Women Entrepreneurship In Smes In Iran - Free Essay Example

It has been thought that Entrepreneurs, in general, are recognized by their success or their failure. However, it goes without saying that the nature of business venture that they undertake and the manner in which they handle their business, are the main factors that determine their relative success or, in fact, failure. Consequently, it is not too far-fetched to believe in the fact that such relative success could or in fact would depend on the type of business ventured into by an entrepreneur. It is even more relevant in case of women entrepreneurs as there are numerous factors that impact their ventures. They learn the nuances of business only after they start a particular venture. These factors could begin with social factors, gender differences, issues on equality as well their ability to run a business in a much dominated male environment. Nevertheless, in order to understand the true nature of women entrepreneurship, the types of businesses undertaken in Iran need to be studied. In fact, one can examine the women entrepreneurs for not only traditional businesses but also in modern businesses, which involve some amount of technical knowledge. Indeed, one needs to take into consideration the fact that Iran is a developing country, much like India, Malaysia or even Indonesia. As claimed by Ganeshan (2004), women entrepreneurs in India generally undertake three types of industrial enterprises: (1) entrepreneurs operating purely as subcontractor on raw materials provide d by their customers; (2) manufacturers of items that are usually used by large scale units; and (3) manufacturers of consumer products which are directly sold in the market. Evidently, in Iran, women are also divided in such category. Statement of the Problem The main objective of this research was finding the reasons for starting a venture or a new enterprise and, subsequently, the dominant factors that influenced women to take up entrepreneurship. Studies have revealed that women became entrepreneurs due to various reasons classified as pull and push factors. Pull factors are those which encourage women to have an independent occupation. Under the influence of these factors, women entrepreneurs choose a profession as a challenge, adventure, with an urge to do something new. On the other hand, the push factors are those, which compel women to take up business enterprises to get over financial difficulties and responsibilities. Nevertheless, many women take to entrepreneurship to fulfil an urge for independence and creativity. The role of Government agencies and NGOs cannot be ignored. Women entrepreneurship is one of the key focus areas in the various policies for women development. Therefore, in this study, the researcher would lik e to examine the different reasons for Iranian women to start a new business venture and compare those reasons with the difficulties that they might face such as religious limitations such as the dress code for Iranian women imposed by the government and cultural constraints such as male supremacy that regards men as superior to women. These two main factors will be studied in more depth and details since many women in Iran have been pulled back from fulfilling their innate capabilities and potentials simply because they were women and in Iranian society they had to face different forms of cultural constraints such as male supremacy as well as religious limitations that could in theory and would in practice undermine the scope of their success. Research Questions Therefore, in order to conduct the following study, the researcher decided to narrow down the many aspects and parameters involved into three main factors mentioned above and formed the following research questions. Is there any relationship between cultural constraints such as male supremacy and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship? Is there any relationship between religious limitations such as the dress code for women and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship? Research Hypothesis Subsequently, the researcher transformed these research questions into research hypothesis so that the questions could be analyzed in a more scientific and hierarchical format. There is no relationship between cultural constraints such as male supremacy and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship. There is no relationship between religious limitations such as dress code and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship. Research Objective The objective of this study is to see if the results of the questionnaire given to 42 women entrepreneurs in Iran managing different forms of SMEs, whether in the textile industry or the cosmetic trade, has a statistically significant correlation within two paradigm of religious limitations and cultural constraints with regard to rate of their success which will be operationally defined and measured in their annual turnover, rise in sales and profit as well as capital enlargement. The researcher intends to see whether these factors felt by the entrepreneur that will be measured using a questionnaire simply based on their personal opinion has in fact influenced the success of their enterprise or not. Research Methodology The researcher will be conducting a descriptive research in a form of field study using surveys and questionnaire. The researcher will be interviewing 42 women entrepreneurs using a 36 item questionnaire that deals with their opinion regarding male supremacy in Iranian society as well as the difficulties they might have faced or at least they feared to face in Iran simply because they were women. Moreover, the questions will also deal with the religious limitations that they had to face working in Iran since the government in Tehran does and has imposed different forms of restriction on women such as the dress code that could be regarded, at least in theory, as a formidable constraint for many women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the interviewees will be given a survey that is kept quite confidential regarding the company annual turnover, rise in the sales as well as capital enlargement in which all aims to conclude the rate of success. Nevertheless, for the sake of face validity, the survey will be taken in the second phase of the research so that the entrepreneurs response on their opinion regarding the limitations and restrictions that they might have faced would not be influenced by the survey since their response would be quite subjective by nature and any previous administration could or at least might have an impact on their responses. Finally, the researcher would be using SPSS software of version 17.0 to analyze the questionnaire. The researcher will be interested to see if there are any positive or even negative correlation in the factors studied in this research and, if yes, how statistically significant such correlation is at 0.05 level of significance. The researcher would like to see if the null-hypotheses would be rejected at 0.05 level of significance, in order to conclude that such factors do, in fact, influence the rate of success for women entrepreneurship. Chapter 2 Review of Literature 2.1 Introduction The 20th century brought many changes to the world, but rest assure that one of the changes that transformed our societies was the emergence of women as free thinkers and independent individuals who no longer seek the support of men to survive nor to succeed in the society. The beginning of the century triggered stardom in the women liberation front when they were able to obtain their God given rights to vote and participate in the democratic