A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System

Motivations and Attitudes Towards Female
Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Study in Western Romania
Anca Otilia Dodescu, Alina Bădulescu, Adriana Borza and Tomina Săveanu
Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
adodescu@uoradea.ro
abadulescu@uoradea.ro
aborza@uoradea.ro
tsaveanu@uoradea.ro
Abstract: In Romania, only few studies had challenged the existence of issues related to gender disparities in
entrepreneurship - the so-called gender gap in entrepreneurship. Although the gender gap in entrepreneurship
varies considerably from country to country influenced by different culture and customs regarding female
participation in economic activity, a gender gap definitively exists with respect to new venture creation and
business ownership (Report on Women and Entrepreneurship - GEM 2011). For specialists it is required
exceeding ascertaining phase so that, based on accumulated factual material to initiate research that critically
examine specific vested attitudes towards the female entrepreneurship. In recent years, the private sector has
got the idea (confirmed by the results) that women have native attributes that recommend them for performance
management. European statistics show that in Romania the difference in wages between women and men
(functions equal) in recent years is lower than in some countries with strong democratic tradition. These figures
are targeted based interpretations. Are these data a sign of real progress or is the result of continental and local
economic circumstances? Our study aims to provide insight into entrepreneurial motivation and the attitude of
women entrepreneurs with the empirical support for women entrepreneurs in western Romania. Moreover,
according to GEM Women's report 2010, analyses of society-wide attitudes about entrepreneurship show that,
overall, women in factor-driven economies are most likely to perceive opportunities in their area and have
confidence in their capabilities for entrepreneurship. They are more likely to know an entrepreneur and to intend
to start a business, and they have a lower fear of failure compared to women in economies with higher levels of
economic development. The research activity is consisting in the research based on the survey (a first wave in
2010 and second wave in 2012) of the most significant aspects concerning the profile of the business women. In
addition, it reports rates among samples from 6 different counties and initial survey findings as a comparison.
Paper relevance: The paper explores the issues and challenges during times of economic crisis with respect to
women entrepreneurship in Western Romania and proposes encouraging women entrepreneurship from regional
perspective.
Keywords: entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurship, self-employment, mentoring, entrepreneurial field
1. Introduction
According to several studies, women must make significantly more efforts then man in order to
achieve a managerial position or to start their own business. Even though still poor and yet far from
creating adequate theories, the literature consecrated to the women entrepreneurship hangs upon
some conclusions: women entrepreneurs have similar motivations with those of entrepreneur men.
These include: the wish of accomplishment, work satisfaction and independence (Schwartz 1976). All
researches refer to a relatively uniform set of weaknesses which constitute an additional obstacle
which women entrepreneurs have to face on an unfavorable business environment, having a smaller
inclination to entrepreneurship and manage to settle a business in a slower rhythm than men (Hisrich,
Brush 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987; Brush et al 2004; Casson et al 2006, Parker 2009), the lack of
knowledge and technical abilities, that discourage starting a business in production or high technology
field and difficult access to financial resources, that determine choosing that activities in the industry
of services (Bates 1995) who engages a lower capital level (Bruni, Gherardi, Poggio 2008); being the
most frequently invoked. As argued in earlier work by Dodescu (2010) quoting the GEM 2007 study,
one can notice the stereotype of business women built around the idea that women are “less than
men”. This can be translated as women are “less capable, less qualified, less trained, less brave,
slower, less equipped with capital or less able to access capital etc.” in doing business (Dodescu
2010 :54). These interpretations vary to some extent depending on given cultural differences (GEM
2007, 2008; Parker 2009). Also, all researches refer that women entrepreneurs have to meet
opportunities and barriers different from those encountered by men that affects their participation and
performance in the entrepreneurial field and reflected in the so-called “gender performance gap”
(Parker 2009:184) in entrepreneurship.
The persistence of such stereotypes derives from a severe lack of models and traditions in this
direction (Avram 2008). The main aspects highlighted by research in this field are: professional
158