Initiating and developing a business involves a considerable risk and a sustained effort in order to defeat the inertia against what is new. The person initiating a business, assuming the responsibility and risk of its development and benefiting from theentrepreneurship, female entrepreneurship, profit, businesses

Hahn Rada Florina

Sabou Simona

Zima Liliana Adela

English

Research Papers in Economics

280 
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MARAMURE  
COUNTY 
 
Hahn Rada-Florina 
Universitatea  de  Nord  Baia  Mare  Facultatea  de   tiin e  Str.  Victoriei  nr.  76 
hahn_florina@yahoo.com 0761 683 987 
Sabou Simona 
Universitatea  de  Nord  Baia  Mare  Facultatea  de   tiin e  Str.  Victoriei  nr.  76 
simona_sabou@yahoo.com 0766 207 401 
Zima Liliana Adela 
Universitatea de Nord Baia Mare Facultatea de  tiin e Str. Victoriei nr. 76 lili_zima@yahoo.com 
0741 289 893 
 
Initiating and developing a business involves a considerable risk and a sustained effort in order to defeat 
the inertia against what is new. The person initiating a business, assuming the responsibility and risk of its 
development and benefiting from the results of this work is the entrepreneur. In the context of economical 
development, the number of entrepreneur-women has increased significantly in comparison with the past 
periods. The spectacular modification of family life and professional activity made that more and more 
women got involved in businesses. The entrepreneur-women differentiate from the other women by the fact 
that they are more inclined to assume the risk, they are much more determined and firm and have a greater 
wish to control their own destiny.  
 
Keywords: entrepreneurship, female entrepreneurship, profit, businesses 
 
M: Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting 
 
1. Dimensions and evolutions of the entrepreneurial phenomenon 
Ever since the notion of “entrepreneur-woman” was elaborated by specialists in entrepreneurship 
and  small  enterprises  in  the  mid  '70s  (Catley   i  Hamilton,  1998),  the  research  among 
entrepreneur-women  has  extended  and  developed  considerably  (Carter  et  all,  2001). 
Nevertheless, there are some little studied areas in the research about entrepreneur-women, linked 
mostly to the way in which the social environment is built and how it affects the entrepreneurship 
(Ahl,  2002:168,  Driga,  O.,  Lafuente,  E.  –  Female  entrepreneurship  in  Romania:  Personal 
characteristics and the effect of socio-cultural variables. Centre for Entrepreneurship & Business 
Research. CEBR working paper series, WP 02/2007, page 3).  
Following is the diagnosis for Maramure  County from the small and medium entreprises point 
of view: 
 
Table 1. Evolution of the number of small and medium enterprises in Maramure  County, on 
size categories, in the period 2000-2007. 
-in absolute size- 
  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
Total  6157  6725  7553  8944  9705  10402  12150  12628 
Microenterprises  5200  5740  6529  7868  8596  9232  10957  11345 
Small enterprises  825  839  845  878  902  924  935  993 
Medium enterprises  132  146  179  198  207  246  258  290 
Source: County Direction of Statistics Maramure , 2008. 
 
The companies led by women in Romania, benefit from an increase of 39%, much faster than 
those led by men, with a development percentage of only 31%. Although relatively small, the 
difference is significant, is shown in a study of CEBR (Centre for Entrepreneurship & Business 281 
Research), company of consultancy and research in businesses. There is not any relevant study 
yet, regarding the possibility of delimiting in Maramure  County, as exact as possible how many 
companies are led only by women, in order to establish an evolution of this situation or the 
percentage of entrepreneur-women in total companies led by men. 
 
2. Stimulating factors 
The decision of a woman-person, to get involved in entrepreneurship by setting up and managing 
a business, can be affected by a series of perception variables, which refer to the perceptions 
regarding  the  way  in  which  the  society  "regards"  entrepreneurship  and  success,  as the  case, 
failure in their businesses. Thus, in the societies where entrepreneurship represents an admired 
activity  (due  for  example,  to  the  independence  and  courage  that  often  associate  with  the 
entrepreneurs), the entrepreneur persons can realize that getting involved in such activities, will 
bring  them,  besides  economical  benefits,  also  a  certain  social  statute,  admired  by  the  other 
members of the society. In such conditions, this factor, can therefore act as a stimulus to become 
an entrepreneur-woman.  
 
Graphic 1. Perception variables 
 
Adaptation after source: Otilia Driga (CEBR), Esteban M. Lafuente González (CEBR) Working Paper 
Series, 02-2007- Female entrepreneurship in Romania: personal characteristics and effect of socio-
cultural variables, August, 2007, page 6. 
 
In  Maramure   County,  the  stimulating  factors  of  entrepreneurship,  are  linked  to  business 
opportunities, like: maintaining services, activities regarding wood processing, crafts based on 
traditions, unique in the country and in the world, tourism and mainly rural tourism, confections, 
constructions, food industry  
(http://www.infofirme.ro/oportunitati+de+afaceri_Maramures_simpla.html). 
 Other stimulating factors , are linked to the existence of the Business Incubator from Maramure  
County,  of  organizing,  annually,  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  top  of  companies  in 
Maramure   County,  after  different  performance  criteria,  of  exhibitions  and  fairs  ,  like  Fair 
Rivulus Dominarum, Tourism fair, Traditions and Culture, Fair of educational offers, Fairs of 
health-nutrition,  Fairs  of  Furniture 
(http://www.ccimm.ro/search/events_list.php?reset=1&menu_id=15, page 1). Will be organized 
also by the Chamber of commerce, in the period 16-18 May 2009, first European week of small 
and medium enterprises, a campaign of promoting entrepreneurship in Europe and of informing 
the entrepreneurs from the county, about the help they could benefit from at European, national 
and  local  level.  This  event  puts  at  the  disposition  of  small  and  medium  enterprises  from 
3 3.1
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3.6
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2.5
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3.5
4
4.5
Women Men
Social condition Respect for the entrepreneur282 
Maramure , a large variety of information, advice, support and ideas, in order to develop their 
activity.  The  most  important  Informative  Bulletin  of  the  Chamber  of  commerce  is  Hermes 
Contact  Maramure ,  in  which  there  appear  all  the  press  communicates,  monthly,  regarding 
entrepreneurship in the county, and also a Catalogue with the exporters from Maramure . 
 
3. Disparities of gender in the female entrepreneurial field 
The annual statistic data, state substantial differences between the situation of women and men, 
and data comparison in time, reveals the fact that the differences on economic plan between the 
situation of women and men, have an increasing tendency. The data from the last 50 years show 
that in the assembly of population, the percentage of women was situated in average, at over 
50%. If at the end of 1999, the women represented 46.2% from the total busy population, fact 
that reveals the tendency of diminishing the differences, other data come to complete and nuance 
this image. The salaries from the sector in which the proportion of women is the majority among 
the  employees,  are  lower  than  those  of  men  who  detain  the  weight.  The  salaries  from  the 
budgetary  sectors,  in  which  over  2/3  from  the  personnel  are  women,  are  situated  under  the 
average level on economy (Coica, Liliana, Con escu Valentina, Dimitriu Doina, Ilinca Cristina, 
Negru iu  Florentina  –  National  report  regarding  the  equality  of  chances  between  men  and 
women, Bucharest, 2002, page 4). 
The women work  mainly in the following fields of the national economy: health and social 
assistance  (78.8%);  financial,  banking  activities  and  insurances  (71,3%);  education  (69,5%); 
hotels  and  restaurants  (66%);  commerce  (55,4%);  post  and  telecommunications  (53,9%); 
agriculture (50,4%). As along years the above percentages suffered insignificant modifications, 
we can state that traditionally in these fields of activity work majority women (National report 
regarding  the  equality  of  chances  between  men  and  women,  Bucharest,  2002,  page  5). 
Housewives  occupy  a  percentage  of  50%.  40%  from  the  women  in  rural  environment  are 
interested in the rights on the work market, and 20% in initiating a business. Most women from 
the rural environment have incomes under 500 lei, they take care of the house, get informed from 
television, go to vote, but get little involved in taking decisions, according to a study of the 
National agency for equality of chances between women and men made public in March 2008. 
The National agency for equality of chances between women and men (ANES) developed in the 
period January - February 2008, an analysis at national level regarding the situation of women in 
rural environment. Concerning the professional situation, the study shows that the women in rural 
environment  address  mainly  to  fields  like  public  administration,  health,  agriculture,  social 
assistance or education. Women are interested in the fair of work places, in proportion of 56%, 
according to this study. 
 
