Purpose Although entrepreneurship is increasingly recognised as a potential career pathway, limited research explains how institutional environments shape whether self-employment is perceived as a viable occupational trajectory and how these processes vary by gender. Drawing on career-boundary theory and institutional theory, this study examines how institutional boundary conditions influence the perceived permeability of entrepreneurial career pathways. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the GEM Women's Entrepreneurship Report 2020/21 covering forty-three countries, the study applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify gender-specific institutional configurations associated with high perceptions of new business as a promising career (NBPC). Findings The results reveal distinct institutional boundary regimes. Women's perceptions of entrepreneurial career viability are primarily associated with configurations combining normative legitimacy and cognitive-cultural support, whereas men's perceptions are more strongly linked to combinations of regulatory feasibility and cognitive-cultural conditions. Originality/value By adopting a configurational career-boundary perspective, this study demonstrates that institutional dimensions shape the perceived permeability of entrepreneurial career boundaries differently for women and men. The findings extend career-boundary theory by showing that career agency is institutionally conditioned and that the perceived accessibility of non-organisational career pathways depends on context-specific institutional configurations.
Santos et al. (Fri,) studied this question.