Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows

Hilda Rømer Christensen; Sebrina Stensgaard; Michala Hvidt Breengaard; Oihane Etayo Ballesteros; Melissa Tanti; Zsofia Hacsek; Andree Woodcock

doi:10.1515/9783112219850

Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows

Hilda Rømer Christensen
, Sebrina Stensgaard
, Michala Hvidt Breengaard
, Oihane Etayo Ballesteros
, Melissa Tanti
, Zsofia Hacsek
, Andree Woodcock

Centre for Future Transport and Cities

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

6 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In this chapter, we focus on the culture of representing entrepreneurship on contemporary, televised entretainment shows – the UK Dragons’ Den which premiered in 2005 and the Danish Lions’ Den (Løvens Hule), launched in 2015. Television programmes that focus on entrepreneurship are, at their core, media products designed for entertainment. Yet, beyond their entertainment value, such programmes provide fertile ground for examining broader cultural understandings of entrepreneurship and the structural inequalities embedded within it. Such programs can shape and reflect popular conceptualisations of entrepreneurship, while simultaneously highlighting unequal opportunities faced by women and ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In the chapter, we view entrepreneurship not simply as an economic activity but as a performative practice that reproduces and reveals its gendered and exclusionary dimensions. By examining how entrepreneurship is represented and enacted in these media contexts, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural narratives that shape who is seen as an entrepreneur and under what conditions entrepreneurial success becomes possible.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Editors	Hilda Rømer Christensen, Andree Woodcock, Nicola Marsden, Alena Křížková, Barbara De Micheli
Place of Publication	Berlin
Publisher	De Gruyter
Chapter	2
Pages	17-38
Number of pages	21
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-11-221985-0, 978-3-11-222008-5
ISBN (Print)	978-3-11-914333-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112219850
Publication status	Published - 18 May 2026

Bibliographical note

© 2026 the author(s)
This is an open access publication distributed under the terms of the CC 4.0 license BY-NC-ND.
Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

Funding

Funded by the European Union (GILL, 101094812)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 5 Gender Equality

Keywords

gender
entrepreneurship
entretainment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gender Studies

Themes

Equality and Inclusion

Access to Document

10.1515/9783112219850Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Tanti2026VoRFinal published version, 2.45 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Christensen, H. R., Stensgaard, S., Breengaard, M. H., Etayo Ballesteros, O., Tanti, M., Hacsek, Z., & Woodcock, A. (2026). Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows. In H. R. Christensen, A. Woodcock, N. Marsden, A. Křížková, & B. De Micheli (Eds.), Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (pp. 17-38). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112219850

Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows. / Christensen, Hilda Rømer; Stensgaard, Sebrina; Breengaard, Michala Hvidt et al.
Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. ed. / Hilda Rømer Christensen; Andree Woodcock; Nicola Marsden; Alena Křížková; Barbara De Micheli. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2026. p. 17-38.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Christensen, HR, Stensgaard, S, Breengaard, MH, Etayo Ballesteros, O, Tanti, M , Hacsek, Z & Woodcock, A 2026, Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows. in HR Christensen, A Woodcock, N Marsden, A Křížková & B De Micheli (eds), Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. De Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 17-38. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112219850

Christensen HR, Stensgaard S, Breengaard MH, Etayo Ballesteros O, Tanti M , Hacsek Z et al. Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows. In Christensen HR, Woodcock A, Marsden N, Křížková A, De Micheli B, editors, Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Berlin: De Gruyter. 2026. p. 17-38 doi: 10.1515/9783112219850

Christensen, Hilda Rømer ; Stensgaard, Sebrina ; Breengaard, Michala Hvidt et al. / Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows. Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. editor / Hilda Rømer Christensen ; Andree Woodcock ; Nicola Marsden ; Alena Křížková ; Barbara De Micheli. Berlin : De Gruyter, 2026. pp. 17-38

