Entrepreneurs as parents : the antecedents and consequence of parenting stress

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand parenting stress of entrepreneurs and to attempt to extend the empirical evidence on the predictors and consequences of parenting stress for entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach This study draws on data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. The quantitative research method was used. Drawing on the data of 2,051 entrepreneurs, a model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The results reveal that social support is a strong predictor of parenting stress and that there is a direct effect between parenting stress and family to work interference (FWI). In addition, parenting stress partially mediates the relationship between social support and FWI. Adding a direct path from social support to FWI substantially improves the validity in a revised model. No effects of gender stereotypes are found. Originality/value This study attempts to extend previous work on parenting and vocational behavior by investigating the perceptional and stereotypical antecedents of parenting stress and examining the impact of parenting stress on FWI. To the challenges of parenting, many entrepreneurs face constant pressure to achieve a positive return in their business venture and work hard, for long hours. Therefore, a better understanding of entrepreneurs’ parenting roles and stress can shed some light on the challenges faced by self-employed individuals and contributes to the vocational behavior and career development literature and practical experiences

Predicting new venture gestation outcomes with machine learning methods

This study explores the use of machine learning methods to forecast the likelihood of firm birth and firm abandonment during the first five years of a new business gestation. The predictability of traditional logistic regression is compared with several machine learning methods, including logistic regression, k-nearest neighbors, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, support vector machines, and artificial neural networks. While extreme gradient boosting shows the best overall model performance, neural networks provide good results by correctly classifying entrepreneurs who have not abandoned their business venture in the early stage of the gestation process. In addition, this study provides valuable insights in relation to the start-up activities leading to firm emergence. Entrepreneurs who perform a greater number of activities and who can orchestrate them at the right rate, concentration, and time are more likely to successfully launch a new business venture

The impact of the big five personality variables on self-employment survival

Based on large, representative Australian household panel, this study investigates to what extent the Big Five personality variables influence self-employment survival and differentiates between successful or unsuccessful exit. In addition, the influence of two moderating variables, tertiary education and the motivation to become self-employed, are considered. Contrary to expectations, we found no impact of the Big Fives variable on self-employment survival in general. In the case of unsuccessful exit, we found that entrepreneurs with a higher level of Conscientiousness tend to stay self-employed although they may not be satisfied with their job. Similarly, entrepreneurs with a tertiary education prolong unsuccessfully self-employment stints, particularly if they exhibit higher level of Emotional Stability. Necessity-driven entrepreneurs exit unsuccessful stints earlier, especially if they exhibit a lower level of conscientiousness

Longitudinal investigation on personality traits and mental health relationships : the mediating role of work-family interference and enhancement

Background The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the Big Five personality traits on work-family interference/enhancement and mental health using a three-wave longitudinal design. Participants and procedure The paper draws on a sample (N = 886) from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the measures of the variables and assess their associations across three time periods. Results The results indicate that conscientiousness and emotional stability are the personality traits that are associated with work-to-family enhancement over time. In addition, work-to-family enhancement is a mediator between emotional stability and mental health. Overall, there exists a positive reciprocal relationship between work-to-family enhancement and mental health throughout the three waves. Conclusions This study showed that there is a bidirectional positive link between work-to-family enhancement and mental health. The findings suggest that organizations will benefit not only from developing interventions to enrich employees’ work skills, behaviors/attitudes but also from promoting their mental health and emotional stability. This study is the first to confirm the partial mediation role of work-to-family enhancement between emotional stability and mental health, and bidirectional relations of work-to-family enhancement and mental health. Moreover, the longitudinal design of this study overcomes the limitations of prior cross-sectional studies in evaluating the relationships of constructs

Social support and life satisfaction among entrepreneurs : a latent growth curve modelling approach

