Principal Topic

Work in the area of women and entrepreneurship has examined conflicts between work and family, but largely ignored the question of how the entrepreneurial lifestyle affects children of female entrepreneurs. The current study examines the impact of entrepreneurship on the experiences, perceptions and future plans of these children. Concerns include the extent to which gender role perceptions are affected by the presence of an entrepreneurial mother, whether there is an effect on the child’s sense of security, self-confidence, and self-concept, and implications for the child’s vocational choices.

Method

A conceptual model was developed in which general childhood experiences, experiences related to having an entrepreneurial mother, and personal characteristics of children are linked to the child’s perception of the mother and their attitudes toward entrepreneurship as a career choice. The latter two variables are, in turn, linked to vocational intentions and choices. The methodology involved a two-stage process in which two convenience samples of ten female entrepreneurs with children were first identified and contacted by phone. General background information was obtained on the entrepreneur, the venture and the family. The second stage involved personal interviews with the entrepreneur and teenage children of the entrepreneur, and a mail survey directed at adult children who have left home. Three separate questionnaires were designed. The two samples were of U.S. and South African entrepreneurs.

Results and Implications

The findings suggest that family life is significantly disrupted by the demands of the business, but that growing up with an entrepreneurial mother is generally a positive experience. Children frequently demonstrated an entrepreneurial bent in their own early lives. The entrepreneurial lifestyle tended to be viewed in a positive light, and was associated with freedom more than anything else. Both mothers and children expressed a desire for the children to eventually pursue the entrepreneurial path in their careers. Few significant differences were identified between teenage and adult children, or between the U.S. and South African samples. It appears that female entrepreneurs develop effective strategies for fulfilling the emotional and developmental needs of their children, and serve as personal and career role models.

CONTACT: Minet Schindehutte, Page Center for Entrepreneurship, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056; (T) 513-529-1208; (F) 513-529-3288; schindm@muohio.edu