Perceptions of the support granted to female entrepreneurs in Romania: between anticipation and assessment

In the 2007-2013 European Union programming period, Romania benefitted from assistance provided through the Human Resources Development Operational Programme, financed by the European Social Fund, to promote social inclusion. Women are, in many instances, a vulnerable group that needs support from various sources for greater integration in the labour market. This integration resides in encouraging entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how support is anticipated by women planning to start a business and assessed by those who already have experience in entrepreneurship. To achieve the research objectives, a study was conducted on a sample of 774 women in three NUTS 2 development regions of Romania in 2013. The variables used in the analysis were grouped using factor analysis in two factors. The results of the primary analysis reveal a greater emphasis on the first factor, represented by institutions, and less importance given to the second factor, represented by family and friends. However, potential female entrepreneurs are characterised by a tendency to overestimate the first factor, as positive on the one hand or rather negative on the other, in terms of starting an entrepreneurial approach. Our results point out the need for a stronger involvement of the responsible institutions in building trust and ensuring the support needed by female entrepreneurs.