Gendered Morality and Positivity in Social Entrepreneurship: A Trend Analysis across Global Crises

How do gendered morality and positivity shape social entrepreneurship (SE) during global crises? This study examines the interplay between gender-specific morality-as-cooperation (MAC) and positive psychological capital (PsyCap) and their influence on social entrepreneurial intentions (SEIs) during turbulent times. We gathered survey data from undergraduate business students at an American university in China over 6 years, tracking changes across three phases – pre-pandemic, during-pandemic and post-pandemic crises. Initially, males exhibited higher levels of PsyCap, a trend that gradually levelled off. In contrast, females showed a marked increase in moral standards as the crisis intensified. Notably, during the crisis’s peak, an unexpected negative relationship emerged between MAC and SEI among female students, with the possibility that other variables, such as contextual factors could be more influential at dampening the drive to engage in SE under extreme conditions. Across all phases, PsyCap consistently functioned as a stabilising mediator, linking moral values and SEI. These findings have implications that invite us to rethink social entrepreneurial education, emphasising the need for inclusive strategies that address gender differences and strengthen psychological resilience during global upheavals.