As the basic structure of the society emerges and works, the human community thrives on communication. It is very simple and evident that the crucial mode of harmonious living is to understand and be understood. In this context listening becomes the most essential concept later on followed by speaking, reading and writing. In general the communication is 35% verbal and 65% non-verbal. So it is true that knowledge, skills, motivation and attitude greatly influence the persona of a human being when growing to become an entrepreneur. Being an entrepreneur is not a job; it is a life style. In India though the literacy rate is on an upsurge, it is always a matter of concern that we rank very low in global indices of female literacy. As the new economic reforms suggest the global transition is possible when the self-sustainability through the social entrepreneurship is stabilized as a social standard. This is more possible through women in entrepreneurship. This paper presents an outlook on significance of competence in communication for better entrepreneurship.
INTRODUCTION
The world is an ever-changing place and adaptation is the mark of survival. On the global arena the business has been progressing well and it is very encouraging to see that women as of now account for the 26% of current business in the world. If entrepreneurship is an interesting career option, then it needs good training and skill development for the aspiring candidates. Though language is taught from school to college, it is mandatory that
business communication needs certain competence to effectively carry forward the networking. In the perspective of language learning, mindset affects the individual behaviour at all levels. It means to say that without proper preparation the communication cannot be impressive. One needs to have functional knowledge, inquisitive mind, propensity to take risk, creative and innovative mindset, proactiveness and necessary technical skills to become an entrepreneur. This study reviews the main bases of interpersonal communication competence that determine women entrepreneurs’ success: knowledge, motivation, and communication skills. The rising phenomenon of women becoming entrepreneurs could encourage the processes of socioeconomic development; however, many women face barriers when trying to become successful entrepreneurs. The literature suggests interpersonal communication is especially relevant in the construction of women’s business networks, and that various communication acts showcase women entrepreneurs’ knowledge, in terms of understanding social contexts, and motivation.
I. ATTRIBUTES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
The total success of an innovative venture is going to be completely dependent on responsible behaviour of the entrepreneur and the relevant communication. Though the LSRW skills are very functional and learnt as we grow, effective communication includes:
• Good listening
• Apt non-verbal behaviour
• Awareness of the communication barriers
• Being assertive
As an entrepreneur it is very much required that the telephonic skills, presentation skills, conversational skills, kinesics, inter-personal skills, thinking skills and management skills are required to establish business communication. If not specially, the women entrepreneurs have to be dynamic and the communication should speak about their work culture. The following are the common markers of communication for the entrepreneurs:
Communication skills for Entrepreneurs ,
• Influencing people through discussion
• Making persons to think and act your way
• The ability to convince people
• The ability to understand and express ideas
• The art of well-versed speaking
• The capability of careful listening
• Using full communication potential
• Using proper channel of communication
• Making convincing arguments
• Offering clear explanations of difficult issues
• Presenting ideas in a rational and integrated way
• To have strong and pleasing voice
• The ability to manage questions well
• To read and hold attention of others
• The ability to show honest character
In the course of the setting up of the business it is very necessary to have the intuition, decision-making ability, focus, tolerance and balance. The entrepreneurs have to understand that language is a skill and it can be mastered only by practice. So it is necessary to use and update the vocabulary as well as use the same in situational learning opportunities. It is fundamental to observe that as one starts the administration of any business it is implied to go through various behavioural, intellectual, emotional and conscious changes. In general as entrepreneurs, we should prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead with various communication encounters to be well connected with the people outside, subordinates, colleagues, clients and customers. Language is a psychological process and it needs a lot of focus and visualization for positive outcome. it becomes much more sensible if we say that we should speak from our heart rather than the ego. In the process of communication mind-mapping and control of fear play a crucial role as they help us to avoid negative self-talk. As business persons entrepreneurs should determine the outcome they want from every interaction they make. It is necessary to assess the audience level of understanding and shape the message appropriately to make it understandable. The conviction in the communication is in fact the competence we showcase. We should believe in our message which is the crux of any successful communication. When the passion, conviction and preparation act, they allow our feeling, delivery, body language and voice to flow naturally. This makes our facial expression beaming with enthusiasm and there is no risk of faking or losing credibility.
