Mentorship’s significance in professional and personal development has been widely recognised for some time. However, a pertinent question arises: is it essential for a mentor to physically resemble their mentee? A recent study has delved into this query, uncovering that the gender of a mentor can profoundly influence the success of female entrepreneurs.

Specifically, the research highlighted that female entrepreneurs benefit significantly when mentored by other women. In a detailed randomised controlled experiment, sales for female entrepreneurs increased by an average of 32% when they were under the guidance of female mentors.

The findings of this research have been documented in a paper titled “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs Through Female Mentors,” published in the INFORMS peer-reviewed journal Marketing Science. An esteemed group of academics conducted the study: Frank Germann from the University of Notre Dame, Stephen Anderson from Texas A&M University, Pradeep Chintagunta from the University of Chicago, and Naufel Vilcassim from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The researchers conducted a controlled field experiment involving 930 entrepreneurs in Uganda who were part of a business support program and operated from physical locations. The study spanned from July to August 2015, during which the researchers conducted individual interviews, performed a business audit, and administered a baseline survey. The participating entrepreneurs, 40% female and 54% married, typically were around 31 years old, with two children and at least a high school education.

At the beginning of the study, these businesses had been operational for an average of four years and employed a small workforce. Participants were divided into a control group and a treatment group, with those in the treatment group paired with a mentor with a postgraduate degree and at least five years of work experience. These mentors were based in various global locations.

Further evaluations, including business audits and surveys conducted in May 2017, revealed that female entrepreneurs experienced more positive and supportive interactions when mentored by women. This contrasted with those mentored by men, who did not show significant performance improvement compared to the control group.

The study’s conclusions were clear: Matching female entrepreneurs with female mentors appears to be a very effective strategy for enhancing their success rates. Additionally, the researchers suggested that in situations where female mentors are not available, male mentors could increase their effectiveness by adopting a mentoring style that is characteristically supportive and positive, similar to that typically exhibited by female mentors.

More information: Frank Germann et al, Frontiers: Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs Through Female Mentors, Marketing Science. DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2023.0108

Journal information: Marketing Science Provided by Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences