Female Entrepreneurs, Work-Family Conflict, and Venture Performance: New Insights into the Work-Family Interface*

Abstract

Existing theory is extended to predict the effectiveness of strategies for structurally reducing work-family conflict by manipulating roles, given the salience of work and family roles and resources available to the female entrepreneur. A conceptual framework based on the constructs of role involvement and role conflict is used to examine whether high-growth female entrepreneurs choose more appropriate strategies for reducing work-family conflict than their less successful counterparts. Three basic strategies for manipulating roles are discussed: (1) role elimination; (2) role reduction; and (3) role-sharing.The following propositions are advanced: (1) work-family management strategies are a significant determinant of venture growth; (2) women who develop high-growth businesses more effectively reduce work-family conflict by choosing strategies better matched with their internal needs and access to external resources than less successful women; and (3) role-sharing strategies are preferred because they allow women to enjoy the enhancement of both work and family roles while reducing the level of inter-role conflict. As a result, the high prevalence of team-building and participative management practices observed in women-owned businesses may be driven by the need for female entrepreneurs to manage work-family conflicts as well as genetics or socialization.

Are women graduates jacquelines-of-all-trades? Challenging Lazear’s view on entrepreneurship

“…Including it as a control variable, we did not find any effect of having children for our sample of women graduates. However, there is an ongoing debate that sees a conflict between being a mother and being an entrepreneur as well as performing well as an entrepreneur (Boden 1999;CollinsDodd et al 2004;Noseleit 2014;Shelton 2006).…”

Family embeddedness and entrepreneurship experience: a study of Indian migrant women entrepreneurs in Australia

“…We found that both the men and the MWEs had strong perceptions about women's roles and responsibilities as prescribed by their culture. Gender roles prescribing the roles and responsibilities of women to look after the family are common across the globe; however, in developed countries, the concept of role-sharing -where men share the household work with women -is becoming more common in the interests of a better work/life balance (Shelton 2006;Jennings and McDougald 2007). However, in our sample, there was a strong perception among the majority of MWEs and their partners that women should 'meet all the family role commitments' and respond to all demands to make 'the family happy' and also 'make sacrifices' if needed.…”

Empreendedorismo feminino e os desafios enfrentados pelas empreendedoras para conciliar os conflitos trabalho e família: estudo de casos múltiplos em agências de viagens

“…Verificou-se, ainda, que elas tendem a ser muito envolvidas psicologicamente com o trabalho, mantendo uma relação de "amor profundo", além de despenderem de muitas horas por se sentirem responsáveis pelo sucesso ou fracasso do negócio. Shelton (2006) argumenta que a atenuação ou eliminação do conflito trabalho-família é uma condição importante na promoção do crescimento do negócio. Sendo assim, a autora formula três estratégias básicas de gestão trabalho-família.…”

“…Para analisar esse aspecto, inicialmente foi elaborado o quadro 8 confrontando os maiores desafios existentes com ações e comportamentos depreendidos dos depoimentos das empreendedoras. Confrontadas as variáveis de maiores conflitos existentes com as variáveis de estratégias adotadas para conciliá-los, revelou-se importante melhor elucidar a questão por meio da figura 2: A análise desse tópico parte das três estratégicas básicas de gestão dos conflitos trabalhofamília, segundo as dimensões definidas por Shelton (2006), que são (i) a eliminação que consiste em não ser empreendedora e sendo por esta razão descarta; (ii) a redução que consiste em constituir família pequena e recorrer a terceiros para obter ajuda com as tarefas do lar; (iii) o compartilhamento que implica em delegar atividade aos familiares ou aos funcionários.…”