Chapter 3: Business Women Associations in the United Arab Emirates: Influence of the Network and Networking

The creation and maintenance of a network of influential people is considered essential for success in business today (Huang, Nandialath, Abdulkareem, & Karadeniz, 2013). Specifically, networking is cited as an essential strategy for leadership success because of the opportunity it affords to build influential relationships (Borgatti, Brass, & Halgin, 2014). Entrepreneurs are advised that valuable resources can be accessed through forming a network of people that includes potential investors (Huang et al., 2013). Studies have also shown that women-only networks can positively influence women’s economic status (Krause, 2008; Labidi, 2007). Yet, Naser, Mohammed, & Nuseibeh (2009) argued that a single-gender environment is problematic for women, given that access to an influential population (i.e., men) is restricted. Despite that limitation, it has been found that women-only associations offer substantially more advantages than disadvantages for women’s economic progress (Moghadam, 2007).