(Patriotic) Social Entrepreneurship through a Gendered Lens: Constructive Patriotism Benefits Equally Male and Female Social Entrepreneurs

Social entrepreneurs often face skepticism regarding their motives. Integrating Role Congruity Theory, which posits that individuals are evaluated more favorably when their behaviors align with traditional gender stereotypes, with the bidimensional conceptualization of patriotism, we tested two competing hypotheses: the communal benefit hypothesis (that men use patriotism to signal prosocial intent) and the agency benefit hypothesis (that women use it to signal professional competence). Five studies (N = 1,719) showed that constructive patriotism improved general impressions, social value, funding intentions, and willingness to work. Importantly, these effects were largely gender-neutral, benefiting both male and female entrepreneurs. Study 5 revealed a specific advantage in consumer contexts: constructive patriotism increased purchase intent only for female entrepreneurs. Hence, constructive patriotism presented a robust, effective tool for both male and female social entrepreneurs to enhance perceived value and secure support.