WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

by Wendy A. Finlay

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Business Administration

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX May 2008

3321998 Copyright 2008 by Finlay, Wendy A. All rights reserved

2008

3321998

 2008 by Wendy A. Finlay ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ABSTRACT The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs who face the challenge of work-life balance. According to the Center for Womens Business Research (2007a), the number of women-owned businesses continues to grow at twice the rate of all U.S. firms. Six themes emerged from in-depth interviews of women entrepreneurs in the New York tri-borough area. These themes were used to create a work-life balance model in which key constructs were organizational skills such as: planning; delegating; effective communication; and relationship building. Prayer and relaxation techniques were also key elements of the model. The purpose of this model was to assist future women entrepreneurs. Recommendations for future studies are discussed, along with recommended actions.

iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my mother, Geraldine Minott who taught me that it is never too late in life to make a new start. From her I have learned that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. To my father, Lloyd Finlay who taught me to dream big and take risks, I would not have developed my entrepreneurial skills without the great opportunity to run the family business for ten years. To my son, Travis who is my motivation for taking this journey and to whom I want to encourage to always be the best in whatever you do. To the rest of my family and friends who have always encouraged me and supported me through the many storms of my life, I love you all because Love is the cord that binds us as one.

v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am truly thankful to have a very supportive mentor, Dr. Mishaleen Allen who offered wisdom and guidance during this dissertation process. Dr. Andrew Edelmans positive energy and keen insight and interest in the topic kept me on track. Last but not least, Dr. Lisa Kangas provided detailed and timely feedbacks along with words of encouragement. As I reflect on my doctoral journey, I realize that this journey has no destination. My journey as a lifelong learner will always keep me searching for new challenges and opportunities for self-improvement. I am grateful to my son, Travis who demonstrates that no challenge is too great when you have the talent and the right attitude. My mother, Geraldine Minott is a strong woman who has been my role model for taking on challenges no matter how impossible it may seem. Thanks for taking the time to proof read my paper and asking those questions that helped me to write in a more concise manner. My father, Lloyd Finlay, the entrepreneur, has sparked my interest in the work-life balance issue and helped me to understand the value of keeping a healthy balance with personal and professional life. I have to say a very special thanks to the women who participated in this study. I want to extend my sincere appreciation for the time you took out of your busy schedules to assist with this study. Without you this study would not have been possible. Your willingness to share your experience and the affirmation of the relevance of this study provided a well needed source of encouragement. May you continue to strive for the desired balance in your work and personal life.

vi I would also like to thank my spiritual mentors, Pastors Anthony and Bridget Fontanelle for providing me with excellent examples of spiritual leadership. There are also two women pioneers who I have always admired over many years; Reverend Rosetta ONeal and Judge Pamela Appelt. These women have taught me the importance of leadership and how to make effective social changes in our community, just by being true to who God called them to be. Finally, my ultimate source of strength has always been my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who has been my anchor and my rock and has kept me rooted and grounded. Without Him none of this would have been possible. To Him be all the glory and honor.

vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................xii LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 1 Background of the Problem .................................................................................. 2 Statement of the Problem...................................................................................... 5 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................. 6 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................... 7 Nature of the Study ............................................................................................... 9 Research Questions............................................................................................. 12 Theoretical Framework....................................................................................... 13 Decision-Making ......................................................................................... 13 Motivational Behaviors ............................................................................... 14 Maslows Hierarchy of Needs ..................................................................... 14 Work-Life Conflict ...................................................................................... 15 Work-Life Integration.................................................................................. 15 Role Stress Theory and Role Expansion Theory......................................... 16 Definition of Terms............................................................................................. 16 Assumptions........................................................................................................ 17 Scope, Limitations, and Delimitations................................................................ 18 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................. 23 Title Searches, Articles, Research Documents, Journals Researched ................ 23

viii Historical Overview ............................................................................................ 24 Germinal Studies of Work-Life Balance ............................................................ 32 Entrepreneurship.......................................................................................... 33 Current Research................................................................................................. 35 Current Studies on Work-Life Balance ....................................................... 35 Gaps in the Research ................................................................................... 40 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 41 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER 3: METHOD .................................................................................... 44 Research Method and Design Appropriateness .................................................. 45 Research Method ......................................................................................... 45 Design Appropriateness............................................................................... 47 Research Questions...................................................................................... 49 Population, Sampling, and Data Collection Procedure and Rationale................ 50 Population .................................................................................................... 50 Sampling ...................................................................................................... 51 Informed Consent ........................................................................................ 51 Confidentiality ............................................................................................. 52 Geographic Location ................................................................................... 53 Data Collection Procedure and Rationale.................................................... 53 Instrument Selection .................................................................................... 55 Instrument Reliability .................................................................................. 55 Validity and Reliability....................................................................................... 56

