ABSTRACT
In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau conducted the American Community Sur-vey (ACS) and found that 49.2% of American households are married-couple families. Additionally, 64.5% of parents in households with children under age 6 are in the labor force, and 72% of parents in households with children between the ages of 6 and 17 are in the labor force (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008), thus revealing the need for-and potential challenge of-integrating work and family life. The challenge of integrating our work and family lives is not a recent revelation, of course. For example, the past 60 years have brought about changes in the post-World War II notions of work and family by way of marital and gender roles. In her work on breadwinning mothers, Medved (2009) suggested that social change may occur at the intersection of
individuals, families, and/or organizations that choose to enact work and family in alternative forms. In general, women are more likely than men “to reduce their work-related behavioral and psychological involvement, limit their career aspirations, and forego opportunities for career development” in favor of fulfi lling their family obligations (Jennings & McDougald, 2007, p. 755; also see Rothbard, 2001; Rothbard & Edwards, 2003). Often, women do not wish to make a choice between working and taking care of their families, and some go into business themselves or with their spouse as a way to balance their work and family lives (Boden, 1999; Caputo & Dolinsky, 1998; Edley, 2001). However, and notwithstanding the empowerment they attain through proprietorships, women entrepreneurs report an increased tension between balancing their work and family lives (Gill & Ganesh, 2007). When successful, it is the benefi ts of autonomy, and at times fl exibility, associated with owning and managing one’s own business that afford entrepreneurs the opportunity to integrate their work and family lives with the hope of achieving balance (Barnett & Barnett, 1988; Jennings & McDougald, 2007).
