To help explain the typically smaller size of businesses headed by women, this study examines a relatively unexplored dimension on which male and female entrepreneurs are expected to differ: their attitudes towards growth. An increasing number of scholars believe that the growth of a venture is at least partially determined by the entrepreneur's motivations and intentions, yet very few have investigated whether gender differences exist. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of data collected through personal interviews with 229 small business owners in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada, provide novel insights into the factors affecting an entrepreneur's growth decision and desired pace of expansion.
Although male and female entrepreneurs seem equally likely to desire business growth, there appear to be important differences with respect to how they wish to expand. The qualitative findings suggest that female entrepreneurs are more likely to establish maximum business size thresholds beyond which they would prefer not to expand, and that these thresholds are smaller than those set by their male counterparts. These thresholds represent the size that the entrepreneur is comfortable managing-the size that enables him/her to maintain control of the organization, devote a reasonable amount of time and energy to the firm, and/or balance work and personal life. The attainment of such size thresholds appears to be a key trigger in the no-growth decision. Female entrepreneurs also seem to be more concerned than male entrepreneurs about the risks associated with fast-paced growth and tend to deliberately adopt a slow