How can women enter the global marketplace and find success? As the numbers of women poised to enter the global marketplace accelerates, this question is becoming increasingly important. According to the U.S. Small Business Association, women-owned businesses currently account for 30 percent of businesses that export more than half of their products worldwide.
On June 17, 2004, The Fox School’s 2nd annual Developing Women Entrepreneurs (DWE) conference, presented by Temple University’s Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), addressed this growing segment of women entrepreneurs, who either are currently in the global marketplace or who want to become part of that marketplace.
Melynda Benlemlih, director of The Fox School's Institute of Global Management Studies and Temple CIBER, opened the day’s events by explaining the purpose of the CIBER and in part the conference, as a way to “increase the competence of Philadelphia businesses in the global marketplace.”
The Fox School of Business and Management’s Dean M. Moshe Porat put the conference in the context of two of The Fox School’s strengths: entrepreneurship and international business. Porat stressed Fox’s commitment to women entrepreneurs, saying, “Fox is a great supporter of women in business. We’re strong in teaching, research and outreach, providing resources and networking for Philadelphia’s strong community of women entrepreneurs.”
The audience composed of women and some men entrepreneurs was diverse and accomplished. Tina Caterino, a consultant, advocate and educator for the Asperger Syndrome Family Support Network, was there “to help build support networks for families who have a family member with Asperger’s.”
Another participant, Elaine Freeman, attended to develop her company, Precise Communications, whose mission is to help companies in China do business with the United States.
“Don’t let challenge take over opportunities,” cautioned the first speaker, Joanna Savvides, a global entrepreneur who is currently president of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia. Savvides cited the world economy, political instability, terrorism, travel restrictions, anti-US sentiments and free trade agreements and unions as potential deterrents to global entrepreneurship.
Savvides shared additional advice she had gleaned from her experience over the years: Create a targeted export strategy, know your market and your product, and be proactive. “International business is built on relationships, a skill at which women excel,” Saviddes said.
Next, Monica Zimmerman Treichel, assistant professor of general and strategic management and chair of Fox’s undergraduate entrepreneurship program, presented her groundbreaking research on the unique advantages and barriers women entrepreneurs face.
Unlike earlier research that predominantly relied on male-dominated organizations, Treichel and her research partner, Keith Brouthers, associate professor of general and strategic management at Fox, compiled data from women entrepreneurs. For their sample, they surveyed members of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), one of the conference’s co-sponsors.
Treichel and Brouthers’ study identified significant predictors of international diversification in women-owned businesses as age, entrepreneurial orientation, network ties, firm age, firm size and the makeup of the top management team, including how many women are on the team.
Surprisingly, they found factors not significant in predicting international diversification were functional background, education, international experience, network ties to international experience, industry and satisfaction with current performance.
Other speakers and panels included:
• Donna Francher, global product director for Astra Zeneca, the conference’s keynote speaker on “All Business is Local--A Practical Approach to International Business.”
• “Stories of Successes and Challenges in the Global Marketplace, ” a panel hosted by Renee Jones, president of Stratus Communications and national founder of Women Impacting Policy. Other participants on this panel included Gigi Neff, vice president of Women’s Initiatives at Advanta, and Homa Tavangar, president of Global Business Development.
Not just a conference, this event is one piece of a larger project on Developing Women Entrepreneurs (DWE). A DWE Web portal provides ongoing support for women entrepreneurs in the global marketplace, including up-to-date trade resources, links to pertinent research and listings of organizations for women in business and for entrepreneurs.
The DWE is sponsored by Temple University’s CIBER. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the Temple CIBER promotes the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in the global marketplace through research and outreach to the business community, and by preparing students with the necessary skills and experience to become leaders in the global workforce.
This year’s conference was co-sponsored by Advanta, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign CIBER, Women Impacting Public Policy, Women’s Regional Business Council, Temple University’s Small Business Development Center and The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia.
