Deck 18: Female Entrepreneurs in the Arab World

Question 1

Among the most common challenges faced by business women in the Arab region is:

A) accessing business training
B) accessing capital
C) accessing new markets
D) all of these options
E) none of these options

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In the Arab world, the promotion of women to senior positions in business is ______________.

A) most often very fast, because most Arab males are incredibly supportive of females in business
B) most often a negative step for business profitability
C) most often very slow due to the slower learning curve of women
D) most often hindered by discrimination, since the Arab male may not encourage female success
E) most often held back by other women who are very competitive

Answer 2

most often hindered by discrimination, since the Arab male may not encourage female success

Question 3

With current discrimination, women often have to______________ to be promoted and get an increase in salary.

A) be nicer to their managers
B) work more flexibly
C) improve their skills
D) work longer
E) be more devious

Answer 3

work longer

Question 4

Female-owned businesses in the Arab region are ______________their Western counterparts.

A) less likely to be successful than
B) more likely to sell the business to a public company than
C) able to increase in size much faster than
D) able to create jobs just as well as
E) more likely to need male input than

Question 5

A person with a good head for business or the requirements of an entrepreneur______________ .

A) is likely to be more competent if they are male
B) can only be a woman in a Western environment
C) can only be a woman if she doesn't have a family to look after
D) can be either male or female
E) is almost always male

Question 6

In the Arab world, the tradition is that ______________.

A) 'the man is the head of the household'
B) women are the main income earners
C) 'the woman is the head of the household'
D) there is no specific head of the household
E) there is total flexibility of household roles

Question 7

Female entrepreneurs need to have similar qualities to their male counterparts, including all of the following except ______________ .

A) an understanding of the value of teamwork and loyalty
B) an ability to interact well with different types of people
C) high ambition
D) an understanding of why pessimism is useful
E) confidence in themselves

Question 8

______________describes the idea that some men may feel they're a disappointment to their society if their spouse is successful at her career.

A) Incompetence
B) Irrelevance
C) Inadequacy
D) Powerlessness
E) Shortcomings

Question 9

At Zawa Chemicals in Riyadh, Ashia has just been promoted to a team manager role. She is well deserving of the promotion, having demonstrated excellent ability and having produced solid results on her previous projects. She is also popular among her colleagues. However, the three men that she will now be managing have not responded positively to news of her appointment. She faces negative reactions from these subordinates. Assess the individual responses, and try to identify the factor causing the response.

-One of the team members, Rahman, has been at the company for longer than the others and previously liked to assume a senior role, acting as a father figure for the rest of the team. Although he says nothing, he feels that Ashia's promotion is likely to lead to his own informal authority being reduced. His response indicates______________ .

A) that he feels threatened
B) that he is fearful of Ashia's independence
C) that he doesn't like women
D) that he actually has shortcomings in his performance
E) that he is not married

Question 10

A survey conducted by Catalyst and MacKenzie found that there is a direct relationship between______________ .

A) the presence of women in the boardroom and the rate of turnover among male employees
B) the proportion of female employees and the prevalence of law suits
C) the number of female employees and the rate of turnover
D) organizational profit and the presence of women in top management positions
E) the increased risk of bankruptcy and the presence of women in top management positions

Question 11

______________describes the idea that those who are self-centered have a very difficult time coping with the idea that there could be someone more accomplished than them.

A) Ego complex
B) Myopia
C) Selfishness
D) Selflessness
E) Self esteem issues

Question 12

Rihana is an entrepreneur preparing to give a talk to a women's business network in Oman. She has been asked to give advice and information for women who are considering setting up their own businesses.

-In the second part of her presentation, Rihana emphasizes that businesswomen can be highly successful in the Arab world. She points to research indicating all of the following statistics and trends except______________ .

A) In a recent survey 88 percent of businesswomen in the UAE indicated that they are optimistic about their business growth.
B) The percentage of Arab firms with female participation in ownership is 42 percent, compared with 28 percent across the world.
C) Female-owned businesses in the Arab region are just as able to create jobs as female-owned businesses in Europe and North America.
D) 20 to 30 percent of CEOs in the Arab region are female.
E) In Bahrain, women entrepreneurs increased from 193 in 1991 to 815 in 2001.

Question 13

Time shifts are especially important for women, as they are more likely to ______________.

A) have to balance work and family commitments
B) want to socialize in the evenings
C) complain about having to work late
D) need more sleep than men
E) be less capable of working through the night

Question 14

One of the factors that can cause men to feel threatened by successful women is______________ .

A) men's self-esteem issues
B) women's ego complex
C) men's knowledge that they are more capable than women
D) women's lack of education
E) women's disregard for corporate culture

Question 15

In the United Arab Emirates, women are breaking stereotypes, and ______________percent of public-sector management positions are held by women.

A) 20
B) 25
C) 30
D) 15
E) 10

Question 16

The problems and barriers faced by business women in the Arab world include all of the following except ______________.

A) lack of ability
B) the 'glass ceiling'
C) time shifts
D) low income
E) gender discrimination

Question 17

Globalization has ______________.

A) increased the gap between men and women in business
B) made it more challenging for women-owned businesses to be successful
C) slowed down the emergence of female entrepreneurs
D) encouraged the expansion of women-owned businesses and the emergence of female entrepreneurs
E) benefited females in the West more the in the Arab world

Question 18

In the Arab world, women entrepreneurs have become ______________.

A) more likely to admit that conditions are too difficult for their business
B) harder to identify
C) more traditionalist
D) less visible
E) more visible

Question 19

Fatimah is a consultant who is providing advice for company that has recently expanded the number of females in its workforce. The company's HR department wants to make sure it understands the typical challenges faced by women in business so it can ensure it has measures in place to support female employees.

-Fatimah emphasizes the importance of equality in pay. She shows the HR managers evidence that ______________.

A) women continue to earn less than their male counterparts in the same occupations
B) women should be paid more than men because they also have responsibilities at home
C) the gender-related pay gap has disappeared
D) all other companies ensure equality of pay
E) all of the above

Question 20

People who struggle with a lack of ______________will sometimes project those feelings onto others.

A) independence
B) intelligence
C) self-esteem
D) ego
E) control

Question 21

Entrepreneurs should see failure as ______________.

A) a sign that they should get a more conventional job
B) just a stepping stone to success
C) an indication that their ideas do not have potential
D) an indication that they need to retrain
E) a confirmation that they are not the right sort of person for risk taking.

Question 22

______________is the showing of favoritism in business towards relatives and friends, based on that relationship rather than on an objective evaluation of ability, merit or suitability.

A) Sexism
B) Racism
C) Discrimination
D) Feminism
E) Nepotism

Question 23

In the Arab world, there have been______________ over the last 50 years.

A) extensive measures that completely guarantee equality for women
B) significant developments for women in business
C) fewer cases of sexual harassment
D) fewer opportunities for women in business
E) fewer women in business

Question 24

______________, such as childcare centers, care for the elderly and cleaning services, make up another area often targeted by female entrepreneurs.

A) Low-skilled services
B) Education services
C) Untapped domains
D) High-end services
E) Franchising

Question 25

______________allow women to reach international markets with less difficulty.

A) High-end services
B) Local networks
C) Franchises
D) Information and communication technologies
E) Business plans

Question 26

At Zawa Chemicals in Riyadh, Ashia has just been promoted to a team manager role. She is well deserving of the promotion, having demonstrated excellent ability and having produced solid results on her previous projects. She is also popular among her colleagues. However, the three men that she will now be managing have not responded positively to news of her appointment. She faces negative reactions from these subordinates. Assess the individual responses, and try to identify the factor causing the response.

-Jibril is a traditionalist. He is uncomfortable around Ashia, and thinks it would be better if she spent her time looking after her children instead of being in the office. He wants to keep it quiet at home that he now has a female manager, and doesn't tell anybody. He is particularly worried that his wife might get the idea that she should go out to work instead of staying at home. His response indicates that______________ .

A) he recognizes his own shortcomings
B) he is fearful of female independence
C) he thinks he should have been promoted
D) he has an ego complex
E) all of the above

Question 27

______________can be motivated.

A) Only women
B) Only qualified people
C) Only men
D) All people
E) Only educated people

Question 28

Fatimah is a consultant who is providing advice for company that has recently expanded the number of females in its workforce. The company's HR department wants to make sure it understands the typical challenges faced by women in business so it can ensure it has measures in place to support female employees.

-Fatimah explains that nepotism can often increase gender discrimination. She recommends that______________ .

A) managers should operate a strict 'no nepotism' policy
B) nepotism is likely to increase productivity
C) if nepotism is permitted, managers should be more honest about it
D) businesswomen should avoid working in organizations where nepotism exists
E) nepotism is helpful if it brings in younger employees

Question 29

Over 70 years ago, Eleanor Roosevelt said "No one can make you feel______________."

A) inadequate without some purpose
B) superior without your consent
C) inferior without your consent
D) praised without an ulterior motive
E) humiliated without good reason

Question 30

Significant differences in wages between men and women______________ .

A) have ceased to exist
B) are no longer noticeable
C) disappeared over twenty years ago
D) will be eradicated within ten years
E) still exist

Question 31

Fatimah is a consultant who is providing advice for company that has recently expanded the number of females in its workforce. The company's HR department wants to make sure it understands the typical challenges faced by women in business so it can ensure it has measures in place to support female employees.

-Fatimah explains that women often face the problem of an unacknowledged barrier that prevents them from advancing to higher levels in their profession. This is referred to as______________ .

A) Vitamin W
B) the ego complex
C) nepotism
D) the glass ceiling
E) the gender gap

Question 32

The unacknowledged barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to higher levels in their profession is known as______________ .

A) nepotism
B) the invisible wall
C) the glass ceiling
D) gender discrimination
E) sexual harassment

Question 33

One of the four key opportunities listed for female entrepreneurs is in______________ , which includes software development, call-service centers, and advertising.

A) franchising
B) childcare
C) low-skilled services
D) untapped domains
E) high-end services

Question 34

Women working over 60 hours a week earn around ______________percent of the salary of men working the same hours.

A) 90
B) 94
C) 67
D) 85
E) 78

Question 35

Rihana is an entrepreneur preparing to give a talk to a women's business network in Oman. She has been asked to give advice and information for women who are considering setting up their own businesses.

-In the third part of her presentation, Rihana considers some of the business areas where there are particular opportunities for female entrepreneurs. She talks about areas such as software development, call-service centers and advertising, which she refers to as______________ .

A) untapped domains
B) female industries
C) high-end services
D) low-end services
E) franchises

Question 36

Rihana is an entrepreneur preparing to give a talk to a women's business network in Oman. She has been asked to give advice and information for women who are considering setting up their own businesses.

-The first part of Rihana's presentation is designed to encourage entrepreneurship, and to discuss the characteristics that will help entrepreneurs to succeed. She is planning to talk about all of the following except ______________ .

A) Entrepreneurs should see failure as a stepping stone to success.
B) Entrepreneurs should attach great value to teamwork and loyalty.
C) Entrepreneurs must rely on other people to transform their ideas into reality.
D) Entrepreneurs must have confidence in themselves and their abilities.
E) Entrepreneurs should be optimistic about their opportunities.

Question 37

The sense of______________ can shape the reactions of some men towards females in business, because they want to be in command of all aspects in their lives including their home and their family.

A) dominance
B) assertiveness
C) confidence
D) masculinity
E) losing control

Question 38

A study from Leeds University, UK, found that ______________.

A) the presence of females on the board of directors can decrease the risks of bankruptcy by 20 percent
B) the presence of females on the board of directors can increase the risks of bankruptcy by 20 percent
C) the presence of females on the board of directors decrease profitability by 20 percent
D) the presence of females on the board of directors can decrease the rate of employee turnover by 20 percent
E) the presence of females on the board of directors can increase the rate of employee turnover by 20 percent

Question 39

______________describes the idea that financially and emotionally self-sufficient women can be scary to some men, because they grow concerned that their partners will no longer need them.

A) Sexism
B) Ego complex
C) Reality avoidance
D) Misogyny
E) Fear of independence

Question 40

At Zawa Chemicals in Riyadh, Ashia has just been promoted to a team manager role. She is well deserving of the promotion, having demonstrated excellent ability and having produced solid results on her previous projects. She is also popular among her colleagues. However, the three men that she will now be managing have not responded positively to news of her appointment. She faces negative reactions from these subordinates. Assess the individual responses, and try to identify the factor causing the response.

-Another team member, Habib, is a lot more confident than the others in his team. He likes to believe that he can excel at any project. He was very disappointed not to get the promotion himself, and cannot understand why the company promoted Ashia, who he does not respect and thinks is much less capable than him. His response indicates that ______________.

A) he would prefer to report to Rahman
B) he has self-esteem issues
C) he has an ego complex
D) he lacks assertiveness
E) he is not committed to his job

Question 41

Men are typically required to make greater sacrifices than women.

Question 42

Female-owned businesses in the Arab region are able to create jobs just as well as their Western counterparts.

Question 43

Employee favoritism and nepotism can result in high employee accountability.

Question 44

In Bahrain, the proportion of the full-time labor force comprised of women rose from 5 percent in the 1960s to 40 percent in 2001.

Question 45

In the Arab world, the promotion of women to senior positions is often hindered by the existence of discrimination, since the Arab male may not encourage female success.

Question 46

A person with a good head for business or the requirements of an entrepreneur tends to be male rather than female.

Question 47

88 percent of female business leaders in the UAE are optimistic about their business growth.

Question 48

People who struggle with a lack of self-esteem are less likely to want to work with women.

Question 49

Women produce more than 80 percent of the food for sub-Saharan Africa.

Question 50

The role of the female is no longer limited to housework and childcare

Question 51

Women may need to work longer to get promoted and to get an increase in salary.

Question 52

Time shifts are important for women because they can't spend as long at work as men.

Question 53

Women have proven to be just as competent as men and have the potential to succeed in any domain.

Question 54

In the workplace, women have proven to be______________ .

A) uncomfortable because they are better suited to staying at home
B) much more capable then men
C) just as competent as men and have the potential to succeed in any domain
D) good at people skills but not at entrepreneurial ventures
E) almost as capable as men in certain areas

Question 55

Successful businesswomen must always be optimistic.

Question 56

We cannot say that women are naturally more motivated than men.

Question 57

Forms of nepotism can include: relative nepotism, friend nepotism, connection nepotism, equal nepotism and favoritism.

Question 58

In the Arab world, women working more than 60 hours a week earn only 78.3 percent of what men in the same time category earn.

Question 59

A recent United Nations report concluded that economic development is closely related to the advancement of women.

Question 60

Globalization has hindered the expansion of women-owned businesses.

Question 61

Some of the main barriers for women in business in the Arab world include high income, the 'glass ceiling', gender discrimination, time shifts and nepotism.

Question 62

Nepotism is not a problem in the Arab world because it doesn't occur very often.

Question 63

In Saudi Arabia, women are still not allowed to drive a car (in 2012).

Question 64

Women continue to earn less than their male counterparts in the same occupations in the Arab world.

Question 65

There is still a long way to go to overcome gender bias in the workforce.

Question 66

Entrepreneurs will see failure as a sign that they should stop taking risks.

Question 67

If women work in male-dominated occupations, the wage gap will disappear.

Question 68

The glass ceiling is a legislative measure to prevent women from advancing to higher levels in their profession.

Question 69

In some Arab countries, men forbid women from working at all, or during certain hours of the day.

Question 70

Men with an ego complex tend to be more positive about women who are more successful than them.

Question 71

Research has shown a direct relationship between organizational profit and the presence of women in top management positions.

Question 72

With globalization, masculine societies will be obliged to become open to other countries where gender equality exists and women operate on a business-level equal to men.

Question 73

In the Arab world, the transition of business from local to global operations will result in decreasing the trend for female entrepreneurship.

Question 74

Fear of independence refers to the idea that financially and emotionally self-sufficient women can be scary to some men.

Question 75

We must acknowledge that women are almost as capable as men.

Question 76

Female entrepreneurs need rather different qualifications from men.

Question 77

Nepotism is the showing of favoritism in business towards relatives and friends, without reference to objective evaluation of ability.

Question 78

20 to 30 percent of CEOs in the Arab region are female.

Question 79

Managers should only allow nepotism to happen when they feel there is no resulting gender discrimination.

Question 80

Information and communications technologies have provided more opportunities for men than women in business.