The Decision to Outsource Child Care in Households Engaged in a Family Business

Abstract

This research examines whether employment in a family-owned business offers parents of young children more flexibility in balancing work and child care responsibilities than employment in nonfamily business situations. Specifically, the study focuses on whether the family business characteristics and work demands of household managers in these families explain the purchase of child care services in the market. The study uses a subsample from the 1997 National Family Business Survey (1997 NFBS). Findings suggest that household managers who work in the family business are far less likely to outsource their child care responsibilities than families that work similar hours outside the family business. Although the idea that family businesses allow more flexibility in the management of work and family has been around for some time, this is the first research to document the relationship between the outsourcing of child care responsibilities and the household manager's involvement in family business operations.

Factors Affecting Women’s Intention to Lead Family Businesses in Mexico

“…However, a factor that may be considered as a potential advantage for women's desirability of becoming a business leader is a range of intangible benefits that family firms offer. This includes security, flexibility, a supportive environment, and an "unhostile area for preparation" (Cromie and O'Sullivan 1999;Dumas 1992Dumas , 1998Frishkoff and Brown 1993;Guo and Werner 2016;Haynes et al 1999;Salganicoff 1990;St- Arnaud and Giguère 2018).…”

“…Undoubtedly, as Cole (1997) argues, more opportunities received by women in the egalitarian societies lead to an increase in their level of skills, education and experience. In turn, these help to smoothen the path of women towards top positions in their family firms (Aronoff 1998;Hisrich and Fülöp 1997;O'Connor et al 2006;Salganicoff 1990) Additionally, women have been gradually occupying roles in sectors traditionally regarded as masculine; e.g., construction (Dumas 1992(Dumas , 1998Frishkoff and Brown 1993;Haynes et al 1999;Lyman et al 1985). This proves that certain factors can reduce the impact of the glass ceiling effect on women's career in the family firm.…”

Lessons from family firms: the use of flexible work arrangements and its consequences

“…In an entrepreneurial context, it is a well-evidenced phenomenon that women in entrepreneurial positions integrate work and family responsibilities, whereas male entrepreneurs more strongly rely on support from home (Hundley 2000 ; Loscocco and Bird 2012 ; Eddleston and Powell 2012 ). Similarly, Haynes et al ( 1999 ) show that if the household manager works in a family business, they still organise childcare in the same way as in situations where the household manager does not work–in other words, in both scenarios, childcare is often organised within the family and by women. Hilbrecht and Lero ( 2014 ) find that self-employed parents mostly follow traditional gender role patterns, although they also suggest that fathers see self-employment as a way to participate more actively in family life.…”

Women Successors in Family-Owned Businesses in Poland

“…Other authors (Galiano & Vinturella, 1995;Jaffe, 1990) emphasized that women, with which they conducted direct interviews, thought that the family companies give a possibility of the career development and they were satisfied working in the family business and felt there fulfilled. In addition, due to the elastic working hours, family businesses are considered to be an ideal workplace for women, which makes it easier to reconcile work and home responsibilities (Dumas, 1992(Dumas, , 1998Frishkoff & Brown, 1993;Haynes et al, 1999). Moreover, an employment in the family enterprise gives an opportunity to work in the areas considered "masculine", for example, in the car industry or constructions.…”