Association between formal and informal social contexts and the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls

Purpose This study examines how formal entrepreneurship education and different informal social contexts, including family, hobbies, and peer interactions, are associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls. While previous research has shown that entrepreneurship is a gendered phenomenon, the factors associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls have received limited attention. Design/methodology/approach This study draws on quantitative survey data collected in Finland (N = 13,171). The target group consists of 15-year-old girls. The analysis is based on linear regression models. Findings The findings of this research reveal that formal entrepreneurship education and informal social contexts are associated with different dimensions of entrepreneurship potential for adolescent girls. Overall, informal social contexts show the strongest associations with entrepreneurship potential. School-based entrepreneurship education, on the other hand, may even reduce girls' interest in entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications This study advances understanding of the multiple factors associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls by demonstrating that it emerges not only within structured educational settings but also across a wider range of everyday social contexts. These insights challenge traditional models of entrepreneurship education that prioritise formal instruction and instead support a more holistic framework grounded in sociocultural and experiential learning perspectives. The results emphasise the importance of supporting girls' entrepreneurial development early in their educational trajectory to help address gender disparities in entrepreneurial activity. Nevertheless, reliance on self-reported survey data introduces the possibility of response bias, and this limitation is acknowledged in the analysis. Practical implications At the policy level, this means ensuring that entrepreneurship education frameworks encourage early exposure to diverse entrepreneurial pathways, integrate gender sensitive pedagogical principles, and allocate resources for teacher training that supports the use of learner centered methods. Pedagogically this means entrepreneurship education that is not based on one mode fits all models. This includes designing learning environments that incorporate experiential activities, and provide opportunities for girls to engage with relatable entrepreneurial role models. Such environments can counteract early socialization patterns that may otherwise restrict the development of entrepreneurship potential and help ensure that entrepreneurship education supports all learners more equitably. Social implications With a deeper understanding of the factors that affect girls' entrepreneurial potential it is possible to influence the gendered role of entrepreneurship in society. Originality/value Adolescent girls have been largely overlooked in entrepreneurship research. This study contributes originality by examining how formal and informal social contexts are associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls.