Gender-Aware Framework in International Entrepreneurship: How Far Developed?—A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study seeks to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of the present state of research on gender and international women entrepreneurship. This SLR critically assesses the existing frameworks offered by literature for measuring women entrepreneurship, including the theoretical frameworks on which they were built, their validation (if any) and their application beyond the original settings. Based on a total of 241 works using the keywords “Entrepreneurship” AND “Framework” AND “Gender”, this review reveals that although research on gender and women entrepreneurship has made considerable progress over the last few years, still there is a lack of an established gender-aware framework, which was urged by the scholars in this field for decade after decade. The findings of this review reveal that a few studies offer a framework for evaluating women entrepreneurship using gender perspective with no conceptual and operational definition of constructs and empirical validation. Additionally, the review unfolds that the suitability in assessing women entrepreneurship in cross-boarder entrepreneurship is insubstantial. Finally, the review points out that the uneven advancement of this prominent paradigm leaves important avenues to explore in future research.