Towards establishing biographical and business background profiles of entrepreneurs from two ethnic and gender groups

Abstract

The literature on the biographical backgrounds of entrepreneurs seems to contain many contradictory findings. This situation can partly be due to the assumption that samples of entrepreneurs were homogeneous rather than heterogeneous. It appears as if female entrepreneurs have been less well researched than their male counterparts. Differences in the biographical backgrounds and business situation of, respectively, the white and the black entrepreneurs in South Africa have been assumed but little empirical evidence exists in this respect. Black en-trepreneurs, and female entrepreneurs are in most developed societies' minority groups and have not specifically been studied in depth - hence the present study. The biographical and business backgrounds of 569 South African entrepreneurs (106 Black and 463 White; 136 female and 433 male) were studied. One-way Analyses of Variance and Chi-squared followed by Discriminant analyses were carried out to determine whether, respectively, black and white entrepreneurs and male and female entrepreneurs differed in terms of the variables studied. Significant differences between the total group of male and female subjects were found on only five variables. White and black entrepreneurs differed statistically significantly on 16 of the 30 variables studied.

Opsomming
Die literatuur oor die biografiese agtergronde van entrepreneurs skyn baie teenstrydige bevindinge te bevat. Hierdie kan moontlik deels toegeskryf word aan die aanname dat steekproewe van entrepreneurs eerder homogeen eerder as heterogeen is. Dit skyn asof minder navorsing oor vroulike as oor manlike entrepreneurs gedoen is. Ten spyte van aannames in die verband, bestaan min empiriese gegewens oor die biografiese agtergronde en sake-situasie van respektiewelik wit en swart Suid-Afrikaanse entrepreneurs. Swart en vroulike entrepreneurs is in meeste gemeenskappe minderheidsgroepe en is nog nie in diepte bestudeer nie, daarom die huidige studie. Die biografiese en sake-agtergronde van 569 Suid-Afrikaanse entrepreneurs (106 swart en 463 wit; 136 vroulik en 433 manlik) is bestudeer. Een-rigting Analise van Variansie en Chi-kwadraat gevolg deur Diskriminant Analise is uitgevoer ten einde te bepaal of respektiewelik swart en wit en manlike van vroulike entrepreneurs in terme van die veranderlikes wat bestudeer is, verskil. Betekenisvolle verskille tussen die totale groep van manlike en vroulike entrepreneurs is slegs in terme van vyf veranderlikes gevind. Swart en wit entrepreneurs het statistics beduidend op 16 van die 30 veranderlikes in die studie ingesluit, verskil.