II. COMMUNICATION STYLES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENTRPRENEURS
Entrepreneur is basically self-made with a resource to innovation, finance and business acumen for corporate venturing. There are 9 types of entrepreneurial types and communication is different as following:
1. The Improver – These entrepreneurs are focussed and run the business with integrity and ethics. Though the communication style is open, they are perfectionists and hence are over-critical of employers and customers.
2. The Advisor – These are the entrepreneurs who run the business based of customer feedback and satisfaction. They are seriously customer focussed they in turn burn out sometimes ignoring their own requirements.
3. The Superstar – These are the people who spread around their charisma with their words and deeds to build a brand around themselves. So it is possible that the talking is more and listening is less.
4. The Artist – The people are exceptionally creative and reserved but as their work culture goes they are quite sensitive even to the constructive criticism or responses of the customers.
5. The Visionary – These entrepreneurs are very smart to build the future with their empowering thoughts and take every suggestion which enlightens them, but sometimes vision misses action.
6. The Analyst – The business analysts from technical and technological fields excel at problem solving. As they involve in too much of analysis there is a chance that the analysis paralysis never allows one trust others and work in team environment.
7. The Fireball – This type of entrepreneurs give a energizing outlook to the company and customers. As the teams overwork to keep up the customer satisfaction, business planning and impulsiveness should be in perfect balance.
8. The Hero – This persona has an ability to lead, motivate and make the company more productive with very defining leadership skills. But instead of being a leader one needs to train others with proper delegation of responsibilities.
9. The Healer – These entrepreneurs are so caring and wishful in thinking that they avoid outside realities. The best way to deal with any kind of turmoil is the scenario planning.
In general if the communication styles of the entrepreneurs vary so differently then every single communication skill makes a difference in the business world. Managing a business is not a singular even but a continuous process. As an entrepreneur the communication skills checklist is
- Empathize with the one communicating to check the impact of understanding
- Know the nuances of reading the body language signals and non verbal communication
- Improve listening skills
- Be very precise and clear to the point
- Ask open-ended questions rather than investigating
- Only speak about what can be done honestly
- Avoid negative talk and be silent if there is nothing much to say
- Decision making and problem solving should go hand in hand to follow up action
III. KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
The crucial aspect of business performance is the entrepreneur’s knowledge, although other aspects are equally important, such as good management skills, financial access, personal qualities, and satisfactory government support. This knowledge includes awareness of gender roles, as being an entrepreneur involves playing a gender role Many studies found that gender differences affect education and business survival The education backgrounds of female entrepreneurs are generally weaker than male entrepreneurs. Limited education can affect women’s ability to manage and grow their businesses. Beyond education, also stressed on the importance of experience, attitude toward risk-taking, and business environment factors (such as credit loans) for women entrepreneurs. For instance, women entrepreneurs are often hesitant about applying for credit loans because of their lack of knowledge in managing business finances. Women entrepreneurs continuously must improve their managerial knowledge. Besides that, it appears that women entrepreneurs have difficulties to adjust with external conditions, such as market conditions and government policies. Lack of knowledge also drives women entrepreneurs to fill areas that did not require specific or specialized knowledge. As a result, their businesses do not seem to perform as well as those of men.
IV. MOTIVATION
Motivation is a prerequisite to become an entrepreneur. McClelland explains that the need of achievement, affiliation, and power generates entrepreneurship by four starting points for women’s entrepreneurship: (1) stimulation for self-fulfilment by combining responsibilities as both a housewife and entrepreneur, (2) self determination to pursue a valuable life, (3) self-satisfaction from fighting for survival when facing challenges, and (4) support from friends and communities. Additionally, women also started businesses to escape daily office routines, accommodate creativity, and pursue a passion .Furthermore, socioeconomic and demographic differences could influence women entrepreneurs’ motivation . For instance, male domination and push factors, – such as family income, difficulty finding a suitable job, and the need for flexible time for domestic responsibilities – could motivate women to be an entrepreneur. Similarly, in a study of 150 women entrepreneurs in Sikkim, India, Joshi (2009) found that most of them became entrepreneurs because of family business, unemployment, or economic compulsion. With respect to the influence of family, found that family background could be a determinant of women’s interests in owning a business. Some studies disclosed that female entrepreneurs choose specific businesses based on their motivation. explored the possibility of gender-based gaps in financial access to bank financing concluded that there was no evidence of gender discrimination and that female entrepreneurs were significantly different from their male counterparts in their pursuit of financial loans. instead, they carefully considered limiting resources, the time, and energy necessary to balance the business with personal life and domestic responsibilities. These motivation studies indicated that women entrepreneurs have their own desires to pursue a business, and most women still prioritize domestic responsibilities.
V. COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN BUSINESS: ENTREPRENEURS
There are gender differences in entrepreneurs’ communication styles and methods of building relationships. These differences determinethe construction of men’s and women’s business networks. Women’s businesses were typically smaller than those of men and more active locally than nationally thus, women’s networks typically involved people which they have known before for a long time. Similarly, found that women tend to respect their kinship when building business networks. Such close-knit social networks tended to have positive effects on both self-efficacy and risk taking in entrepreneurial activity. Women entrepreneurs tended to see communication as essential for managing relationships with employees, governments, or social networks. Accordingly, women entrepreneurs may construct their own communication styles to build relationships with employees or others. For instance, women leaders seek to construct a communication style that reflects an ethic of care With respect to gender differences in communication styles,, “women uses the language of relationship, whereas men use the language of status and hierarchy” found that women could use hierarchy in their culture of control. cultural practices in women owned business are showing elements of power and resistance. Within this particular context, women create supportive, flexible, and loyal environments within their workplace but simultaneously suppress and strategically subordinate the employees’ for the owner’s achievement .In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and fieldwork, so they could study the communication skills of women entrepreneurs.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Based on this literature review, we argue that entrepreneurship researchers need to reconsider the suitability of their research designs, especially those who are interested in women’s entrepreneurial activities. The literature suggests women entrepreneurs have less experience, managerial knowledge, and skills than male entrepreneurs do. established themselves in fields that did not require particular or specific skills. However, women can still obtain business knowledge through educational pathways, courses, or training, and discover logical frameworks that facilitate alternative strategic decisions for the growth and success of their businesses. Furthermore, found that education did not significantly determine the effectiveness of women entrepreneurs’ leadership. Instead, their business performance depended on family supportiveness.
Also, limited managerial skills do not equate to negative business intentions. Having different motivation starting points, women represented multiple realities when managing their businesses Different experiences shaped their varied approaches to or strategic choices in managing their businesses . This is most apparent in the size of a women entrepreneur’s business, which will grow only insofar as she is comfortable managing it. Similarly, women entrepreneurs is emphasized the importance of quality over quantity and were more reluctant to take on the financial loans and administrative requirements associated with business growth. Women entrepreneurs in these studies developed their businesses according to their own motives. With respect to leadership, emphasized that a good leader needs good communication competence; consequently, women entrepreneurs should have good communication competence to effectively lead and manage their businesses. However, unlike males, female leaders were unlikely to use power as a persuasive strategy with their subordinates . Instead, women entrepreneurs are more likely to change their strategies to accommodate the given situation. Women entrepreneurs also employ various communication styles and patterns. Their communication acts reflected their subjective knowledge and motivation.
The concept of women entrepreneurship invariably concerns gender roles, which reflect women’s social and cultural expectations, omen’s different experiences can create various interpretations and social construction standpoints. Women entrepreneurs interpersonal communication, especially in terms of leading and building relationships in business networks. The literature shows that communication acts can reflect women entrepreneurs’ motivations and knowledge of social contexts; however, there are still various aspects of interpersonal communication that require further study, such as gestures, language, distance/space, or other symbols which are used in the process of building relationship. the topic of women entrepreneurs through the lens of knowledge, motivation, and communication skills: the main bases of interpersonal communication competence that determine women entrepreneurs’ success. To explore mediating factors that bridging women entrepreneurs’ internal processes with external factors, such as organizational climate, economics, and environmental contexts. Its insights could bring us to the closer portrayal of women entrepreneurs’ perception and their social construction.
