CHAPTER 8•BUILDING USEFUL NETWORKS 175
they encourage a high degree of trust and emotional closeness,
10
they
are unlikely to include a strong business component. Whether it is by
choice or circumstance, many women find it difficult to build effective
business network links to the people most likely to offer sound busi-
ness advice and introductions to venture capital contacts.
Network Boundaries and Barriers
Some of the challenges that women confront in getting access to useful
business networks are culturally based norms. There are rules (often
unspoken, but generally acknowledged) that govern society and define
appropriate roles for individuals. These norms include expectations
about how men and women should behave, how they should interact
with each other ...