system of governess. Women were later asked to join the work force in farms and factories when men were struggling with two world wars. It was from then on that working women and entrepreneurship of women became an issue and for many an opportunity to see more women taking responsibility in the improvement of the economy and the industries of many developed and even in the later part of the century developing countries. Women entrepreneurship Very few would ever indulge themselves to understand the factors that would actually drive and ultimately allow a woman in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s world to risk all her money and property to embark on a business venture. Hematian (2011) believes that women have always been deprived of their right to self autonomy and self reliance for many reasons. First and foremost, she believes that it is because men have always feared the rise of women as leaders in the society as a threat to teir survival. The reason is that men have realized that women are more capable in managing; whether in the family or the local community, women have shown more capability, but they have felt reluctant to the lack of motivation. Rani (1996) believes that the key factor is motivation that is the engine for a woman to take such risk. This motivation is vital for a woman to become successful and the source of this motivation can either be intrinsic or extrinsic. Nevertheless, Rani (1996) outlines another factor apart from motivation which is ambition. The notion of ambition has been long argued with scholars as it is ambition that broadens the vision of people and makes life meaningful. It is in fact an index of oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s own resourcefulness and it is the key factor in women entrepreneurship. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦what matters much for the development of a nation is not merely the people but their aspirations and means to reach their goals. It is needless to say that ambitions differ among individuals on the basis of their personal characteristics. Ambitions nourish the achievement, motivation and help bring economic growth and development.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? p. 75 Nevertheless, what seems to be quite intriguing is how motivation and ambition differs from a woman to another when it comes to her family background. Rani (1996) studied the many factors that influence the women ambition such as the educational status of the family as well as the occupational status of the family and realized that more women who were raised in educated families and whose fathers were entrepreneurs or worked at a managerial level were eager and ultimately successful in establishing their business. Rani (1996) concludes that the fact that women are more social individuals than men and in fact, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a woman never considers herself alone, physically, socially or even economically, but in fact as a part of a the family, the family also seems to reciprocate this feeling at least in the case of women entrepreneurs.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? p. 82 Therefore, it is not too far-fetched to conclude that women entrepreneurs can easily be considered as the agents of social change. The governments would definitely prosper if they begin to guide women in the right direction toward economic independence, particularly through the path of entrepreneurship. This is simply due to the fact that women are widely affected by the environment, and feels a sense of belonging to it that whe n it is nourished in the right way, it can be more constructive than imagined. There is little doubt that supporting women in becoming more financially independent can bring about great changes for the world and prosperity for all since women are more prone to support and supply their fellow species. Constraints in women entrepreneurship Therefore, the entrepreneurship of women becomes the focal point of many research and studies who all wish to analyze the impact of women in the work force and understand the many factors that could affect women entrepreneurship. Many scholars have looked at this issue and they have claimed that women entrepreneurship is merely an isolated issue that could never be fully understood outside the social, cultural and even political realm. In her study, Jalbert (2000) asserts that becoming an entrepreneur is not simply a state but in fact, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“an evolution of encountering, assessing and reacting to a series of experiences, situations, and events produced by political, economical, social and cultural change.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? P. 23 Jalbert (2000) further on notifies the simple fact that there are certain constraints that could and in fact would most likely deprive women to participate in the work force, particularly as managers, let alone become successful entrepreneurs who wou ld have an impact on the economy. She believes that there are certain à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cultural and social patternsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? that could hinder, limit and restrict women from fully participating in the work force as independent individuals and successful managers. Tiwara (2007) believes that these social and cultural constraints in the east are the main obstacles that stand between success and progress for most Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The men need to realize that male supremacy has deprived their communities of sustainable progress and such medieval ideologies need to be eradicated for their societies to begin blooming again. On the other hand, Manaie (2011) analyzes the situation in a comparative form between the east and the west and outlines a series of factors that could influence women entrepreneurships, more specifically in his country Iran. Primarily, he believes that the main issue is education and assert that in the west different forms of courses are provid ed to inform and enlighten students and future managers of the reality of women entrepreneurship and its features, whereas in the east and more specifically in Iran such awareness is never intended. Furthermore, he believes that the lack of training courses for women entrepreneurship has created a huge gap for women who intend to embark on such a journey not knowing the difficulties they might face as women managers in the future. Furthermore, Manaie (2011) believes that another key factor is motivation and the cultural context of the east has created a distinct feeling of reluctance for women to participate in the workforce as managers and leaders and presidents of companies and huge corporations. He strongly claims that such cultural issues has created an overwhelmingly upsetting situation for most women where they feel, as he puts it, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“discriminated and isolatedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? among successful managers who are predominantly men and unwilling to share their exclusiv e masculine reign with the opposite sex whom they covertly feel superior to and regretfully feel disproportionally more powerful and intelligent towards. p. 14 Manaie (2011) then proposes a series of solutions that could improve the situation for women entrepreneurship in Iran. First of all, he believes that cultural awareness is the key to success and he asserts that the divine religion of Islam does not, in any form, comply with male supremacy in the work force. It is simply the duty of the male to supply and support the