Purpose: Social support has been identified as a valuable resource that could help entrepreneurs maintain goal directness in their endeavours and increase their life satisfaction. However, to date, scant research has examined the effect of perceived social support on life satisfaction during the transition from paid employment to self-employment. This paper uses the job demand resource model (JD–R) as a theoretical lens to investigate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the household income and labour dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, we use latent growth curve modelling (LGCM) to investigate the trajectories of entrepreneurs' perceived social support and life satisfaction (n = 1,303) up to five years after their transition into self-employment. Findings: Results suggest that entrepreneurs experience a boost in life satisfaction in the transition phase, followed by a declining trend in the years that follow. We find that both the initial perception and the evolution of perceived social support are positively related to life satisfaction over time across gender groups. However, we find that females may benefit more from early social support soon after the transition into self-employment to forestall declines in life satisfaction over the long-term. Research limitations/implications: The generalisability of the research findings beyond the Australian context is undefined. Future research needs to examine to what extent these results can generalize to other samples within different cultural and institutional frameworks. Practical implications: Since perceived social support is a strong buffering mechanism that helps mitigate job demands, entrepreneurs need to be proactive in building a strong network. Individuals who switch to self-employment should carefully map and build a strong social network that can help them weather the challenges and setbacks in their new job. Originality/value: This study extends the JD–R literature by examining the transition into self-employment, considered an “active job” characterised by high demands and high decision latitude. LGCM modelling captures how both initial levels and changes in social support affect life satisfaction during entrepreneurship entry and over time

Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship

This open access book focuses on Switzerland-based medium-sized companies with a longstanding export tradition and a proven dominance in global niche markets. Based upon in-depth documentation and analysis of 36 Swiss companies over their entire history, an expert team of authors presents several parallels in the pathways and success factors which allowed these firms to become dominant and operate from a high-cost location such as Switzerland. The book enhances these insights by providing detailed company profiles documenting the company history, development, and how their relevant global niche positions were reached. Readers will benefit from these profiles as they compile a diverse selection of industries, mainly active within the B2B sector, with mostly mature companies (60 years to older than 100 years since founding) and different types of ownership structures including family firms. ‘Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship’ brings unique learning opportunities to owners and leaders of SMEs in Switzerland and elsewhere. Findings are based on detailed bottom-up research of 36 companies -- without any preconceived notions. The book is both conceptual and practical. It fosters understanding for different choices in development pathways and management practices. Matti Alahuhta, Chairman DevCo Partners, ex-CEO Kone, Board member of several global listed companies, Helsinki, Finland Start-up entrepreneurs need proven models from industry which demonstrate the various paths to success. “Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship” provides deep insights highlighting these models and the important trade-offs entrepreneurial teams must consider when choosing the path of high growth or of maximum control, as they are often mutually exclusive. Gina Domanig, Managing Partner, Emerald Technology Ventures, Zurich

Organisational factors, anticipated rents and commercialisation in SMEs

The study investigates the relationship between organisational factors and the anticipated returns to the commercialisation of an innovation within small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Using a large multi-country sample, the analysis involved a structural equation model of seven organisational factors associated with the management of innovation, and their relationship with the anticipated volume of sales, profitability and lifecycle of the innovation. Significant relationships were found between the possession of an innovation strategy and formal commercialisation management, and optimism over sales volumes and lifecycle. The study provides new insights into the resource-based view and theory of entrepreneurial rents, strengthening SME owner-managers’ assessment on future investments in innovation and how to utilise their best capabilities. Policy makers also gain more insights into the commercialisation process within SMEs to foster the innovation orientation in both high and low tech sectors

The influence of work–family conflict and enhancement on the wellbeing of the self-employed and their spouses : a dyadic analysis

This study examines the effect of work–family conflict (WFC) and work–family enhancement (WFE) on the wellbeing of the self-employed and their spouses. Adopting a dyadic perspective, our analysis focuses on three dimensions of wellbeing: physical health, mental health and life satisfaction. Using the Spillover and Crossover Model as theoretical framework and the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model as an estimation technique, we investigate how work–family conflict and enhancement among the self-employed and their spouses were associated to their individual and mutual wellbeing. The analysis revealed a strong actor and partner effect, such that one’s own perception of WFC undermined the wellbeing for both the self-employed and their spouses. Further, WFE was associated with an improvement in wellbeing, mainly for the self-employed, and not their spouses. The results partially supported the ‘crossover hypothesis’, suggesting that launching a new business is a stressful endeavour at the dyadic level of the self-employed and their spouses