The RICH gender divide: resource-induced coping heuristic, digital entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial resource accessibility

Purpose This study examines how an entrepreneur’s resource-induced coping heuristic (RICH) enhances engagement in resource accessibility, encompassing financial, social, and human resources within new ventures. Additionally, it investigates the moderating effects of digital entrepreneurship (DE) and gender on these relationships Design/methodology/approach This study employs a time-lagged survey methodology, collecting data from 356 entrepreneurs in Taiwan. Regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses, while moderation analysis assessed the influence of digital entrepreneurship and gender on the relationship between RICH and resource accessibility. Findings The results confirm that an entrepreneur’s RICH positively influences resource accessibility by improving access to financial, social, and human capital. Moreover, digital entrepreneurship strengthens the positive relationship between RICH and resource accessibility, while gender differences further shape the extent to which entrepreneurs leverage their cognitive resources to secure vital business assets. Originality/value This study advances entrepreneurship literature by identifying RICH as a key cognitive resource that influences resource acquisition in new ventures. It further contributes to the understanding of how digital entrepreneurship and gender act as boundary conditions, shaping the extent to which cognitive resources translate into tangible entrepreneurial success.