Assessing Gender-Based Disparities in Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition and Venture Scalability in Global Markets

Abstract

Gender disparities remain a persistent challenge within entrepreneurial ecosystems despite the growing participation of women in entrepreneurial activities worldwide. Access to networks, financial resources, entrepreneurial confidence, and market information can all have an impact on entrepreneurs' ability to identify opportunities and grow their business. This paper examines the correlation between entrepreneurial opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial factors of gender, and venture scalability in international markets. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted, and a survey was conducted covering 300 entrepreneurs in startups and small to medium enterprises in various industries. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire and processed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, mediation analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study focused on how network access and financial access, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and market information access contributed to opportunity recognition and venture scalability. The results indicate that gender-based entrepreneurial factors are significant in affecting entrepreneurial opportunity recognition (β=0.45, p<0.001). Entrepreneurial opportunity recognition was shown to have a strong positive relationship with venture scalability (β = 0.59, p < 0.001). Results from the correlation analysis revealed that there were significant positive relationships between opportunity recognition and venture scalability (r = 0.72, p < 0.01), which means that entrepreneurs who have better opportunity recognition ability are more likely to have growth in their business to a scalable level. Results of a mediation analysis also showed that opportunity recognition was a significant mediator (p < 0.001) between the relationship of entrepreneurial factors with venture scalability, which included gender. The study finds that entrepreneurial opportunity recognition is a key process connecting gender-specific entrepreneurial resources to entrepreneurial outcomes in terms of venture growth. The results reveal the need for building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems to enhance the availability of finance, networks, mentorship, and market information to all entrepreneurs. Improvement of these support systems can positively impact scaling up ventures, improving their innovativeness and competitiveness in the international arena, and minimizing gender gaps.