family, comprising of wife and children, within the context of the family. Nevertheless, in Islam women are free to own property, do business and even manage organizations. The best example is the prophetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s wife who was in fact a merchant or could even be called a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“women entrepreneurà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? who ran and owned one of the most successful trading enterprises in the Arabian Peninsula at the time of her marriage to the prophet som ewhat fourteen hundred years ago. Moreover, there must be Characteristic of women entrepreneurs Noticeably, one needs to analyze women entrepreneurship in the micro perspective as to what kind of women become involved in such tedious yet challenging profession of managing dozens and sometimes hundreds of men in a company or a factory. The main question is what kind of an individual, more precisely a woman, would be interested and in fact capable of becoming a manager and what are the qualities that are shared by most of these successful women entrepreneurs. Jalbert (2000) believes that most women entrepreneurs tend to be very motivated and as she puts it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“self-directedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? individuals. She further on believes that these women show a very high urge for control and ultimately success and accomplishment. p.23 In her research, Jalbert (2000) looked at the common characteristics that are shared by most successful women entrepreneurs and came to the conclusion that they all share four key personality traits. First and foremost, they all share the ability o f communicative skills that enables an individual to, fully and could even be said efficiently, interact with their counterparts. Secondly, they all share the intuitive skill of initiation and decisiveness that makes managers who they are and what they can achieve. Thirdly, they have the consensus building ability to form coalitions as well as cooperation based on common interest and even common threats. Finally, and quite intriguingly, she asserts that they all have integrating skills that would allow an individual to prominently bind different people from different backgrounds and interests to share a common value and behave in uniform code of conduct. It is quite evident that as technology speeds up lives and the new age is now upon us, and therefore it is important to take time to reflect upon on what will obviously be one of the driving forces of the world economy in the new century. In fact, women are an emerging economic force that policymakers and economical experts canno t afford to ignore nor neglect. What are the implications of this for businesswomen throughout the world? How can womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business enterprises best channel this potential and maximize it to improve the status of women in the world economy? The worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s modern economy, and in fact democracy, depends on the participation of both genders. Askari (2010) believes that women have proven themselves to be an undeniable force in the progress of countries across the globe. She believes that during the past century four main factors have contributed to this blooming need for women to take part in the economy. First of all, she believes that the industrial revolution paved the way for women to enter farms and factories and begin working with men. Secondly, the social changes and the emergence of feminism gave women the identity and the recognition they needed to consolidate their position as decision makers and leaders in the economy. Thirdly, the cultural aw areness and the weakening of male supremacy proved women can have even more success than men when working as managers and leaders and idea of the male supremacy was weakened and no longer a threat to women success. Nevertheless, Askari (2010) states that the most important factor that allowed women to participate more, and more productively in the economy was education and the vast scope of educated women that appeared in the world arena paved the way for successful women managers. In the global economy of the 21st century, international trade will be a key source of economic growth and development. Recent surveys conducted in many countries have revealed this fact, in which the National Foundation of Women Business Owners (NFWBO) has mentioned that women-owned firms involved in the global market have greater income, are more optimistic about the rate of success in their business outlook and are more focused on business expansion than women-owned firms that are to most extent à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“domestically orientedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Joshi (2009) believes that womens business associations can and in fact should ensure that their members, whether large or small are equipped to obtain the rewards of moving into the international spectrum. In fact, it goes without saying that women must learn how to play the international trade game, and a world network of womens business associations can help them achieve this great goal. Joshi (2009) further on states that information technology can help identify these mentioned markets, provide industry information and spotlight trends about what the role of women in state economies can be or should be so that optimum results would be obtained. More information about women-owned business enterprises is deeply needed to force policymakers to realize that women are an economic force to be reckoned with. Part of this process is to document the economic significance of women-owned enterprises in order to establish a constructive dia logue. Indeed, what womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business organizations (WBOs) can provide may be summed up in three simple word; access, organization, and certainly advocacy. In some regions of the world, transformation to a market economy threatens to widen the gap of gender inequality and inevitably sexual discrimination. Furthermore, it is quite evident that such changes reflect a return to traditional norms and standards that relegated women to a secondary status. As countries become more democratic, gender inequalities lessen; thus, offering a more productive atmosphere for both sexes. Nevertheless, many argue that women are genuinely better managers than men in many aspects when given the opportunity. Hematian (2011) argues that the feminine side of women, and even in some cases in men, allows the manger to act more responsibly rather than irrationally when faced with difficulty. Dr. Hematian (2011) argues the psychological intriguing fact about women in general that is conformis t rather than dis-conformist that exists in most men. The masculine feature of being rebellious blinds men from making concessions and that is the downfall of their decision making. Since, management, she states, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“is not about victory but reducing the cost of failure.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? p. 24 Women Entrepreneurship across the globe There is no doubt that a new generation is emerging and women from all four corners are the globe are taking part in the expansion of the world economy by their enthusiastic participation as well as their leading role in the management of different industrial and trade institutions across the globe. It might have been a dream or even a wild thought to believe that one day women even in as far places as Bangladesh can start their own businesses and become successful entrepreneurs but now we live in a world where that dream has come true as mentioned by many world figures including the noble prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus (2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦empowerment has come to the women of Bangladesh, even the poorest women in Bangladesh. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s tremendous. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a dramatic change that has taken place. Women have access to money. They can now plan. They can now dream. Their children are in school. New communities are emerging. A new generation is emerging.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? On the other hand, one needs to understand that such success could and would never be achieved if the society does not recognize women as capable individuals who could stand on their own feet and have the capacity to succeed independently without any help or aid from their male counterpart. Men need to begin learning the notion of respect when it comes to women entrepreneurship and have the dignity and decency to honor and respect women who embark on such challenges to lead their own enterprise as former US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice (2007) puts it quite well when she says, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Respect for women is a prerequisite for success of countries in the modern world. In the dynamic 21st century no society can expect to nourish with half its people sitting on the sidelines, with no opportunity to develop their talents, to contribute to their economy or to play an equal part in the lives of their nations.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? In their well acclaimed re search, Van Der Wees, C. Romijn, H. (1995) elaborate on the fact that womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business associations play a very essential role in identifying appropriate emerging sectors where women entrepreneurs can be prosperous as well as successful. In fact, the research indicated that the areas that are more probable to take off quickly during a nationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s market rejuvenation are delivery, transport, public relations, producing and consumer goods, and financial services. In this process, women business owners are innovators, job creators, and providers of economic security. Ultimately, female business owners will be recognized for who they are, what they do, and how significantly they impact the global economy. Change is afoot in the global economy and it is bearing a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face. Quite intriguingly, worldwide, many women are entrepreneurs emerge from a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s creative mind and intuition into successful business ownership , and economic security that would benefit everyone. There is a simple truth that women bring integrity as well as commitment because they care about economic empowerment of the society as w whole, entrepreneurial development and innovation. Female entrepreneurs seek the professional and personal support that is found in business associations. Economic globalization has encouraged the expansion of female business ownership. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The growing economic power and influence of women-owned businesses are changing the shape of the global economy,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? remarked Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, director of the UN Development Programà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Human Development Report. On the other hand, Kollan (2009) strongly claims that the global impact of women entrepreneurs is only the beginning to gain the momentum it truly deserves. Across the world, the number of women business owners continues to women entrepreneurs in the world economy rise gradually. In fact, a recen t United Nations report concluded that economic development, as a whole, is closely related to the advancement of women, in particular. In nations where women have advanced, economic growth has usually been steady. By contrast, in countries where women have been restricted, the economy has been stagnant and still struggling to develop, in the broad sense. According to the 1995 UN survey, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“two changes have occurred over the past 10 years in the enabling environment for women in the economy. One is the establishment of legal equality for women. The other is granting women equal access to education and training.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Women entrepreneurs are significantly affecting the global economy. In a case study carried out by McCarthy, D., Puffer, S, Naumov A. (1994) the results revealed that women entrepreneurs play an important role in the entrepreneurial economy, both in their ability to create new jobs for themselves and to create jobs for others in their community. I n fact, the results of the study showed that in Europe (both European Union countries and other European countries), estimates indicate that there exist more than 10 million self-employed women. In the United States 6.4 million self-employed women provide employment for 9.2 million people and create significant sales. Using the United States ratio between the number of employees and self-employment it may be estimated that employed women in surveyed European countries could employ around 15 million persons. Furthermore, it was discovered that self-employment represents one of the most important job opportunities for women. This seems to be a correct conclusion independent of what country or type of economy is observed. Self-employment represents an important job alternative for many women and perhaps especially for women in developing economies. It is also observed that in all countries women still represent a minority of those that start new firms, are self-employed, or are small b usiness owner-managers. Women Entrepreneurship in Asia One needs to acknowledge the simple fact that women entrepreneurship has not been as well accepted and even welcomed in the east as it has been in the west. Nevertheless, one needs to understand that the east has been improving and the statistics regarding this is quite intriguing to analyze. For instance, in India there has been enormous energy put into the private sector to help women entrepreneurship and in some case more support has been allocated to the women entrepreneurs than their male counterpart to make sure that the initiative would give them an advantage. Tiwari (2007) believes that women entrepreneurs have had a very efficient as well as productive role in the enhancement of the Indian economy during the past decade. Nevertheless, there is an issue that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the social structures of today have prevented the balanced development of women along side with men.