A4 Refereed article in a conference publication

Language as an institution: Exploring the link to entrepreneurial behavior




AuthorsTerjesen Siri, Stenholm Pekka

EditorsHartman Thomas, Steinþórsson Runólfur

Publication year2013

JournalNFF Conference proceedings

Book title 22nd Nordic Academy of Management Conference Proceedings

ISSN2298-3112


Abstract

This study builds on the Whorf/Sapir hypothesis of linguistic relativity, examining the extent to which the structures of an individual’s native language shapes his/her perceptions of and propensity to engage in entrepreneurial behavior. Using multi-country datasets such as Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and the World Value Survey, we find that individuals whose native languages have strong future tense are more likely to engage in entrepreneurial activity. Furthermore, females’ propensity to engage in entrepreneurial activity is predicted by the gender pronoun structure such that females whose native language has gendered pronouns are more likely to engage in entrepreneurial behavior, as compared to females whose native language has no gender pronoun structure. Our results suggest implications for comparative international entrepreneurship theory practice and future research.



Research Areas



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