Chronicle Of The Neville Wadia Institute Of Management Studies And Research ISSN 2230-9667

Feb., 2012

58

General Management

New Age Women Entreprenuership – Issues And Challenges

Dr. Anil AdsulePrincipal,

St. Vincent College of Commerce, Pune – 411 001 Email – anil.adsule@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT :

In last 3 decades the concept of Women Entrepreneurship is well established. The orthodox approach to look at women and her role in the society has slowly vanished. A new image of a dynamic able and confident women is emerging very fast. This image has helped to promote a new roles for women in different walks of life. Entrepreneurship and business is no longer a string hold of men.

In the beginning the concept of women entrepreneurship was confined to 3 P’s i.e Peakles, Papd and potpourri. However we now come across a dynamic women who has entered in the fields like heavy engineering, Biotechnology and I.T. This transformation is definitely a remarkable change. However there are many challenges that Women Entrepreneurship are facing when they enter into new spheres of economic activity. The present paper deals with various issues and challenges are facing and likely to face in this new business world.

KEYWORDS :

Women Entrepreneurship, New age Business Culture, Dynamic Business system, Technology work systems, Interpersonal Relationship

INTRODUCTION :

Women Entrepreneurship is in a way specialized approach to look at business problems of ventures and activities started by women. Though business is an economic activity wherein conceptually equality and fair chances of success are available to every player irrespective of gender bias. However in reality and practice discrimination is the way of living. Women often are the soft targets and prey of discrimi-native practices even in the business world. The male superiority complex, disbelief in competence, mis-conception regarding ability and proficiency are a few important weakness of our social systems. Hence it is not easy for a women to be an entrepreneur and successful simultaneously.

PROBLEM STATEMENT :

The Present paper deals with various issues related with development aspects of Women Entrepreneur-ship concept though acknowledged by all sections of the society. However there is hidden and often unexpressed resistance to the development of Women Entrepreneurship. This is the root cause of major

Chronicle Of The Neville Wadia Institute Of Management Studies And ResearchISSN 2230-9667

Feb., 2012

59

General Management

challenging situation before women entrepreneurship. Similarly the development of Women Entrepre-neurship is restricted due to the social rigidity and unwillingness of male counterparts to accept new trends of business activities performed by women entrepreneurs. As the resistance to traditional roles of women minimized at the same time the fear of the entry of women in new vistas is a major and grow-ing threat which poses resistance to development of women entrepreneurship.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE :

Rani (1986) examined the characteristics of women entrepreneurs and the factors that motivate a. them to start a business. About 30 respondents were randomly contacted during their training in entrepreneurial skills in Hyderabad in October 1985. The study revealed that the majority of them were in the age group 21-30 years, and were prompted by the desire “to do something independently” Among the other factors that motivate the trainees to start new enterprises were “ (a) the desire to keep busy, (b) to supplement family income and (c) to gain business and technical knowledge and to earn money.Azad (1988) in his study on “Development of Entrepreneurship Among Rural Women – An b. Overview” laid emphasis that in order to develop entrepreneurship there is no need to provide training through various formal and informal institutions. Infrastructure facilities should be provided to entrepreneurs on priority basis. Socio-cultural barriers should be examined in detail and “these have been inherited from the society, efforts should be made to increase the literacy and awareness among the people so that these barriers may be able to overcome” Serious efforts should be made to develop entrepreneurship among rural women.Master and Meier (1988) examined the risk taking propensity among male and female c. entrepreneurs. A sample of 250 entrepreneurs has been taken by using stratified random sampling technique. The study highlighted that no significant difference was found among male and female entrepreneurs. The reason to this may assigned to the growth of women’s movement and their impact of behavior of women in the business environment. Other factors may also have influenced but it could not be identified in the study. Thomas and Khan (1990) in their papers “Women and Development in Wayanand has examined d. the background the women beneficiaries and their participation in different development programs. A sample of 200 respondent comprising of 94 female and 106 male has been taken from Waynand district of Kerala. Analysis reveals that majority of male and female respondent were having low level of education. Their participation in socio-cultural and political affairs was found to be low. Awareness of women among various development programs was low as compared to their male counterparts. Awareness about various programs should be increased among women so that their participation in various activities may be increased.Carter and Canon (1992) in their study o “Women as Entrepreneurs” conducted in Great Britain e. find out that the way women approach starting an enterprise is dominated by the stage they have reached in their life cycle, that is, their age and domestic relationships. Differentiation by personal life cycle is important as women start business at very different stages in their lives. This affects the types of business started and their individual approach to business ownership. Majority of the women respondents were equally motivated towards achievement and were represented within either the younger, achievement-oriented group, the aspirants, or within the high achievers group of older women who had often come out of successful careers to start a business. The career paths pursued by women were usually in a traditionally female employment sectors, such as retailing and within service industries. Only a minority has participated in non-traditional

Chronicle Of The Neville Wadia Institute Of Management Studies And Research ISSN 2230-9667