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? P. 31 Tiwari (2007) continues further on suggesting that as a remedy women should be g iven an advantage when embarking on business ventures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“There are two streams of thoughts for the promotion of women entrepreneurship. First stream argue that women should be given higher priorityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and certainly the second argues that both men and women should be equally supported. The first view has been receiving more momentum in the Indian economy due to the fact that many politicians have now come to the conclusion that the women are more eager to take part in the improvement of the economy and by supporting them they could benefit both from their effort and their support in coming elections. In fact, different programs such as EDPs (Entrepreneurship Development Programs) are being carried out to meet just that scheme. Furthermore, Tiwari (2007) discovered that more women in India are participating in the three Eà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, namely being the Energy, Electronics and Engineering field. It is quite interesting to notify the fact t hat the new industrial policies of India have highlighted the need for special entrepreneurship programs for women entrepreneurs. This is simply designed by the administrations to enable and ultimately capable the women entrepreneurs to get a head start in their business ventures and be able to establish small-scale industries. India, as a whole, has well shown that when women are supported and motivated they can achieve much higher than their male counterparts and the integral approach from the government and non-government organization has been able to help them achieve that and it is the ongoing support of the system that has allowed them to do so well in the economy. On the other hand, Teoh (2007) states that women entrepreneurship in the Malaysia, a fast growing economy in the Southeast Asia region, has not been as significant as it could have been anticipated. The data in the research indicate that women accounted for only 7% of employers in the economically active populati on of Malaysia. Noticeably, it is quite unfortunate that the figure rose to only 8.5% six years later in 1990, and that is due to the fact that men still comprised the vast majority in employer status. However, Teoh (2007) believes that with all the constraints and slow progress there is a glimpse of hope since for the past ten years the government has put more emphasis on the creation and support for newly established SMEs who are struggling to grow their business. This is due to the fact that the government has well realized that the economy is best improved by supporting small businesses, and there are many women entrepreneurs who have the ideas, resources and recruitment capabilities to bring such capital back into the economy, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“women entrepreneurship has recently become an important pool of resources for Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s economic growth and personal prosperity.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? p.4 In the case of Malaysia, it is quite interesting to notify the fact that women account for about half of the total population, and about 36.7 percent of Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s total workforce of 10.9 million, with a significantly increasing representation at the professional, as well as the managerial and technical levels. In another study carried out women have been participating quite à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“vigorouslyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? in the economy and the establishment of SMEs in the country. According to Normah (2006), the participation of women in Malaysiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in 2003 was 1,122,000, or 36.8% of the total employment in SMEs which proves the fact that women, as much as men and even in some cases more enthusiastically, are becoming more and more involved in creation of jobs and helping the economy. Therefore, it might not be that stunning that the number of women entrepreneurs in Malaysia has increased so vigorously in the past thirty years due to the emphasis on industrialization by the state and the act ive governess, and growing interests in the private sector and the whole notion of privatization, self-employment and business-oriented employment that seems to be the key issue in helping many young economies across the globe. Nevertheless, one needs to keep in mind that all of these have been facilitated by the growth in various sectors such as banking and financing, food manufacturing, general trading, personal and public services, education, training and consultancy, all comprising the main components for a young economy and a developing country that needs an initiative to begin progress. Women Entrepreneurship in Iran Nevertheless, Iranian women have been in the frontiers when it comes to Asian countries, and in fact, women in Iran have been leaders for thousands of years and to be more specifically have been taking managerial positions as early as the late 19th century. The constitutional revolution of 1896AD in Iran was the breakthrough for women to enter the spotlight and with the scent of democracy across the country women sought to fulfill their rightful position in the society by taking high ranking positions from the parliament to ministers to ambassadors as well as entrepreneurs. This movement was well received during the mid 20th century when the pro western regime at the time supported and encouraged women to enter the society and participate in the community more and more. However, one needs to understand that Iran has a sensitively religious society mixed with a long cultural scent of male supremacy that has bonded with the land for too long to be eradicated so easily. Although, I ran is much different from its Arab neighbors where women are even deprived of basic human rights such as voting and even driving, in Iran, women are free to vote, drive, open businesses, manage and even be elected to represent their community in the national parliament. Hence, ever since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, women have also been more active in studying and in fact, according to recent figures more than two-thirds of university graduates are women in Iran. Hosseini (2008) states that women have been the key to sustainable progress in Iran and having so many educated women who provide the back bone of the economy is a true asset to Iranian society. These educated women, whether they work as employees, employers or even marry and become mothers and raise the future generation of Iranians are the main assets of this country. Nevertheless, Hosseini (2008) expresses his concern to two factors that women entrepreneurs have and will face in Iranà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ever growin g economy in the 21st century. First of all, he believes that sexual discrimination is a key factor in pulling women back, especially because that it is a cultural issue, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“hidden under the skin of the society not displaying itself in bureaucratic but in credential interactions.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? p.11 Secondly, there is an issue of recognition and the overshadowing of male supremacy in the Iranian society. Hosseini (2008) argues that women managers are leaders and leaders need to be recognized, complied upon and taken seriously in the society. He provides an analogy of having a leader with no armies and no soldiers. It is an undeniable fact that women need to be recognized for them to lead successfully and defiantly and without that recognition such success is impossible to achieve. In fact, it goes without saying that Iranian women could only achieve their full potential in managerial position when Iranian men begin to take them seriously and acknowledge their success an d support them in case of failure rather than capitalize on their success for if such cooperation does not succeed, the economy could never be improved.

Contradictions and Paradoxes in the Human Soul in “the...

