The Influence of Gender on Entrepreneur Identity Aspiration in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector

Abstract

Hotel-Catering-Tourism (HCT) is an important sector of the economy in a number of countries, often representing more than 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), especially in France and Senegal. This research examines the influence of gender on the motivation of students in the HCT sector to endorse an entrepreneur identity by comparing two countries: France, an individualist society where the economy is ‘innovation-driven’ and Senegal, a more collectivist country whose economy is ‘factor-driven’, according to the classification of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. In these two countries, which are at different levels of economic development, the HCT sector accounts for a sizeable share of their GDP at 5.3% for Senegal, and 7.2% for France. The data for this study were collected from 680 HCT students in both countries. Statistical data processing showed that gender has no influence on the entrepreneur identity aspiration of HCT students surveyed in both countries including 279 in France and 401 in Senegal. This result seems to illustrate a paradigm shift among young women who, as much as young men, aspire to endorse an entrepreneur identity. This finding is a break with the assumptions supporting the main trends in female entrepreneurship research.