4. Particularities of female entrepreneurship 
The number of entrepreneur women has seriously increased in comparison with the past periods. 
The  modification  of  family  life  and  professional  activity,  made  more  and  more  women  get 
involved into businesses. The entrepreneur women are different from the other women by the fact 
that they are more inclined to assume the risk, they are much more determined and firm and they 
have  a  greater  wish  to  control  their  own  destiny.  The  particularities  of  female 
entrepreneurship  can  be  mentioned  by  means  of  the  analysis  of  differences  between 
entrepreneur men and women in Maramure  County. 
Differences between entrepreneur men and women 
Although the characteristic features of entrepreneur men and women are generally very much 
alike, the entrepreneur women differ from men under the following aspects: motivation, reasons, 
financing  sources,  instruction,  personality  characteristics,  environment  conditions,  support 
groups, business field. 
Regarding the reasons to create a new business (graphic 2): the main motivation seems to be that 
of increasing the income by developing your own business. This reason seems to have a greater 283 
importance  in  the  case  of  men,  thus  confirming  an  idea  postulated  in  the  specialty  studies, 
according to which, women are less interested in financial award, they aiming through businesses 
to reach other purposes like, gaining a plus of independence or completing the family life with 
the working one. 
 
Graphic 2. Entrepreneurial motivations, potential entrepreneurs 
   
Adaptation after source: Otilia Driga (CEBR), Esteban M. Lafuente González (CEBR) Working Paper 
Series, 02-2007- Female entrepreneurship in Romania: personal characteristics and effect of socio-
cultural variables, August, 2007, page 4. 
 
Motivation. Women tend to be more motivated by the need of achievement resulted from the 
frustration at the working place caused by the lack of promotion possibilities and manifestation of 
talent. Reasons. Both men and women have similar reasons to get involved into businesses. Both 
of them generally have a strong interest and a rich experience in the business field in which they 
want to get into. Women often leave the former working place with a deep feeling of frustration 
and a special enthusiasm for a new business, without taking experience too much into account, 
making transition more difficult in a way. Financing sources. Women generally rely on personal 
premises and savings. This is because women obtain loans more difficult than men from banking 
institutions.  Instruction. Most  women  have  an  administration experience,  limited  to  average 
levels of management, mainly in services field. Personality characteristics. Most personality 
characteristics  are  similar  both  to  entrepreneur  men  and  women.  Both  men  and  women  are 
energetic, independent, sociable. Yet men are often more self-confident and less flexible and 
tolerant than women, fact that can lead to the existence of some very different management. 
Environment conditions. Most women are a bit older than men when they start businesses (35-
40 years old, compared to 25-30 years old). Support groups. Women ask first for husband’s 
advice, then their close friends’ and only after that the specialists’. Also women ask for the 
support of different commercial associations and feminist groups. Business field. The nature of 
businesses made by men and women differs too. Women tend to start businesses especially in the 
field  of services  and  retail  commerce.  Consequently,  businesses  owned  by  women  are  often 
smaller and lower income than those of men. Yet, business opportunities for women have an 
increasing tendency without precedent as the field of services registers a strong tendency of 
development.  
Difficulties faced by entrepreneur women 
Women face a series of difficulties that men do not usually have. Banks and other financial 
institutions are more conservative in giving loans to entrepreneur women. An explanation is the 
fact  that  some  banks  see  characteristics  of  successful  entrepreneurs  mainly  in  men.  In 
3.42 3.52
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1.58 1.57
3.62
4
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1.52 1.53
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3.5
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4.5
5
Self employed Business
opportinity
Income
increase
Faimily
tradition
Avoiding un-
employment
Women
Men284 
Maramure   County,  women  get  into  business  mainly  in  the  field  of  services  and  retail 
commerce. 
Entrepreneur women face an additional difficulty also by the fact that they have to deal with 
family problems too. Some researches reveal the fact that there is a direct connection between 
satisfaction in business and family happiness. Moreover, entrepreneur women have a greater 
satisfaction in work than those who are managers, satisfaction generated by the possibility of 
controlling their own destiny. In the following table, we present the results of a study regarding 
the main difficulties that entrepreneur women face both in initiating businesses and during their 
development. 
 
