Entrepreneurial network composition

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore gender differences in the composition of entrepreneurs' networks at four new venture stages: discovery, emergence, young, and established. Design/methodology/approach The study used ANOVA and linear regression on a sample of 134 female and 266 male entrepreneurs. Findings Female entrepreneurs have significantly lower proportions of males in their social networks in early venture development stages, but similar levels at later stages. Research limitations/implications Taken together, the findings suggest that, just as women in traditional organizations adapt social networks similar to men in order to succeed, their entrepreneurial counterparts build more “male‐oriented” networks as they proceed through venture phases. Originality/value This study uses a representative sample of male and female entrepreneurs to explore network composition at four distinct stages. The findings suggest that female entrepreneurs who are able to persist in the new venture process develop networks similar to their male counterparts.