Impacts of Socio-cultural Environment on Psychological Characteristics and Managerial Practices of Women Entrepreneurs in Algeria

Abstract

The traditional position of Algerian women is as housewives, but with the end of the twentieth century, Algerian society begins to see women in positions of responsibility. Many of them chose to be entrepreneurs, which indicates that the country is experiencing profound social and cultural changes. The managerial performances of women entrepreneurs are influenced by their psychological characteristics and socio-cultural environment and constraints. A questionnaire was developed and the study covered a sample of 30 women entrepreneurs from Oran, Algeria. 19 of them are married with children and 14 of them have a university degree. The results showed that women entrepreneurs have strong personalities, marked by a spirit of adventure and initiative. These qualities are necessary for the success of entrepreneurship. The objective of this paper is to study the socio-cultural environment of entrepreneurship in Algeria, with special attention to women entrepreneurs and their psychological characteristics. The impacts of these factors on managerial practices of women entrepreneurs are pointed out.