The study, led by Dr. Marcos Segantini and titled “Gender Dynamics in the Influence of Role Models: An Experimental Perspective on Entrepreneurial Intentions,” examines the impact of role models on the entrepreneurial intentions of college students, analyzing variations in that influence based on gender.
To carry out the research, students from various programs at Universidad ORT Uruguay were invited to participate. As an incentive, participants were entered into a drawing for a$600 Mundo Mac gift card. The winner was Franco Alfaro, a student in theBachelor of Systems programat the School of Engineering.
Using an innovative experimental design, the study utilized videos in which entrepreneurs presented their projects. These videos featured men, women, or mixed-gender teams, with the aim of assessing how they influence students’ perceptions and motivations.
A distinctive feature of the study is that the videos featuring men and women describe the same startups, as these are led by at least one man and one woman. This allows for the analysis of differences between the startups and enables the research to focus on the influence of the role model’s gender on entrepreneurial intentions.
This study stems from concerns about gender inequalities in Uruguay’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, as highlighted in international reports. Compared to other countries in the region, Uruguayan women have less exposure to entrepreneurs and, furthermore, face greater barriers to starting innovative businesses or hiring employees.
This project aims to provide evidence that will help design strategies to close these gaps and promote entrepreneurship among young women.
The experiment measured entrepreneurial intentions before and after exposure to the videos. The results are currently undergoing statistical analysis. Once the study is complete, we expect to have clearer evidence on how role models and their gender affect male and female students differently, which could contribute to the design of more effective educational policies and programs to promote an inclusive entrepreneurial culture.