Work-to-family conflict and firm performance of women entrepreneurs: Roles of work-related emotional exhaustion and competitive hostility

Abstract

When entrepreneurs suffer from work-to-family conflict, it can affect firm performance. This article considers how emotional exhaustion experienced in the course of running a business mediates this link and how beliefs about competitive hostility invigorate that effect. Using survey data collected from 200 women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, a country marked by culturally traditional gender role expectations, the empirical findings show that a sense of being emotionally overextended, due to the demands of running a firm, creates a conduit for the negative interference of the family upon the firm. This escalates into diminished firm performance. The results also demonstrate that this conduit is particularly prominent when entrepreneurs feel more threatened by hostile market environments. For entrepreneurship scholarship and practice, this article establishes two notable factors; a feeling of being ‘worn out’ by the business and adverse competitive markets. These factors clarify the complex link between work-induced family strain and business performance for women entrepreneurs, who might be particularly challenged when balancing time demands in gender-discriminatory environments.

The critical role of assertiveness of women business owners in the link between firm performance and family instrumental support

“…We anticipate that the arguments in this research will apply to both female and male entrepreneurs; however, the forcefulnes s with which women are affected by various societal perceptions (e.g. assertiveness) may be higher than that of men (De Clercq et al, 2022; Eagly and Chin, 2010; Khattab and Leroy, 2016). Within the framework of gender role congruity theory, expectations of the entrepreneur’s role can be incongruent with gender stereotypes (Ritter and Yoder, 2004).…”

Do psychological and social factors drive female youth entrepreneurial readiness: the moderating effect of entrepreneurial education

“…A study, by Mooradian et al (2016), findings underline the significant effect that perseverance of effort is key to one's ability to engage in successful entrepreneurship. De Clercq et al (2022) found that the perseverance of women enabled them to effectively combine their private and public lives. Among female entrepreneurs' their motivation and ability to remain active and successful in business is related to their tenacitypersisting in existence -despite operating in a challenging environment.…”

“…In an attempt to identify the factors accounting for entrepreneurial readiness -the preparedness to engage in own business activities (Olugbola, 2017) some authors such as Abid et al (2021) andDe Clercq et al (2022) have focused on the groups of psychological factors such as self-efficacy, fear of failure, regretful thinking and perseverance that play a crucial role in entrepreneurship development. Other researchers as Light and Dana (2013) and Abbasianchavari and Moritz (2021) have stressed social factors such as entrepreneurial experience, family support, career choice, present lifestyle, employment status and role models as determinants for entrepreneurial engagement.…”

“…In an attempt to identify the factors accounting for entrepreneurial readiness - the preparedness to engage in own business activities (Olugbola, 2017) some authors such as Abid et al. (2021) and De Clercq et al. (2022) have focused on the groups of psychological factors such as self-efficacy, fear of failure, regretful thinking and perseverance that play a crucial role in entrepreneurship development.…”

Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Family Influenceon Entrepreneur’s Wellbeingand their Business Exit Experience

“…While a large portion of existing research has highlighted family as a hindrance in business performance, particularly studies assessing female entrepreneurs who cited inter-role conflict i.e. the role pressure from work and family domains became mutually incompatible in some respect (De Clercq et al, 2021;García & Welter, 2013;Heilbrunn & Davidovitch, 2011); contrasting discourse has challenged the assumption that family is a hindrance to entrepreneurs highlighting family participation"s positive influence on the business, on entrepreneurial growth intentions and expansion plans (Eddleston & Powell, 2012;Kim et al, 2018;Powell & Eddleston, 2013;Zhu et al, 2017). This positive influence has been termed as "family to business enrichment", where enrichment means that experience in one role improves the quality of life in another (Powell & Eddleston, 2013).…”