Female entrepreneurs, work-family conflict, and venture performance: New insights into the work-family interface

Existing theory is extended to predict the effectiveness of strategies for structurally reducing work-family conflict by manipulating roles, given the salience of work and family roles and resources available to the female entrepreneur. A conceptual framework based on the constructs of role involvement and role conflict is used to examine whether high-growth female entrepreneurs choose more appropriate strategies for reducing work-family conflict than their less successful counterparts. Three basic strategies for manipulating roles are discussed: (1) role elimination; (2) role reduction; and (3) role-sharing. The following propositions are advanced: (1) work-family management strategies are a significant determinant of venture growth; (2) women who develop high-growth businesses more effectively reduce work-family conflict by choosing strategies better matched with their internal needs and access to external resources than less successful women; and (3) role-sharing strategies are preferred because they allow women to enjoy the enhancement of both work and family roles while reducing the level of inter-role conflict. As a result, the high prevalence of team-building and participative management practices observed in women-owned businesses may be driven by the need for female entrepreneurs to manage work-family conflicts as well as genetics or socialization.