Technology incubators as local gender regimes: performing entrepreneurial masculinities

Purpose Acknowledging that technology incubators are gendered organizations, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how gender patterns, norms and practices of entrepreneurial masculinities are performed within technology incubators. Although incubators within the same country represent similar types of contexts, they also develop organizational variations. Local gender regimes, norms and actions within an incubator have implications for the type of entrepreneurs who are attracted to and feel included in a particular incubator. Design/methodology/approach Four Norwegian incubators were studied. Data was collected through interviews with incubator managers, and male and female entrepreneurs. The interview data was complemented with observations and analysis of webpages. To analyse data, we used a qualitative, inductive approach, where a thematic analysis helped us to create a framework of incubators as gendered organizations. Findings Building on Connell's (2006) four-dimension framework, we found that the studied incubators all perform gendered patterns, norms and practices, related to division of labour, relations of power, emotion and human relations as well as culture and symbolism. They facilitate and perform entrepreneurial masculinities in different ways, expressing both traditional and modern masculine ideals. We found several examples of how these masculine ideals and norms were dominating, with effects on both female and male founders and expressed through a variety of emotions. Originality/value This study contributes to literature on masculinities, by exploring the pluralities of masculinity within incubators as gendered regimes. Further, findings contribute to the understanding of incubators as gendered organizations.