@inbook{711efe9bc6ca46b3bad58b95b448cbdd,

title = "Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows",

abstract = "In this chapter, we focus on the culture of representing entrepreneurship on contemporary, televised entretainment shows – the UK Dragons{\textquoteright} Den which premiered in 2005 and the Danish Lions{\textquoteright} Den (L{\o}vens Hule), launched in 2015. Television programmes that focus on entrepreneurship are, at their core, media products designed for entertainment. Yet, beyond their entertainment value, such programmes provide fertile ground for examining broader cultural understandings of entrepreneurship and the structural inequalities embedded within it. Such programs can shape and reflect popular conceptualisations of entrepreneurship, while simultaneously highlighting unequal opportunities faced by women and ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In the chapter, we view entrepreneurship not simply as an economic activity but as a performative practice that reproduces and reveals its gendered and exclusionary dimensions. By examining how entrepreneurship is represented and enacted in these media contexts, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural narratives that shape who is seen as an entrepreneur and under what conditions entrepreneurial success becomes possible.",

keywords = "gender, entrepreneurship, entretainment",

author = "Christensen, \{Hilda R{\o}mer\} and Sebrina Stensgaard and Breengaard, \{Michala Hvidt\} and \{Etayo Ballesteros\}, Oihane and Melissa Tanti and Zsofia Hacsek and Andree Woodcock",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2026 the author(s) This is an open access publication distributed under the terms of the CC 4.0 license BY-NC-ND. Copyright {\textcopyright} and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. ",

year = "2026",

month = may,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1515/9783112219850",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-11-914333-2",

pages = "17--38",

editor = "Christensen, \{Hilda R{\o}mer\} and Andree Woodcock and Nicola Marsden and Alena K{\v r}{\'i}{\v z}kov{\'a} and \{De Micheli\}, Barbara",

booktitle = "Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship",

publisher = "De Gruyter",

address = "Germany",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows

AU - Christensen, Hilda Rømer

AU - Stensgaard, Sebrina

AU - Breengaard, Michala Hvidt

AU - Etayo Ballesteros, Oihane

AU - Tanti, Melissa

AU - Hacsek, Zsofia

AU - Woodcock, Andree

N1 - © 2026 the author(s) This is an open access publication distributed under the terms of the CC 4.0 license BY-NC-ND. Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

PY - 2026/5/18

Y1 - 2026/5/18

N2 - In this chapter, we focus on the culture of representing entrepreneurship on contemporary, televised entretainment shows – the UK Dragons’ Den which premiered in 2005 and the Danish Lions’ Den (Løvens Hule), launched in 2015. Television programmes that focus on entrepreneurship are, at their core, media products designed for entertainment. Yet, beyond their entertainment value, such programmes provide fertile ground for examining broader cultural understandings of entrepreneurship and the structural inequalities embedded within it. Such programs can shape and reflect popular conceptualisations of entrepreneurship, while simultaneously highlighting unequal opportunities faced by women and ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In the chapter, we view entrepreneurship not simply as an economic activity but as a performative practice that reproduces and reveals its gendered and exclusionary dimensions. By examining how entrepreneurship is represented and enacted in these media contexts, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural narratives that shape who is seen as an entrepreneur and under what conditions entrepreneurial success becomes possible.

AB - In this chapter, we focus on the culture of representing entrepreneurship on contemporary, televised entretainment shows – the UK Dragons’ Den which premiered in 2005 and the Danish Lions’ Den (Løvens Hule), launched in 2015. Television programmes that focus on entrepreneurship are, at their core, media products designed for entertainment. Yet, beyond their entertainment value, such programmes provide fertile ground for examining broader cultural understandings of entrepreneurship and the structural inequalities embedded within it. Such programs can shape and reflect popular conceptualisations of entrepreneurship, while simultaneously highlighting unequal opportunities faced by women and ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In the chapter, we view entrepreneurship not simply as an economic activity but as a performative practice that reproduces and reveals its gendered and exclusionary dimensions. By examining how entrepreneurship is represented and enacted in these media contexts, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural narratives that shape who is seen as an entrepreneur and under what conditions entrepreneurial success becomes possible.

KW - gender

KW - entrepreneurship

KW - entretainment

UR - https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783112219850/html

U2 - 10.1515/9783112219850

DO - 10.1515/9783112219850

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-3-11-914333-2

SP - 17

EP - 38

BT - Breaking the Barriers. Gender, Culture and Diversity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

A2 - Christensen, Hilda Rømer

A2 - Woodcock, Andree

A2 - Marsden, Nicola

A2 - Křížková, Alena

A2 - De Micheli, Barbara

PB - De Gruyter

CY - Berlin

ER -

Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Themes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

GiLL- Gender Innovation Living Labs

Cite this

Comparing Lions with Dragons. Gender Bias and Performativity in Reality Business Shows

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Themes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

GiLL- Gender Innovation Living Labs

Cite this