Contradictions and paradoxes in the human soul in â€Å"The Human Abstract†, by William Blake Before being good or bad, human beings are just humans who have to live with their own nature, which they sometimes cannot control. Man can do good or evil but he always makes it with a unique purpose, his personal satisfaction, because it is simply in his nature. Thus, human beings aware of good and evil are confronted with conflicting choices but they never act against their will. The poem, â€Å"The Human Abstract†, written by William Blake reflects on these characteristics of human beings and demonstrates how they are unconsciously corrupted by their own nature in a selfish way. The poem â€Å"The Human Abstract† contains several contradictions†¦show more content†¦One is real and the other one is more conceptual but both represent nature as a tree of life and knowledge which influences the decisions of people. Furthermore, the tree of knowledge of good and evil makes reference to the decay of humanity, in the Book of Genesis, because of Adam and Eve. The f ifth stanza makes clearly the link between â€Å"the fruit of Deceit† in the poem and the forbidden fruit eaten by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The first two lines of the paragraph contain a contradiction between terms which are commonly not compatible: â€Å"And it bears the fruit of Deceit / Ruddy and sweet to eat†. Indeed, â€Å"the fruit of Deceit† reveals the decadence of humanity, the sins of human beings and also the end of innocence. Besides, only because of his appellation, this fruit is supposed to be bad and bearer of misfortune. Nonetheless, â€Å"the fruit of Deceit† is described as â€Å"ruddy and sweet to eat† which gives the urge to eat it. Thus, despite the contradictions, men are corrupted by their selfish desires because â€Å"Of the Mystery over his head†. Moreover, the tree of knowledge gives birth to the nest of raven which symbolizes death: â€Å"And the raven his nest has made / In its thickest shade†. E ffectively, the paradox is that the tree carries the fruit of Deceit and the nest of the raven which both signify mortality and darkness. However, near these two symbols of death stands a gorgeous andShow MoreRelatedwisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 Pageshumor. Genuine humor is replete with wisdom.† Mark Twain, quoted in Opie Percival Read, Mark Twain and I (1940), 17. â€Å"Humor offers both a form of wisdom and a means of survival in a threatening world. It demands that we reckon with the realities of human nature and the world without falling into grimness and despair.† Roger Shattuck, The Banquet Years: The Origins of the Avant-Garde in France—1885 to World War I, rev. ed. (1968), 248. â€Å"Humor is, in fact, a prelude to faith; and laughter is theRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesUnderstanding Work Teams 307 Communication 335 Leadership 367 Power and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of Organization Structure 479 v vi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human Resource Policies and Practices 543 18 Organizational Change and Stress Management 577 Appendix A Research in Organizational Behavior Comprehensive Cases Indexes Glindex 637 663 616 623 Contents Preface xxii 1 1 Introduction Read MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pageswe should be spending most of our lives airborne at 40 000 feet. â€Å" . . . world population, and also the available labour force in industrial countries, is doubl- This can be contrasted with a rather more serious comment made by Professor William H. Pickering of Harvard in a speech made during June 1908, in which his lack of imagination is as extreme as De Jouvenal’s excess: † carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steamship. It seems safe to say that such ideas

Argumentative Essay About The Nutcracker - 1119 Words

â€Å"Ugly yet Thoughtful† A short and ugly man may look like that on the outside but may have a heart of burning wood full of love on the inside as E.T.A. Hoffmann explains in the Nutcracker. Nutcracker authored by E.T.A. Hoffmann, a fiction, is about Marie, a young girl who plays with dolls, finds herself madly in love with the Nutcracker and willing to do anything for him in their house to keep him alive. Furthermore, Foremost, on Christmas Eve, when Marie and Fritz hide in a dark closet to spy on the adults and Marie heaves a sigh and cries out, â€Å"Oh, how lovely! Oh, how lovely! †¦ Oh, what a beautiful, oh what a lovely dress; and I know, I know for sure that I’ll be allowed to put it on† (6-8). Marie repeats the same word over as she†¦show more content†¦But the worst damage was done by a battery of heavy guns set up on mama’s footstool, which fired jawbreakers-poom poom poom in quick succession† (28). Marie imagines the sce ne but it is real. However, the toy soldiers and mice are actually ducking it out with each other. Marie imagines her favortire nutcracker in the fray and cannot imagine his well being or not. The toy soldiers fight bravely and all imagine their glory in the mices’ blood running through their toy hands and feet as they gloriously imagine their fate. Moreover, when the battle seems to be going in the mouse’s favor, the author states, â€Å"Without quote knowing what she was doing, she took off her left hoe and flung it with all her might into the thick of the enemy, hoping to kit their king†¦ She felt a sharp pain in her left arm and fell to the floor in a faint† (33). Marie can only imagine her true love in danger. She does not even have to think whether to save him or not and in an act of desperation faints before she sees the result. Lastly, Marie lays sick in bed when Godfather Drosselmeier visits and Marie yells at him, â€Å"Oh, Godfather Dross elmeier, how ugly you were! I saw you sitting on the clock, covering it with your wings to keep it from striking

Expressionism Versus Jazz free essay sample

