Entrepreneurs’ social network size and firm performance: The moderating influence of gender egalitarianism and market volatility
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2024-07-11
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en
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In today’s world, the social network of entrepreneurs is used to enhance firm performance and is well documented in the recent years. However, little is known if country level factors have an influence. This panel study examines the relationship of social network size on firm performance, focusing on the possible moderating effect of gender egalitarianism and market volatility, in a Western European context of 1963 firms between 2019 and 2023. Despite previous research indicating a positive relationship between social network size and firm performance, interestingly, this study's analysis did not find a positive, significant main effect. However, significant moderating effects were observed: gender egalitarianism enhances the positive impact of social network size on firm performance, while market volatility weakens it. The findings highlight persistent gender disparities, with men entrepreneurs benefiting more from larger social networks compared to their female counterparts. This research underscores the importance of promoting gender egalitarianism to improve firm performance among women entrepreneurs and calls for further exploration of social network dynamics across different contexts. The findings provide valuable insights for managers, investors, policymakers, and researchers interested in understanding the complex relationship between entrepreneurs' social network and firm performance, how this is moderated by country factors and differ between men and women entrepreneurs.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen