A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System

Anca Otilia Dodescu et al.
stereotypes (average salary inferior comparatively to men), unsuited to some positions, traditional
social mentalities, maternity and the obligation to allocate more time to children, the stereotype of
women as promoted through mass-media. The latest GEM global report reveals this “gender gap” as
follows: entrepreneurship rates are lower among women than men across the world, independent of
phase of economic development, with the exception of Panama, Venezuela, Jamaica, Guatemala,
Brazil, Thailand, Switzerland and Singapore (GEM 2011: 15). Also, reports and surveys made by EU
and OECD showed that, throughout the EU, men were twice as likely as women to be involved in
entrepreneurial activity (Eurobarometer 2011:50), and women were more likely than men to answer
that they were not interested in starting up a business (Eurobarometer 2011:65), motivations for
starting-up a business are weaker, barriers and risks encountered during the first years of existence
are stronger for women than men (Eurostat-OECD 2011).
In Romania, generally in Eastern Europe, despite the ideological pretenses of communists’ regimes,
these stereotypes were artificially stressed due to excesses of propaganda. During that period,
“emancipation of women” remained a word lacking concrete meaning. In the recent years
undisputable progress has been made in this regard, yet the effects of policies that “contaminated”
the collective perceptions are still present. The entrepreneurial models crisis is confirmed by
numerous studies and researches, all reveling the acute need for mentoring. The number of women
acknowledging this need is rising. This situation is the consequence of a realistic assessment of the
entrepreneurial obstacles (Dodescu, Bădulescu, Săveanu 2011), as well as assets (Săveanu, Borza
2010).
It became clearer that a woman intending to start a business does not have to overcome just the
regular hardships of an entrepreneur. She must also consume more energy in surmounting the
stereotypes that affects the trust of business partners and clients. As people had fewer occasions to
make business with women there is a general lack of trust in their capacity to operate economical
activities as efficiently as men. Angela On stated some of the reasons for the importance of mention
in women entrepreneurship: (1) the young age of entrepreneurship in Romania, (2) the subrepresentation
of women in management and business sector. The fact that women that succeed in
doing business or occupy managerial positions do not act as mentors closes a vicious circle which
reduces even more the feminine representation in the field (On 2011).
A similar set of prejudices still rule at the level of public opinion in societies that were subdued to
propagandistic excesses such as the case of Romania. Indifferent to the political regime or culture,
women managers face gender barriers which force them to make more effort to achieve the same
performance to that of men (Abrudan et al 2010: 47-53).
2. Aspects regarding the research methodology
Once recognized the existence of a “gender gap in entrepreneurship”, it must stimulate research in a
pragmatic direction. There is a need for efficient gender policies and equally transferable models of
good practices. Given this need, in the Romanian academic field several relevant projects were
conducted. The Faculty of Economic Sciences from University of Oradea implemented a European
project considered by the European Commission a success model. The project entitled
“Entrepreneurship and the Equality of Chances. An Inter-regional Model of Women School of
Entrepreneurship” (AntrES) had a significant impact on models of women entrepreneurship by
promoting Action Leaning as a teaching tool. Consequently the project provided support in three main
directions: (1) information and training regarding business start-up and development; (2) promotion of
positive attitudes and confidence for women intending to start a business and also for women
entrepreneurs regarding their work, and (3) provide information and practical skills for young women
trainers in the field of entrepreneurship. Within this project the research was conducted in the western
part of Romania highlighting several aspects regarding the situation of women entrepreneurship. The
collected data allowed researchers to assess the situation and formulate policy recommendations
(Dodescu et al 2010).
The current paper is based on the data collected within this project which was financed by the
European Social Fund with an amount of over 3.5 million Euros. The covering area of the project is
the Western part of Romania, including Maramureş, Satu-Mare, Bihor, Arad, Timiş, Caraş Severin
Counties. It was implemented by partner universities from each of these counties. The general
objective was to promote the equality of chances in the field of entrepreneurship, by stimulating the
implication of women, especially those coming from rural areas, to initiate and develop their own
159