Going green: women entrepreneurs and the environment

Purpose - The paper seeks to explore whether women entrepreneurs may be more engaged with green issues than their male counterparts. The study was undertaken to add to our understanding of gendered attitudes and behaviours around green entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach - The paper opted for a mixed method exploratory study consisting of quantitative datasets from two regional studies on environmental attitudes and behaviour and qualitative data generated as part of an Australian green entrepreneurship training program. Findings - The study found that participating women had stronger environmental attitudes and commitment to the green entrepreneurship program than males, suggesting that women entrepreneurs may be more engaged in green issues than male entrepreneurs. Research limitations/implications - Given the exploratory study approach, research results lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed framework. Practical implications - Understanding gendered behaviours has implications for policy and education in terms of greening the small business sector. It also has implications for business innovation, the green marketplace and a sustainable post-carbon future. Originality/value - The paper helps lay the foundation for comprehensive research on women entrepreneurs' engagement with environmental issues and green entrepreneurship.