Gender differences, risk attitude and entrepreneurship in Kyrgyzstan

This study analyses the role of risk attitude for entrepreneurship by gender differences in Kyrgyzstan. Logit analysis is applied to the cross-sectional data set drawn from the nationally representative survey for 2011. Entrepreneurship is measured by the self-employment activities and analysed by the agricultural and non-agricultural sample. Results of the study show that more risk-taking preferences are associated with higher entrepreneurship probability. However, this effect is not persistent for women in further estimations for non-agricultural entrepreneurship sample, while for men higher positive effect of risk loving behavior remains in off-farm self-employment too. These findings underline the existing difference in risk tolerance by gender in non-agricultural employment. Movement of women from farm to off-farm entrepreneurship may not necessarily require risk loving characteristics. However, further analysis of this difference should take into account potential difference of necessity and opportunity entrepreneurs by gender.