rules.” The findings facilitate the implementation of multi-criteria decision-making tools for efficient project teams.

Gender

This chapter explores the way that gender influences and blocks ambition. Despite recent progress, women still are grossly underrepresented at the top and overrepresented at the bottom in measures of power and economic reward. In explaining these disparities, research suggests that while women may be more ambivalent about ambition than men and ambitious for somewhat different things, the primary explanation for their different achievements lies elsewhere: in gender bias, stereotypes, and socialization patterns; and in inequalities in family responsibilities and inadequacies in workplace policies. Discussion focuses on the special obstacles to ambition for women of color, women leaders, and women politicians. Gender differences in mentors, sponsors, and allies and in the incidence of sexual harassment and online abuse compound the problems. These inequalities are not only unjust for individuals, but they also impair organizational performance. The chapter closes with strategies for ambitious women and for organizations seeking greater equity, diversity, and inclusion.