Feb., 2012

60

General Management

sectors before starting in business. Regardless of their educational and career backgrounds, all had experienced problems in starting and running enterprises. Many of those were operational problems, which affect make business owners as well as female. Many respondents were willing to exploit their feminity in group situations or in certain types of negotiation, turning the perceived disadvantages of gender into and advantage. Women respondents were skeptical about the initiatives if Government for promoting women entrepreneurship. Srivastava and Chaudhary (1995) in their work on “Women Entrepreneurs : Problems, Perspective f. and Role Expectations from Banks’ find out that no single factor but a host of motivating factors act simultaneously on the individual creating dissonance in her, which in turn motivates her to take an action directed towards elimination or reduction of dissonance in the individual. Women faced problems mainly in the areas of marketing of their products and approaching the banks for getting loans. Personal problems like time constraint and family stress were also cited. The study concludes that joint family is not an obstacle for developing entrepreneurs. In fact, it is a facilitating factor. The entrepreneurial role enhances familial bonds and increases role satisfaction of women entrepreneurs as a wife, mother and maker of a home.4. Prasad and Rao (1997) has analyzed the “Socio-Economic Background of Women g. Entrepreneurs-A Case of Andhra Pradesh”. A sample of 120 women entrepreneurs from the state of Andhra Pradesh were interviewed on the basis of purposive sampling technique. The author draw the inference that first generation entrepreneurs should go for non-technical industries. Workshops and refresher courses should e conducted by various institutions to overcome different types of problems faced by women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs should go for joint ventures to run industry on scientific lines.5. Kumar (2004) in his study Women Entrepreneurs : Their Profile and Barriers in Business h. has examined the major obstacles faced by women. After analyzing the different problems, one may draw the inference that with the change in taste and preference, expectations of the people and rapid change in technology, there is a need to increase awareness and availability of technology to women entrepreneurs. It will also help them in solving the problem of provision of quality of product. Utilizing modern communication media should solve problems relating to social and cultural barriers. Success stories of women entrepreneurs should be published in local and national newspapers and telecasted through television.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY :

The principal objective of the paper are as follows : To assess the position of women entrepreneurs in the changed socio economic scenario.1.

To identify the traits and strengths of new age women entrepreneurs.2.

To enlist the challenges before women entrepreneurs in the changing economic scenario.3.

DISCUSSION :

1. The socio economic scenario in India is gradually changing. The number of women having formal education background is on rise. The rate of urbanization is enhanced which resulted in giving new roles to women. The dynamic of family system has also changed, which demanded new and competent women who can shoulder a variety of responsibilities. The new age women thus has entered in contract with new skills, competence and abilities. The new business world is in need of such competent women.

Chronicle Of The Neville Wadia Institute Of Management Studies And ResearchISSN 2230-9667

Feb., 2012

61

General Management

Women entrepreneurs have entered in business ventures which are unfamiliar and foreign to them in many ways. They have exhibited their talents, risks taking attitude and caliber in new many business forms.

New age women entrepreneurs happen to be much different than the conventional and 2. stereo type women entrepreneurs. The cultural environment in which the new age urban woman is growing has many things uncommon and different. Some important feature of these changed scenario are as follows :

The socio economic environment is rapidly changing.a.

There is a cultural economic transformation of high magnitudeb.

The concept of risk and risk taking attitude has changed in many ways.c.

The gender bias is on decline.d.

Business houses and new age economy demands persons of caliber and competence e. irrespective of case, colour, creed and gender.

The challenges3. – Women entrepreneurs are facing many challenges in this changed economic scenario.

Though it is a welcome situation that women are provided with opportunities and liberty, However all biases and prejudices are not eradicated in totality. The male supremacy is a common factor and prevails in every social strata.

In economic and business field emergence of a new entrepreneur is looked as not only rivalry but as new face of competition. Progress of women entrepreneurs is not merely considered as a defeat but a sort of insult of status.

Various challenges that women entrepreneurs face because of these particular issues are :

Non-co-operationa.

Hostile attitude and unfriendly approachb.

Feeling of social alienation and c.

Creating challenging and difficult situationsd.

CONCLUSION :

The new age women entrepreneur are growing and upcoming. This is a new breed of risk takers. This class of entrepreneurs is thus a social and economic challenge which needs to be properly culti-vated in order to offer fair and equal opportunities to women entrepreneurs.

REFERENCE :

Women Entrepreneurship in India – R. Vasanthagopal and Santha S – New Century Publications, New Delhi1. Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship – T. Lavanya – New Century Publications, New Delhi2. Entrepreneurship and Women Empowerment – Ramesh Bhandare – Alfa Publications, New Delhi3. Entrepreneurship – Rajeev Roy – Oxford University Press.4. Entrepreneurship – Robert D. Hisrich, Michael P. Peters, Dean A. Shepherd – Tata Mcgraw – Hill Publishing Co. Ltd. New Delhi.5.