Expressionist Music and Jazz Expressionism is an artistic movement that stresses Intense and subjective emotion. Artists that use expressionism usually focus on their Inner feelings instead of depicting outward appearances. Expressionism Is an art concerned with social protest. Some characteristics of expressionist music are that It Is episodic with a fragmentary form. It Involves a great emotional magnitude. Also, it is discontinuous. Most expressionist works stress harsh dissonance and fragmentation.They also take advantage of extreme registers and unusual instrumental effects. Some examples of expressionist compositions are Peppier linear by Arnold Schoenberg, A Survivor from Warsaw also by Arnold Schoenberg, the opera Woozier by Albany Berg, and Five Pieces of Orchestra by Anton Webber. Arnold Schoenberg music is emotionally intense and has a literary program. The major center of jazz was New Orleans, which was the home of important jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, Ferdinand Morton, and Joseph Oliver. Jazz In the New Orleans style was played by a small group of five o eight performers. We will write a custom essay sample on Expressionism Versus Jazz or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The melodic instruments that were played in New Orleans style are the cornet, clarinet, and trombone. The melodic Instrument players would Improvise several contrasting melodic lines at the same time, which produced a polyphonic texture. This collective improvisation was the most distinguishing feature of New Orleans Jazz. The cornet in the New Orleans style was the leader and it played variations of the main melody. The clarinet produced a countermanded, which is usually played at a faster rhythm. The trombone played a bass line that was impeller than the upper lines.The different rhythms and independence of the rhythms created a sense of excitement in New Orleans style. One representative work of New Orleans style is Dipterous Blues by King Olivers Creole Jazz Band. This is a good example because it is based on the chord progression of 12-bar blues and New Orleans Jazz was usually based on 12-bar blues. Swing Jazz developed in the sass. It was mainly played by big bands. In contrast to the New Orleans style, a typical swing band had about fourteen or fifteen musicians grouped into three sections, which are saxophones, brass Instruments, and rhythm.The rhythm consisted of piano, percussion instruments, guitar, and brass. Because this band was consisted of a lot more people, it needed music that was more composed and improvised. It also needed music that was arranged which means it was notated in written-out parts for each musician to read. The main melody of a swing band was usually accompanied by saxophones playing sustained chords, or by saxophones and brass instruments playing short, repeated phrases called riffs. The arrangers used a paid acceleration of brass and sax riffs to create tension and excitement.Swings harmonic vocabulary was richer and more varied than that of New Orleans Jazz. An 8-bar phrase was used In swing style. An example of swing jazz is Duke Elongations C- Jam Blues. Expressionist painters, writers, artists, and musicians use deliberate distortion to assault and shock their audience, to communicate their tensions and anguish of the human psyche. It conveyed the anguish felt by the poor and the oppressed. The main function of early jazz music was to entertain. It was used in music.Jazz was usually for bands to play to an audience as loud as they could. It was for people to dance to. Bebop was a complex style of music usually for small Jazz groups consisting of four to six players. This music was meant for attentive listening and not dancing. The bebop melodies were more varied and unpredictable than early Jazz. One similarity is that Expressionist music and bebop music were both not meant for dancing to. Expressionist music was to illustrate tensions and anguish and usually not for dancing to.

Sampling Theory free essay sample

Questioning error, Recording Error, Interference Error Data Error, Which could be intentional, Unintentional Failure to contact all, Incomplete responses  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 7 ? It is critical to determine the target population ? To eliminate the Specification error as well as sampling frame error ? A cliche, however, definition of Research objective is critical ? Optimal definition of population ? Most research failures suffer from this problem! ? This clarity (or lack of it) impacts the questionnaire design ? Too fine and it is too restrictive, expensive and operationally difficult ? Too broad and might confound the findings ? But convenience not at the expense of appropriate research design ? Convenience is critical  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 8 ? Sampling frame ? Selection of the list ? Telephone Directory ? In most cases, it works fine as it provides a complete list. ? Sometimes it may not be complete (non-selection error) ? In the US, Presidential candidate was predicted on the basis telephone interviews ? MR firms (systematic sampling) Select a neighbourhood/ blocks in a city ? Every nth house is selected ? For Non-response, select kth house after this one, then repeat the process  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 9 ? Sampling Techniques ? Probabilistic sampling ? Non-probabilistic sampling ? Simple Random Sampling ? Sample members are chosen at random from the population – each member having equal probability of being selected ? Often names are put in a box and selected in random ? Vietnam war and December tags ? Probabilistic Sampling ? Stratified Sampling ? There would be sub-groups in a population ? Ensuring representation from each of these sub-groups  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 10 ? Probabilistic Sampling ? Proportional Stratified Sampling ? Samples for each ‘strata’ is selected proportional to the population in each sub-group ? Proportional ‘representation’ in sample ? Inverse proportional stratified sampling ? Also used in some cases, where a particular group’s views (although smaller) is more important ? Rare, but used in specialised research projects ? E. We will write a custom essay sample on Sampling Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page g. Many ‘area’ studies, it is carried out ? Disproportionate Stratified sampling In some special cases, proportional would mean some groups would be ‘under-represented’  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 11 ? Probabilistic Sampling ? Cluster sampling ? Different from Stratified sampling ? Clusters (groups) are selected at random ? Then all members are selected in those groups ? Faster, cost effective coverage ? Systematic Sampling ? Most MR firms engaging in consumer products research engage in some form ? Target population is identified ? Nth members are chosen (driven by sample requirements and applicability) Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 12 ? Non-probabilistic Sampling ? ? ? ? Judgmental Sampling (expert sampling) Snowball sampling Convenience Sampling Quota Sampling ? (similar to stratified sampling) ? Multi-stage design ? Different techniques maybe used in conjunction ? Depending on the nature of the problem ? It may evolve during the research programme  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 13 ? Determining Sample Size ? What is an appropriate sample size ? Rule of thumb ? 100 for each subgroup ? Budget constrained ? Comparable (benchmark) studies* ? Population Parameters ? Interval (Confidence) – accuracy of prediction ? Variance in population z.? x X? n z 2? 2 n? 2 SE 28 September, 2010 14  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta ? In case of Stratified Sampling ? Where each strata / group has different (Population) variance ? Where cost of each interview/ questionnaire is different for each strata ? Neyman’s rule suggests: size of ith sample: ? i .? ni ? i ? i k ci ? .? ( i ci .n i )  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 15  © Krishanu Rakshit, IIM Calcutta 28 September, 2010 16

