It’s a lady’s business: investigating the effects of the menstrual cycle on entrepreneurial behaviour
Abstract:
This paper investigates how menstrual cycles affect entrepreneurial behaviour. The menstrual cycle influences the functioning of hormones in the human body, which in turn impact both psychological and physiological aspects of an individual. Given the majority of women experience menstrual cycles until the start of the menopause, this reality also holds for numerous female entrepreneurs. In this research, we aim to determine how different phases of the menstrual cycle affect entrepreneurial behaviour, measured in terms of proactiveness, innovativeness, passion, persistence and risk taking.
Our findings suggest that female entrepreneurs show the highest levels of innovativeness during the follicular phase, whilst proactiveness, passion and risk taking are highest during the luteal phase. We find no evidence of differences in the level of persistence across the three phases. By combining knowledge from the field of medicine and biology with entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial psychology, this study enhances the understanding of entrepreneurial behaviour. Our findings benefit female entrepreneurs by providing greater insight into the strengths and weaknesses associated with their human nature, enabling them to make better informed decisions for their entrepreneurial ventures.
About Jolien Huybrechts and Pomme Theunissen:
Jolien Huybrechts is Associate Professor at Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics, Department of Organization, Strategy & Entrepreneurship. Her work focuses on family firms, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability. Jolien has published in journals such as Family Business Review, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Small Business Management, Technovation, Journal of Family Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, and European Management Review. She is Associate Editor of the Journal of Business Research, a member of the Editorial Review Board of Journal of Family Business Strategy and Editorial Board member of Entrepreneurship Research Journal.
Pomme Theunissen is tenured assistant professor at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics.She obtained her PhD in 2022 from the same university and her dissertation focuses on the challenges and opportunities of women in entrepreneurship. Pomme’s research interests lie mainly (yet not exclusively) in female entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, crowdfunding, and gender.
Language: English
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