Enhancing the resilience of entrepreneurs

This article has three closely connected purposes. First, it aims to measure the “resilience nurturing” that incubators offer to the entrepreneurs housed within them. Second, it seeks to study the effect this nurturing has on the results of businesses. Third, it aims to analyse potential gender differences. Recent data collected by Fundación de las cajas de ahorros (FUNCAS) from a survey sent to all incubators based in Spain are used. We constructed two indices of emotional resilience using the multivariate statistical technique of principal component analysis. Next, different statistical methods are applied to compare the results obtained by the businesses depending on whether the incubator pays greater or less attention to emotional resilience. Finally, incubators are classified according to the degree of female presence in projects (low, medium or high), and we assess whether the support offered linked to resilience differs across these three groups. The indices accurately reflect managers’ responses to the entire set of questions related to resilience. In general, incubators that pay greater attention to resilience management achieve better results. In particular, there is an increase in the percentage of incubated active projects. We also see that incubators with high levels of female presence in projects display greater awareness of how to develop emotional resilience. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that creates indices measuring the attention given to emotional resilience in entrepreneurship incubators. It is also among the few studies that have successfully demonstrated the relationship between the attention given to entrepreneurs’ emotional well-being and the success of incubated active projects. We have added the analysis by gender in incubators so that we can ascertain the relevance it has to the wellbeing of the entrepreneurs.