Dr. Ma. De Los Angeles Mendoza

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: A CHALLENGE TOBUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITY

August 7th, 2015.

Outline

1. Introduction2. Statistical data3. Problem development4. Conclusions

IntroductionObjective

• In Mexico, each year hundreds of women choose to work as employeesinstead of being their own boss. University women, are not beingentrepreneur. According to statistics data, most of them just work as anemployee.

• Then, it is inevitable to ask what universities are doing to change thisparadigm.

• So, a research was conducted with the aim of analyzing and determiningreasons and draw conclusions to encourage the activity ofentrepreneurism among women.

Statistical data National data:• Women in Mexico represent the 16% from the business sector.

• 31% of executive jobs are occupied by women, 7% are members of the board company and only 2% are business women.

• 51% of working people in the informal sector are women.

• Nowadays, women graduate with better grades than men, but

before their thirty birthday they will be making 10% less money.

Statistical data

State data• 51.8% of total population in Chiapas state are women (2’699,681).

• 29.3% (546,627) belong to the Economically Active Population.

• It is estimated that 32% (180,000) women work by their own and only 2 %(12,000) create jobs.

Problem development• In order to probe the affirmation if women prefer working as an employee

or being their own boss, a short research was conducted to getinformation about plans students have when finish the university.

• The place is Bank and Commerce School, Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez,Chiapas. This is a private university specialized in careers related tobusiness and commerce since 1929.

• Population size: The subjects are students of eight semester (last) ofAccounting (16) and Business Administration career (19). A questionnairewas carried out to get the information.

Public Accounting career.• The population is 9 women and 7 men, the media of ages is 22 years old.• Four men and three women are working right now. Two men are working

in their own business and the other are working in different companies asemployees.

• To the question about what are their plans to work when they finishschool, two men said they are going to continue working in their business,two women are going to stay home to take care of their babies, and therest is going to look for a job.

• To the question about if they ever considerate having their own businessinstead being employees, three women said yes but in a far future, sevenmen said yes, and seven women said never.

• About reasons not to start a company: Fear (21%), lack of money (52%),laziness (12%), insecurity (15%).

Business Administration career• The population is 9 women and 10 men; the media of ages is 23. Six men

and five women are working right now.• They all are working in different companies as employees.• To the question about what are their plans to work when they finish

school, one woman is going to stay home to take care of her child, and therest is going to look for a job.

• To the question about if, they ever considerate having their own businessinstead being employees, five women said yes but in a far future, all ofmen said yes.

• About reasons not to start a company: Fear (16%), lack of money (58%),laziness (14%), insecurity (12%).

In order to reach the objective of women developing and acquiringknowledge and tools to improve their future by starting business andbuilding companies, here are some steps universities could make:

• Provide a physical space to work, for example small offices.

• Post teachers some hours a week to help students to develop their ideas and do some research.

• Make alliance with Government, so students can get some credits to propel the business and help to register their marks and intellectual property.

• Include subjects about Equity and Genre in an economic approach, sowomen can be aware about differences among income, position, statusand other indicators that they might face in their labor life, compared todata with workingmen.

• Start working in their projects in fourth or fifth semester, so they can haveknowledge enough and plenty time to improve them before they finishuniversity.

• Make more projects fair and encourage students to participate in internalor external business fair, this way they can improve their self-confidence,correct the technical faults and check the competition.

The most important thing is that students know about possibilities they canhave, it is not only about obtaining a diploma and getting a job. Economy inMexico in a micro level is being contracted, there are few jobs and morepeople demanding to work, especially young people.

Even if the students have a great background, it will be difficult get a well paidjob. Women have to face this reality, and empower themselves to being theirown boss and create jobs by changing their mental paradigm.