Тема: Work-Life Balance among Female Entrepreneurs

Relevance: The issue of women's entrepreneurship and work-life balance is of high relevance, as it concerns not only economic development, but also social and cultural aspects. The lack of research in this area limits our understanding of the challenges women face in pursuing their entrepreneurial ambitions while maintaining a balance in their lives. This is important for creating effective policies and support programs that promote the sustainable development of women's entrepreneurship and ensure equality in this area. Female entrepreneurship has not been sufficiently studied and requires further research to understand and solve the problems associated with it. Moreover, research on work-life balance among entrepreneurs is also scarce, which is notable since there is plenty of research on organizations and businesses. Self-employment is a broad, unexplored niche and common form of work that needs to be taken into account when discussing work-life balance. Despite the fact that the topic of women's entrepreneurship and work-life balance is in demand and relevant, there is a large discrepancy with the lack of research on this topic. There is a need to explore work-life balance in the field of women's entrepreneurship, as well as the various factors that may influence this balance, such as gender stereotypes, lack of role models, and lack of support for self-employment and entrepreneurship. The existing literature does not give comprehensive answers to the link between women's entrepreneurship and work-life balance.
Goal: To investigate the factors influencing Russian female entrepreneurs' work-life balance.
This goal reflects an intent to deepen the understanding of how women entrepreneurs manage work-life balance and what specific factors contribute to or detract from achieving a satisfactory balance between work responsibilities and personal life.
Objectives:
• Conduct a literature review: Conduct a detailed literature review based on the “5M” framework developed by Brush, De Bruin, and Welter [2009], also considering international experience that is applicable regarding research on Russian entrepreneurship, to detect an existing research gap regarding female entrepreneurship and work-life balance.
• Define the specifics of Russian entrepreneurship: Analyze socio-economic specifics of Russia, consider Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data, and detect the need for research on work-life balance of women entrepreneurs in Russia.
• Highlight specific trends and challenges in Russian female entrepreneurship: Analyze the WCIOM datasets to identify the main trends that affect the work-life balance of Russian women entrepreneurs, as well as to identify new factors for adapting the 5M framework by Brush et al. [2009] to the Russian context.
• Conduct a Respondent study: Design and execute a Respondent study involving semi­structured interviews with Respondents in the field of women’s entrepreneurship. This study seeks to explore the role of various dimensions of the 8M model (an expansion of the 5M framework) in affecting the work-life balance of Russian women entrepreneurs.
• Conduct a qualitative analysis: Apply thematic qualitative text analysis to the interview data to identify and understand the multiple interconnected factors that influence work-life balance among women entrepreneurs. This analysis aims to highlight specific challenges and strategies pertinent to women entrepreneurs.
• Identify the analyzed data with regard to 8M model: Make a detailed description and systematization of factors and subfactors affecting the work-life balance of women entrepreneurs.
• Elaborate on interconnections and influences within 8M model factors: Explain in detail how the individual factors of the 8M model are interrelated and how they jointly influence women's entrepreneurial activity and personal life.
Characteristics of the methodology:
The methodology employed in this study is designed to explore and elucidate the factors influencing work-life balance among Russian women entrepreneurs. The chosen approach is mixed but more qualitative, aimed at capturing the complex and nuanced experiences of women entrepreneurs. Mixed Approach: The mainly qualitative research methodology is selected to deeply explore the subjective experiences, opinions, and contexts of women entrepreneurs, which quantitative methods might overlook. This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of the personal and contextual factors affecting work-life balance, accommodating the variability and complexity inherent in personal experiences. By including the analysis of the WCIOM (ВЦИОМ) datasets as part of the primary data collection, the research methodology becomes more robust, enabling a multi-dimensional exploration of the factors affecting work-life balance among women entrepreneurs in Russia. This approach ensures a balanced combination of qualitative and quantitative data, enhancing the depth and reliability of the research findings.
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The primary goal of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the work-life balance of Russian female entrepreneurs. To achieve this, the following steps were undertaken:
In the first stage, a literature review was conducted to identify gaps in the existing research on work-life balance among female entrepreneurs, analyzing 80 scholarly articles, reports, and studies. This review led to the formulation of a research question that guided subsequent analysis:
What factors influence the work-life balance of female entrepreneurs, and how do they impact it?
In the second stage, the Russian context was analyzed with reference to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, highlighting the need to examine the specific factors affecting the work-life balance of Russian female entrepreneurs.
In the third stage, seven databases from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (WCIOM) were analyzed, leading to the identification of two additional factors - Mindset and Meaning - to adapt the 5M model by Brush et al. [2009] to the Russian context. The database analysis results were then used to formulate interview questions.
The fourth stage involved conducting a Respondent study with 12 specialists. Interviews were transcribed and meticulously analyzed based on the derived 8M model, which was an extension of the 5M model by Brush et al. [2009]. This analysis confirmed the influence of the new factors identified through database analysis and revealed subfactors, explaining the specific perceptions of these subfactors by the Respondents. Furthermore, relationships between different parts of the model were identified.
In the fifth stage of the study, the 8M model was presented with detailed explanations of the factors' significance in the lives of female entrepreneurs. In particular, 8 main factors and 20 subfactors were discovered. Consequently, the results of this study comprehensively address the initial goal: the factors influencing the work-life balance of Russian female entrepreneurs are investigated.
The limitations of the research findings application are elaborated, and how these findings might be utilized in both practical and theoretical fields is explained. The results enrich academic literature by providing insight into the complex interplay of personal motivations, business practices, and financial strategies, and offer a comprehensive model for future research in this area. The study also contributes to the development of gender-oriented theory of entrepreneurship and helps policymakers, educational institutions, business associations and women entrepreneurs themselves by highlighting the importance of taking into account cultural and social contexts in the study of women's entrepreneurship in Russia.
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