Work-family conflicts and satisfaction among Italian women entrepreneurs

The purpose of this chapter is to add knowledge to the still under-investigated relationship between the work-family conflict (WFC) and the overall level of wellbeing pursued by women entrepreneurs.

WFC, in particular, may start because work responsibilities interfere with family responsibilities (WIF) and/or when family responsibilities interfere with work demands (FIW). In this study we study if and how WIF and FIW affect women entrepreneurs’ wellbeing. In doing so, a validated questionnaire was administered to 511 women entrepreneurs in Italy.

Results show that the conflict between work and family is a key aspect able to affect the overall wellbeing of women entrepreneurs. Data provide evidence that Italian women entrepreneurs present some peculiarities which reflect the national socio-economic environment.

 The experienced conflicts faced by the 511 interviewed women are strongly connected both to their family sphere (FIW) and to their working loads (WIF). This “double burden” helps explaining why Italian women entrepreneurs experience more difficulties in keeping working and private lives separate and both under control, leading to higher levels of conflict, stress and lower level of life satisfaction, hindering their overall level of wellbeing.