Gender Differences in Entrepreneurship through Text Mining

The gender gap in entrepreneurship is a well-known phenomenon. However, research on the gender gap among entrepreneurs in Japan is limited and still developing. This study aims to investigate the gender differences in entrepreneurs’ activities by conducting text mining on their discourse. However, researchers in the humanities and social sciences who emphasize case studies often have reservations about text mining as the words extracted through morphological analysis may seem divorced from their context and not adequately reflect the underlying reality. One way to address these concerns is through mixed research methods. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches can yield a deeper understanding of research questions than relying on either one exclusively.
This study has identified two binary gender differences: differences in motivation for entrepreneurial endeavors and those arising from gender role expectations. The former distinction arises from the difference between male entrepreneurs, who adopt a proactive approach to prevent external factors such as individual or social burdens or discomfort to preserve their self-esteem, and female entrepreneurs, who aim to realize internal factors such as self-orientation, satisfaction, and values. The latter distinction is related to traditional gender norms within the family, which are instrumental in defining the roles and responsibilities of men and women.