Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-96). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

The effects of discrimination on promotion of women into top managerial positions is investigated in this study. In order to investigate these effects, the use of a questionnaire for survey was developed. The questionnaire consisted of thirty-one statements in which a response to each question contributed towards the results of this study. The literature study was used as an eye opener to the South African situation with comparison to other countries. The purpose of the empirical study was to determine the effects of discrimination especially in the Eastern Cape. The answers of the respondents were analysed and interpreted with relation to the findings from the literature study. Concluding remarks are provided which could assist firms in the private sector when faced with the challenge of the advancement of women and the implementation of the Labour policies which endorse the equal opportunity programme.

Corporate-led programs aimed at increasing women's entrepreneurship are rapidly proliferating across many industries. The gendered nature of this phenomenon suggests that feminist approaches may bring much to bear on analysis of management theory and practice. In particular, I argue that insights from feminist economics regarding the historically prevalent - but narrow and gendered - definition of work, which artificially separates production from reproduction, provide fruitful tools for theory building and analysis of practice. Through a systematic literature review of the entrepreneurship literature, I demonstrate that the gendered separation of production and reproduction is typically taken as given in mainstream management theory. Findings from two organizational cases, both featuring industry-embedded approaches to women's empowerment, support the conclusion that unpaid/care work and market work are typically framed as forms of activity that are gendered, dichotomous, and existing in ontological conflict with one another in management practice. I present a conceptual framework of what is to be gained by examining management theory and practice in this light, and suggest how scholars and practitioners might use this framework for future work and research.

The existing scholarship on women in China suggests that gender inequality still exists against the background of the country’s reform and opening in recent years. However, the situation of women in enterprise ownership and leadership seems to indicate that under the surface of women being disadvantaged, some of them are playing a more active and significant role in China’s economic development. Based on a series of interviews with women enterprise owners, wives of enterprise owners and women managers conducted in three localities in three difference provinces of China, this research aims to discover the deeper socio-political realities of leading women in enterprises. By analyzing information on these women’s personal experiences, career and families, this thesis investigates their status at work and at home, as well as their connections with local politics. The research results suggest that although traces of gender inequality can still be found in these women’s lives, they appear to be actively engaged in the business establishment and operation and gradually casting off the leash of domestic responsibilities. At the same time, these women have developed strong connections with the Party-state, not necessarily in their own right, but largely through their family ties. The research has also highlighted that the varied socio-economic development of each locality has its effects on these women’s development.

This thesis explores the factors affecting the aspirations for, and the perceptions of acceptability and feasibility of business-ownership as an economic/career option by middle-income, educated urban women in Bangladesh. In response to the world-wide growth of women's entrepreneurship, there has been increased attention given to women's businesses, both from a practical development perspective and a research point of view. The group of women who has attracted researchers attention in the developed economies is educated, with access to resources and contact networks and therefore in principle, capable of starting up more significant businesses. The corresponding category of women in the developing countries, however, has received little attention either from the development planners or from the academic researchers. In Bangladesh, since the existence of middle-income, educated urban women in business appear to be small compared to that of un/less educated, poor, rural women in income-generating type of enterprises, the women business-owners have not only been unrecognised in statistics and policy documents, but also in academic research. In order to fill this research gap, and to identify some of the possible reasons for the relative paucity of women business-owners in Bangladesh, this thesis addresses the research question, "Is Entrepreneurship/Business-Ownership an Attractive/Desirable, Acceptable and Feasible Option for Middle-Income Educated Urban Women in Bangladesh". To address the research issues about business-ownership by middle-income, educated urban women in Bangladesh, a conceptual framework was developed incorporating the major factors affecting the aspirations, the acceptability and the feasibility of business-ownership as well as those influencing the process of business start-up. This study has examined the research issues based on the data collected through interviews with 154 potential and 75 actual women business-owners, and 10 CEOs of support agencies in the Dhaka city, which has the highest concentration of middle-income, educated urban population, and is the heart of all commercial activities. Overall, the findings of the study indicate that it is the "family roles" or the "gender roles" and not family entrepreneurial role models that influence the aspirations of women to set-up their own businesses in Bangladesh. The study also indicates that 'gender', demographics of the women concerned, and the type of business are the key explanatory factors determining the acceptability of business-ownership. It further shows that years of formal education, work experience, socio-economic class, network and supporters, and the type of business influence the feasibility of business ownership as an economic option for women in the context of Bangladesh. The findings highlight negative social attitude towards women in business, lack of security and freedom of mobility, and exposure of role models by media and promotional agencies as some of the major hindrances to women's business-ownership. This thesis demonstrates that women entrepreneurs in developing countries are not a homogenous group, that the aspirations, the acceptability and the feasibility of business-ownership by women are highly interactive, and that business-ownership by women is a combination of motivation, personal characteristics as well as environmental factors. In particular, it highlights that 'gender' definitely plays a role not only in enabling or hindering women in starting own business, but also in women's choice of business in the developing country context, as opposed to studies on women entrepreneurs in Western countries, which present conflicting results about the extent to which gender is an issue in women's business-ownership. This study emphasises the importance ofpolicy and legislative initiatives for bringing about the needed change in the environment in order to augment women's business-ownership. In doing so, the implications of the research are that efforts should be made to encourage wide spread media exposure of role models, ideas for product and market development, and gender sensitivity training for the personnel of agencies working for the promotion of entrepreneurship.

The existing scholarship on women in China suggests that gender inequality still exists against the background of the country’s reform and opening in recent years. However, the situation of women in enterprise ownership and leadership seems to indicate that under the surface of women being disadvantaged, some of them are playing a more active and significant role in China’s economic development. Based on a series of interviews with women enterprise owners, wives of enterprise owners and women managers conducted in three localities in three difference provinces of China, this research aims to discover the deeper socio-political realities of leading women in enterprises. By analyzing information on these women’s personal experiences, career and families, this thesis investigates their status at work and at home, as well as their connections with local politics. The research results suggest that although traces of gender inequality can still be found in these women’s lives, they appear to be actively engaged in the business establishment and operation and gradually casting off the leash of domestic responsibilities. At the same time, these women have developed strong connections with the Party-state, not necessarily in their own right, but largely through their family ties. The research has also highlighted that the varied socio-economic development of each locality has its effects on these women’s development.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Technology, Sydney, 2007.

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Master)--University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-63).