Enobarbus and Antony Essays

Enobarbus and Antony Essays Enobarbus and Antony Essay Enobarbus and Antony Essay In this extract Enobarbus is relishing the attention of his fellow Roman soldiers as he recounts the spectacular first meeting between Cleopatra and Antony. He chooses a highly poetic, descriptive vocabulary to paint a picture of the extravagant sight of Cleopatras barge on its stately voyage down the river, bringing the sights, sounds and colours vividly to life for his spellbound audience. The opening lines of the extract show the dominant position Cleopatra holds in his memory: she pursued up his heart. The verb suggests that Cleopatra was the active participant in the love affair with Antony, revealing her predatory sexuality and supreme confidence in her own power and attractions. Agrippas interjections take the form of awestruck exclamations, revealing the extent of curiosity about the exotic lifestyle in Egypt that the Roman soldiers can usually only speculate about. Enobarbus swells with importance as he begins his account, and the line I will tell you is both a reminder of his own participation in the events, and a way of heightening expectation. The potent imagery of his speeches portrays Cleopatra as a rival to the goddess Venus, an apt role model for a woman who wields her sexuality as a weapon in her fight for power and status. Gold is the prevalent colour of the costumes and decoration of the procession, a burnishd throne, which is a symbol of great wealth and majesty. Clearly Cleopatra has chosen the allegorical role of Venus as a way of asserting her own divine status, both to her people who the city cast upon her, and to Antony. Not immune to the spell Cleopatra cast, Enobarbus hyperbolically personifies the very elements to suggest the sexual magnetism of the great queen: so perfumed that The winds were love-sick with them Cleopatra has the universe itself at her feet. In a time when gender roles were far more limiting for women than today, especially in Roman society, the strength and superiority of Cleopatra in her relationship with Antony is a source of wonderment, admiration and anxiety for the Roman soldiers. Enobarbus makes it clear that Antony was slighted by Cleopatras highly theatrical entrance, and the triumvir actually comes across as a pathetic figure, sitting alone in the market place during the celebrations when even the air itself had gone to gaze on Cleopatra. She took the dominant role in their relationship by refusing Antonys invitation to dine, and the fact that Enobarbus makes no effort to hide this from Caesars loyal followers, suggests both his respectful attitude to the power Cleopatra exerts over all men and his pained contempt for Antonys weakness which eventually leads to his defection.

Developing individuals and teams ( CMI Level 3 Diploma) Assignment

Developing individuals and teams ( CMI Level 3 Diploma) - Assignment Example I believe that factors such as a clear communication of the objective to team members, frequent communication between team members, knowledge sharing, willingness to help each other, a high degree of engagement of team members with the team objective and able leadership contribute to the effectiveness of the team. Absence of these factors can make a team ineffective. Question 3 I believe that working as a team increases the probability of success and chances of achieving project objectives. Cross-functional knowledge sharing between team members increases the overall competency of a team. Working as a team creates the scope for team members to share knowledge through interactive communication and a diversity of ideas increases the level of creativity within the team. Every team member has a distinct competency and skill level and combinations of such team members creates the scope for the team to sail through a turbulent environment. ... I have successfully operated my role of a team coordinator while working with different teams, and I believe that my ability to adapt in difficult conditions has significantly helped me in such context. There were no such occasions while I was asked to work outside of your preferred role; hence it is not possible for me to answer these questions. Question 5 I believe a good team player should have the characteristics such as: 1) ability to respect other team members because without respecting opinions of other team members, it would not be able to trust the capacity of other team members, which can destroy the team objectives in the contingent period; 2) ability to coordinate with team members in fulfilling the project objectives because lack of coordination between team members can slow down the pace of project completion; and 3) ability to follow orders without asking unnecessary questions to authority because renouncing the direction of authority would increase disruption in the t eam. Question 6 In my team, a situational leadership model was followed and each of us had the chance to show leadership skills during the contingent period by exposing our skill set. Working in a democratic environment and encouraging team members to make decisions in the contingent period was the major strength of the situational leadership model. But, in some cases, absence of a particular leader had created chaos of ideas among team members. Part 2 Answer 1 Fitzsimons, James and Denyer (2011) and Pearce and Manz (2005) defined leadership as the ability of individuals to influence the thinking process of others and also move others in the direction of the very individual. Every institution needs good