Annotated Bibliography Critical Essay

Dechant, Kathleen, and Asya Al Lamky. “Toward An Understanding Of Arab Women Entrepreneurs In Bahrain And Oman. ” Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship 10. 2 (2005): 123-140. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. Dechant and Lamky’s article offers insight into Arab women entrepreneurs and female owned small business throughout the Middle East. This study describes and examines the business start-up experiences of ten women from Bahrain and Oman.
The study then proceeds to compares them with the experiences of women in industrialized and developing countries. Some interesting issues clarified in this article are: culture as a context for entrepreneurship, the nature of entrepreneurship, personal characteristics, motivation, business characteristics, and obstacles encountered by female entrepreneurs. Dechant and Lamky offer valuable information regarding women starting small businesses in the Middle East and the issues they face and must overcome to be successful.
This study is incredibly useful as it sheds light on the current pre-disposition of women (and the advancements taking place) in the Middle East and the current situation of women entrepreneurs in this area. Some drawbacks to this study were that it only investigates 10 Arab women entrepreneurs in Bahrain and Oman. Some studies have been conducted on female entrepreneurs in developing and transition economies in other parts of the world; scant attention has been paid to those in Arab countries which is what I believe motivated this particular study.

Sections in this article could easily be included in my essay about exhibitions in Kuwait. There are a lot of interesting facts mentioned in this study, for example the role of women in the past compared to their new role in the future, the significance women have in a country’s economy, and finally the significance of culture and religion for women entrepreneurs. Women residing in the Middle East and/or interested in small businesses should find this article appealing. Welsh, Dianne H. B. , and Peter Raven. Family Business in the Middle East: An Eexploratory Study of Retail Management in Kuwait and Lebanon. ” Family Business Review 19. 1 (2006): 29-48. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. Welsh and Raven provide the first study that explores the perceived service behavior and organization commitment of family-owned business managers and salespersons in a retail environment in the Middle East. The contribution of this study is to help better understand the nature of Middle Eastern business management and the integral part family business plays in this area of the globe.
Various topics such as the influence of religion, family, nationality, and culture are thoroughly examined throughout the research. This appears to be an interesting study conducted on the family dynamic of Kuwaiti and Lebanese business owners. Apparently there has been a call for more attention to be directed toward the firm level to understand the mechanisms family firms use to communicate with and reinforce their employees and managers. Although this is the first study to investigate family businesses in two under researched cultures- Kuwait and Lebanon, I do believe this is a reliable and objective study.
Unfortunately, this article does not appear to be a useful source for our essay about exhibitions as it focuses more on the need to understand retail management practices and the critical role that family business play in Kuwait. I did however find this research interesting to read, as it was specific to Kuwait and the importance of family businesses to the economy. Zacharatos, Barling, and Kelloway. “Development and Effects of Transformational Leadership in Adolescents. ” Leadership Quarterly 11(2) (2000): 211-226. Elsevier Science Inc.
Web. 11 Oct. 2010. Zacharatos, Barling, and Kelloway argue that adolescents who use transformational leadership behaviors in a team context would be rated as more effective, satisfying, and effort-evoking leaders by their peers and coaches. The aim of this study is to further understand the development of leadership in children, and transformational leadership in particular. Conceptual and empirical issues regarding the development and effects of transformational leadership in adolescents are examined and discussed.
The results of this study extend previous research in the area of leadership development. Many interesting ideas are identified as early factors associated with transformational leadership. Some of these include parents who set high standards for achievement and who encourage their children to be the best; family circumstances that were difficult but not overwhelming; and finally transformational leaders had often learned, within the family, how to deal with disappointment and conflict effectively.
It appears that the results of this study will add credibility because of the use of multiple data sources and received empirical support after controlling for adolescent skill levels. This research fits into my essay about exhibitions because the individuals participating in exhibitions usually demonstrate leadership skills and may even demonstrate transformational leadership qualities. This study has made me think more about the influence parents have on their children and their motivation and ability to demonstrate leadership qualities. iLSuL6ana. Kuwait Vision. ” (2010): 1-2. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. Kuwait Vision is a well-known, annual exhibition that takes place in the Movenpick Hotel, in Kuwait. This article describes Kuwait Vision and outlines their goals and expectations for the exhibition. Kuwait Vision has evolved from the Kuwaiti youth and works to express youth talent, beliefs, and many other attributes of Kuwaiti society. The Kuwait Vision Expo is set up to be a job and college fair, as well as a venue for small businesses, larger companies, and well renowned investors to gather under one roof.
This is an incredibly useful source as it highlights the importance of young Kuwaiti businessmen and women. Kuwait Vision has a charitable aspect that is described in the article as well. Promoting humane causes and charity work enlightens Kuwaiti youth and encourages the idea of giving back to the community. Kuwait Vision donates part of their profit to the Kuwaiti Down Syndrome Association, the Autism Centers, and Bayt Abdullah. This article is subjective as the press media covering the event created it.
This article will support my essay about exhibitions in Kuwait as Kuwait Vision was created by and for Kuwaiti youth. The statements made in the article support the idea that exhibitions are beneficial for young Kuwaiti businessmen and women. Many benefits are listed throughout and will be used to support my argument. “Why Exhibit and Benefits of Exhibitions? ” Shanghai Pdyear Display and Service Co. (2008). www. pdyear. cn. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. This article highlights the reasons and benefits of businesses participating in exhibitions.
There are several reasons to participate such as: generating sale leads, sale of products from your stand, increase brand awareness in the marketplace, reach a specific target audience, reach and meet your customers, launch new products and services, live demonstrations, and finally to recruit distributors or dealers. Some benefits of exhibitions, according to this article, include: providing a powerful marketing tool, creating a bigger impression on customers, and it is cost effective marketing. This article seems to fit right in with other sources in this bibliography.
It is the only article that focuses on the benefits and it strongly supports the idea that exhibitions are a positive activity to participate in for youth, in Kuwait. Unfortunately, this source may be biased, as it does not mention any negative aspects of exhibitions. This article will support my essay about exhibitions in Kuwait. I believe that overall, exhibitions in Kuwait benefits our youth and this article further supports my thoughts by highlighting benefits on a business level. Not only do exhibitions encourage youth to develop and build leadership skills but exhibitions can be financially beneficial too!