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1 – 10 of over 1000Liisa Mäkelä, Marja Känsälä and Vesa Suutari
The purpose of this paper is to identify how dual career expatriates view their spouses' roles during international assignments.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify how dual career expatriates view their spouses' roles during international assignments.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 39 interviews were carried out with expatriates who had a working spouse. The interview data were content analysed using replication logic.
Findings
The authors' findings indicate that the importance of spousal support increases among dual career couples during international assignments. Expatriates report their spouses as having supporting, flexible, determining, instrumental, restricting and equal partner spousal roles.
Originality/value
This study provides in‐depth understanding about multiple spousal roles during international assignments among dual career couples and contributes to the previous literature by showing how spousal roles appear in the international context, and by identifying two new spousal roles.
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Sharon M. Danes and Juyoung Jang
The purpose of this paper is to investigate formation of a copreneurial identity during new venture creation by investigating underpinnings of spousal commitment considering…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate formation of a copreneurial identity during new venture creation by investigating underpinnings of spousal commitment considering business communication quality.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was grounded in identity theory, used a longitudinal copreneurial sample, and SEM modeling. Entrepreneurial literature is filled with how entrepreneurs form their identity, but little is known about how entrepreneurs and their spouses mutually form their copreneurial identity.
Findings
Entrepreneurs’ reported spouses having high Time 1 commitment, but spouses reported they were more committed than reported by entrepreneurs. Links between spouse’s Time 1 commitment self‐assessment and Time 2 entrepreneur’s assessment of spousal commitment differed by business communication quality. Time 1 spouse’s commitment self‐assessment was positively related to Time 2 entrepreneur’s appraisal of spousal commitment only for the high business communication group and not for the low business communication group. For couples having high business communication quality, entrepreneur’s assessment of spousal commitment over time was composed of spouse’s self‐assessment of commitment and entrepreneur’s appraisal of spousal commitment, reflecting the mutual verification of a copreneurial identity.
Originality/value
This study provides evidence for Van Auken and Werbel's proposition that an entrepreneur's decision to launch a new business depends not only on opportunity analyses but also on the degree that an entrepreneur's spouse shares a common vision about firm goals. This study not only contributes to the theoretical development of a copreneurial identity but it also addresses measurement issues related to spousal business identity formation. Unlike previous studies considering spousal commitment in terms of marital status or work involvement, a measurement model for spousal commitment was tested using three indicators of cognitive moral commitment. Distinctions were made in stock and flow measures of spousal social capital and initial spousal stock levels were assessed. Furthermore, there appeared to be relatively high consistency between entrepreneur's assessment of spousal commitment and spousal's reflection of their own commitment, suggesting that the spousal commitment construct has some clearly defined properties.
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Franchise outlets owned by entrepreneurial married couples are gradually increasing. Based upon prior research in resource-based view, entrepreneurial orientation (EO)…
Abstract
Purpose
Franchise outlets owned by entrepreneurial married couples are gradually increasing. Based upon prior research in resource-based view, entrepreneurial orientation (EO), franchising, and family business, the purpose of this paper is to analyze franchisor resources, spousal resources, and EO are critical to the development of franchisees’ performance.
Design/methodology/approach
–The author conducted a survey of 99 franchisees in couple-owned convenience store franchise outlets in Taiwan using the partial least squares technique.
Findings
It was found that franchisor resources, spousal resources, and EO directly affect franchisee performance. In addition, franchisor resources also have an indirect effect on performance through EO, but spousal resources do not have an indirect effect.
Practical implications
The franchisor should pay attention to the development of their resources and a franchisee's EO and the interaction between the franchisee and the spouse. Furthermore, a franchisee's EO facilitates the manipulation of the franchisor's resources.
Originality/value
This study highlights the possession of franchisor and spousal resources, and the importance of EO to foster and develop the franchisee performance in a couple-owned franchise outlet. These findings also suggest that franchisor resources have indirect effect on performance through EO.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of spousal support toward a working woman’s career progression. As women continue to bear the brunt of shouldering more…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of spousal support toward a working woman’s career progression. As women continue to bear the brunt of shouldering more domestic responsibilities than men, this research focuses on their extensive need for spousal support. The work attempts to examine how working women perceive the roles their spouses play in sharing home and childcare responsibilities vis-à-vis supporting them in pursuing a career. The compartmentalization of gender roles and how it influences division of labor between husband and wife have also been explored.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a qualitative approach based on analysis of multiple cases regarding women academicians. In-depth narratives based on rich interview data presented an inquiry into spousal support working women received. The impact of spousal support on the career trajectories of women was also explored.
Findings
Results show that spousal support is an important dimension toward the success of a woman’s career. Findings also suggest that gender role is an essential dynamic that determines the pattern of dominance between couples. Gender role ideology between the husband and wife was a key determinant of husbands’ support toward his working wife.
Originality/value
The present research, unlike previous studies, explores how women perceive the presence/absence of a husband’s support in a little studied group of female workers.
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Avijit Debnath, Niranjan Roy and Nazira Mazumder
The main goal of the paper is to study the effect of intimate partner violence on wives' participation in adopting modern contraceptive as a method of family planning in India.
Abstract
Purpose
The main goal of the paper is to study the effect of intimate partner violence on wives' participation in adopting modern contraceptive as a method of family planning in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors' analysis uses data from the NFHS‐III (2005‐2006) based on a nationally representative sample of 109,041 households, and 124,385 women (15‐49 years). The sample covers 99 percent of India's population living in all 29 states. Both bivariate and multivariate techniques have been used to analyze data. The bivariate analysis in the form of scatter diagram has been used to examine the association between “use of modern contraceptive” and “spousal violence”, while multivariate analysis in the form of logistic regression has been carried out to assess this association after controlling other variables.
Findings
The study reveals that spousal violence negatively affects wives' participation in adoption of modern contraceptive, but that their knowledge of contraceptive, religion, and level of women empowerment should be taken into account as well. Women with higher knowledge about contraceptive have been found to use more modern contraceptive. Muslim women have relatively lower modern contraceptive prevalence rate and they have an inclination for traditional methods. Similarly, modern contraceptive prevalence is lower among women who enjoy relatively higher empowerment. In fact, it has been found from the study that women empowerment has a high positive correlation with traditional contraceptive prevalence rate.
Originality/value
This paper is the first attempt at examining the association between spousal violence and contraceptive behaviour in India on a national basis covering every corner of the country. The findings of the study clearly stress the importance of spousal violence prevention measures as supplemental to family planning measures. However, it will be erroneous to assume that mere passing of bills in the parliament and making laws will solve the problem which is deeply rooted in the society.
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Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa, Akintayo Taiwo Olaniyan, Balsam Qubais Saeed and Olalekan Seun Olagunju
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of spousal communication and attitude toward family planning (FP) use among young mothers in the peri-urban area of Osun…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of spousal communication and attitude toward family planning (FP) use among young mothers in the peri-urban area of Osun State, Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was limited to a primary cross-sectional dataset collected among 420 young mothers between the ages of 15 and 30 years residing in the peri-urban area of Osun State, Nigeria. The distribution of the use of FP across the socio-demographic, spousal communication and attitude was described, and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess FP use likelihood. The results were presented as crude odds ratios (cOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05.
Findings
FP use were more likely to be higher among the respondents whose male spouses have good communication [cOR = 35.5; 95% (15.93–78.99)], good attitude [cOR = 8.6 95% (3.59–20.65)] and this persisted after adjusting for significant covariates [aOR = 80.7; 95% (19.80–328.84)] and [aOR = 5.4 95% (1.34–22.17)].
Research limitations/implications
The study's strength is the ability to design questionnaires tailored toward the literature gap on nonuse of FP by young mothers. However, the study is without limitation because the focus was on young mothers alone why their spouses were not interviewed. Male spouse details were collected from the young mothers, and there may be inaccuracy in the reporting of male spouse socio-demographic characteristics used as a control variable in this study. Also, because this research was conducted among specific group, the results of the study cannot be used to generalize for other group.
Practical implications
Future studies should consider both partners to harness the true picture of poor communication and attitude toward each other. The future study will also be more robust if it can consider a qualitative research design as this will help unveil more underlining factors influencing the nonuse of FP among young mothers.
Originality/value
Young mothers with good spousal communication and attitude were more likely to use FP. Deliberate interventions should include focus group discussion and community sensitization to encourage good communication and attitude of male spouse toward their partner in the peri-urban area of Osun State, Nigeria.
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Isnaini Ruhul Ummiroh, Andreas Schwab and Wawan Dhewanto
This study aims to investigate how women social entrepreneurs in Indonesia use various behaviors to address challenges to their leadership authority created by socioreligious…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how women social entrepreneurs in Indonesia use various behaviors to address challenges to their leadership authority created by socioreligious patriarchal norms in this Muslim society.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory study of six Muslim women social entrepreneurs was conducted using multiround, semistructured interviews in a contrast sample of three women who work with their husbands and three women who work without their husband’s involvement.
Findings
The study identifies a variety of leadership behaviors that women entrepreneurs use to mitigate the constraining impact of strong patriarchal religious gender norms. Observations revealed surprisingly effective micro adjustments often based on relationship-specific private negotiations between the entrepreneurs and their husbands.
Research limitations/implications
Future research focused on the husbands’ perspectives and behaviors, as well as extensions to other patriarchal religions and societies, are encouraged.
Practical implications
Recognition of the crucial role of spousal relationships suggests the need for more holistic approaches to support women social entrepreneurship, e.g. by integrating husbands into related outreach programs.
Social implications
Religious gender stereotypes such as the stronger altruistic orientation of women can help counteract, to a degree, Muslim patriarchal norms when women lead social enterprises. Leadership of social enterprises by women promises to promote more gender equality over time, even if associated private and relationship-specific accommodations are not intended to challenge religious gender norms.
Originality/value
This study contributes to emerging research on the crucial role of spousal relationships for women’s entrepreneurship and the impact of private micro arrangements between spouses to mitigate the constraining impact of Muslim gender norms. Muslim women entrepreneurs approved of the religious gender norms that constrained them, in contrast to the more “feminist” perspectives common in women entrepreneurs in more secular and Christianity-dominated western societies.
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Murali Sambasivan, Morvarid Sadoughi and Pouyan Esmaeilzadeh
The fundamental question addressed in this research is: How do cultural intelligence, personality traits of expatriates, spousal support and cultural adjustment of expatriates…
Abstract
Purpose
The fundamental question addressed in this research is: How do cultural intelligence, personality traits of expatriates, spousal support and cultural adjustment of expatriates impact their performance? The answer to the question is important to ensure that expatriation is successful. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The integrated framework linking the factors was formulated and tested among the 139 expatriates employed by multinational corporations (MNC) in Malaysia. A questionnaire was developed and distributed. The framework was validated using structural equation modeling technique.
Findings
Based on the analysis, the important findings are: cultural empathy and social initiatives (personality traits) of expatriates, cultural intelligence and spousal support enhance cultural adjustment of expatriates; spousal support, cultural empathy and social initiatives influence the cultural intelligence of the expatriates; and cultural intelligence and spousal support impact the performance of expatriates.
Research limitations/implications
This study selected the expatriates working in MNCs and residing in Malaysia for six months and above.
Originality/value
This integrated view helps us understand the mechanism that leads to an expatriate’s perceived performance. Generally, researchers use “Big Five” to capture the personality traits. This research has used the construct and its dimensions that are relevant for studies on expatriation.
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Yang Xia, Zafar U. Ahmed, Morry Ghingold, Ng Kuan Hwa, Tan Wan Li and Wendy Teo Chai Ying
Although considerable consumer research has focused on family purchase decision‐making in families in Western countries, only limited attention has been paid to family purchase…
Abstract
Purpose
Although considerable consumer research has focused on family purchase decision‐making in families in Western countries, only limited attention has been paid to family purchase decision‐making within Eastern cultures. This study was designed to explore for the possible differences and similarities in spousal influences in different cultural environments by comparing Singaporean family purchase decision‐making process to that of US families.
Design/methodology/approach
Quota sampling was adopted to generate primary data for the examination of Singaporean spousal influence in family purchase decision‐making; data previously reported on US spousal families was used to compare with the primary data collected in Singapore.
Findings
Differences in marital values between Singaporean husbands and wives were found to be associated with differences in perceived patterns of influence throughout the family decision‐making process. The findings indicate that family purchase decision‐making is a culture‐specific phenomenon. The study found that the level of egalitarianism, which usually indicates a more syncratic or cooperative family purchase decision‐making, was associated positively with higher levels of education and income.
Research limitations/implications
This study revealed a positive relationship between joint decisions and the level of egalitarianism, however, such evidence is still limited. To depend the understanding of spousal influences in family purchase decision‐making in different cultural environments, future research may need to go beyond demographics to include more cognitive, psychological as well as social environmental factors, such as the involvement level, the time a spouse spent alone for shopping, the love, affection, trust and confidence a spouse would have for or earned from another spouse, the importance a spouse would attach to his or her marriage and family, etc.
Originality/value
The paper offers insight into family purchase decision‐making within Easlern countries.
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Shantanu Sharma, Faiyaz Akhtar, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Sunil Mehra
This study aims to assess the associations of early marriage and spousal age difference (independent of early marriage) with reproductive and sexual health and autonomy in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the associations of early marriage and spousal age difference (independent of early marriage) with reproductive and sexual health and autonomy in decision-making among married women before conception.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study was a part of a three-year community intervention to improve the preconception health of young married women (20–35 years) in the West Delhi district of India. The six key outcomes assessed were: knowledge of reproductive health, discussions related to sexual health, history of anemia, use of contraceptives by women, frequency of consumption of meals per day and the autonomy in decision-making for household expenditures. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to explore the associations between the two key predictors (early marriage or spousal age difference), sociodemographic variables and six outcomes. The results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 2,324 women, enrolled from four wards in the district using cluster-based sampling, were interviewed.
Findings
Around 17% of women were married by the exact age of 18, and 20% were elder or just one year younger than their husbands. Women who were married early had low reproductive health knowledge (OR (95% CI): 0.48 (0.38–0.60)) and a lower probability of expressing autonomy (OR (95% CI): 0.78 (0.62–0.97)). However, women older than men or younger by just one year in the married relationship had higher reproductive health knowledge (OR (95% CI): 1.25 (1.01–1.54)) than women younger than men more than two years.
Originality/value
Under the umbrella of the preconception care domain, frontline workers should emphasize counseling girls and young women to marry late and delay the first pregnancy.
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