Table 2. Difficulties faced by entrepreneur women in Maramure  County 
Difficulties in initiating businesses  (%)  Difficulties during the business 
development 
(%) 
Lack of instruction in business  30  Lack of experience in financial planning  28 
Obtaining credits  28  Affecting personal relations  25 
Lack of experience in financial 
planning 
20  Obtaining credits  23 
Lack of guarantees  21  Lack of guarantees  13 
Lack of support and counseling  1  Lack of instruction in business  11 
Source: CEBR Romania, female entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial studies and businesses. 
 
5.  Case  of  success: women  companies  managers,  entrepreneur  – women in  Maramure  
County 
Confstil Aura SRL Baia Mare, entrepreneur Ungureanu Aurelia . The company was founded 
in 11.01.1996, with business activity the production of clothes, ready-made clothes from woven 
or knitted materials for women, men and children, clothes, suits, jackets, trousers, skirts, plus 
custom tailoring. The company Confstil Aura was in 2007 on the 20430rd place in profit top, on 
the 46411rd in income top, on the 52727rd in expenses top and on the 5795rd on employees top. 
Today it has 3 branches. The financial data regarding the evolution of Confstil Aura SRL, are: 
 
Table 3. Financial data regarding Confstil Aura SRL Baia Mare, between 1999-2007 
Balance 
year 
Turnover 
(RON) 
Income 
(RON) 
Expenses 
(RON) 
Net profit / Net 
loss (RON) 
Number of 
employees 
1999  702.211,10  747.602,70  745.163,70  2.439,00  58 
2000  312.567,70  392.555,70  372.354,90  20.200,80  77 
2001  363.501,80  364.872,00  359.312,20  4.556,40  79 
2002  575.909,00  579.733,00  570.612,10  3.843,10  81 
2003  858.416,40  858.460,40  853.296,20  2.453,10  81 
2004  1.048.988,30  1.049.020,70  1.039.099,40  4.640,40  105 
2005  875.341,00  877.089,00  864.126,00  8.778,00  106 
2006  1.117.294,00  1.125.556,00  1.091.613,00  26.315,00  114 
2007  980.288,00  1.584.981,00  1.261.440,00  270.064,00  97 
Source: http://www.totalfirme.com, www.mfinante.ro 
 
 
 
   285 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Graphic 3. The profitability evolution (RON) at Confstil Aura SRL. Baia Mare, between 2005-
2007 
 
Adapted after the source : http://www.totalfirme.com, www.mfinante.ro 
 
During 2005-2007, the profit rose , suited the data and the graphical representation of those. The 
profit rate in 2007 (the last year with profit > 0), at Confstil Aura SRL Baia Mare, was 27,55%, 
which is an positive aspect in the evolution of economical and financial results of the company. 
 
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0
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100000
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0%
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Clădiri Terenuri Utilaje
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MARAMURES COUNTY

http://steconomice.uoradea.ro/anale/volume/2009/v4-management-and-marketing/46.pdf

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MARAMURES COUNTY

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