Exploring work-family interface for Indian women entrepreneurs

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the nature of work-family interface for urban Indian women entrepreneurs (WEs), in terms of not only conflict but also enrichment. It also endeavours to examine the coping and support mechanisms that are used by the WEs.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper has adopted a qualitative design, employing in-depth interviews to gain an insight into the research questions.

Findings

Though seen to experience work-family conflict extensively, WEs effectively utilized various flexible work and time management techniques as coping mechanisms. More importantly, they were seen to establish a “buy-in” for their work, thereby eliciting support from diverse sources in the home environment. Furthermore, work-to-family enrichment (WFE) was seen to facilitate a stronger bond with family members as well as increase the subjective well-being of the WE. Finally, family-to-work enrichment (FWE) enabled the WEs to obtain various kinds of resources from the family domain to benefit their businesses, thereby affecting venture-level outcomes positively.

Research limitations/implications

As the findings of the study map reasonably well to prior theoretical research, the present study serves as a starting point for future research examining the relevance of work-family dynamics for WEs across cultures.

Practical implications

The results of the study positively contribute to the discussion on work-family interface for WEs in the cultural context of India.

Originality/value

The study offers qualitative insights into the work-family dynamics of Indian WEs, especially focusing on the key advantages that they derive by capitalizing on positive spill-over from one domain to the other.

Citation

Khandelwal, P. and Sehgal, A. (2018), "Exploring work-family interface for Indian women entrepreneurs", Gender in Management, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 203-216. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-04-2016-0075