ix Internal......................................................................................................... 56 External........................................................................................................ 57 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 58 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA....................... 61 Authenticity and Reliability of the Study ........................................................... 62 Sampling Procedure ............................................................................................ 63 Study Population................................................................................................. 64 Participant Summary ................................................................................... 64 Data Collection Process ...................................................................................... 67 Time Spent Collecting Data......................................................................... 68 Challenges or Unique Occurrences during Data Collection........................ 68 Notes Taken During Interviews................................................................... 69 Research Questions............................................................................................. 69 Data Analysis Process......................................................................................... 70 Findings............................................................................................................... 71 Demographics Business Data Survey Results ............................................. 71 In-Depth Interviews ............................................................................................ 72 Question 1. Definition of work-life balance ................................................ 72 Question 1. Analysis.................................................................................... 74 Question 2. Challenges in achieving work-life balance .............................. 75 Question 2. Analysis.................................................................................... 77 Question 3. Techniques used to achieve work-life balance......................... 78

x Question 3. Analysis.................................................................................... 80 Question 4. Success strategies used in achieving work-life balance ........... 81 Question 4. Analysis.................................................................................... 84 Question 5. Failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance?............ 84 Question 5. Analysis.................................................................................... 87 Question 6. Work-life balance issues and organizational outcome............. 87 Question 6. Analysis.................................................................................... 89 Question 7. Work-life balance and personal outcome................................. 89 Question 7. Analysis.................................................................................... 91 Emergent Themes ............................................................................................... 91 Summary ............................................................................................................. 98 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................... 100 Research Approach ........................................................................................... 101 Summary of Key Demographic Items .............................................................. 102 Summary of Findings and Interpretations......................................................... 102 Theme One: Women Report Work-Life Balance Challenges ................... 102 Theme Two: Women Report Work-Life Balance Techniques.................. 103 Theme Three: Women Report Success Strategies in Work-Life Balance. 104 Theme Four: Women Report Failed Strategies in Work-Life Balance ..... 105 Theme Five: Women Report Organizational Outcomes ........................... 106 Theme Six: Women Report Personal Outcomes ....................................... 106 Summary and Conclusions ............................................................................... 107 Work-Life Balance Definition................................................................... 107

xi Presentation of Work-Life Balance Model................................................ 109 Recommendation for Future Research and Actions ......................................... 111 Suggestion for Future Studies........................................................................... 113 Significance of Findings to Leadership ............................................................ 114 Closing Remarks............................................................................................... 115 REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 116 APPENDIX A: COVER LETTER FOR INFORMED CONSENT ................. 136 APPENDIX B: RESPONSE TO REQUEST.................................................... 138 APPENDIX C: SURVEY INSTRUMENT ...................................................... 140 APPENDIX D: SUMMARY OF PARTICIPANTS......................................... 141 APPENDIX E: RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS DEMOGRAPHICS ............. 142 APPENDIX F: JOURNAL NOTES ................................................................. 143 P1 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 143 P2 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 145 P3 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 147 P4 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 149 P5 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 151 P6 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 153 P7 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 155 P8 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 157 P9 Journal Notes ........................................................................................ 159 P10 Journal Notes ...................................................................................... 161 APPENDIX G: ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ................................................ 163

xii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Child and Elder Care Dependent ..... 72 Table 2 Theme One: Challenges ... 92 Table 3 Theme Two: Techniques ........... 93 Table 4 Theme Three: Success Strategies ..... 94 Table 5 Theme Four: Failed Strategies ..... 95 Table 6 Theme Five: Organizational Outcomes ........ 96 Table 7 Theme Six: Personal Outcomes ............ 97

xiii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Work-Life Balance Model-Woven Roles .... 109

1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Business leaders continue to confront the challenge of finding balance between professional responsibilities and personal obligations. According to Bird (2006) the demand for work-life-balance solutions by employees and managers is expanding at an unprecedented rate (p. 21). Organizations understand that work-life balance is critical to the key objectives of their organizations and executive teams (Bird, 2006). To date, Fortune 500 companies, such as Ernst and Young, have work-life balance policies in place (Miller & Miller, 2005). A recent study reported by Kranz (2006) found that although 90 percent of employees surveyed say achieving work/life balance is a high priority, only 15 percent claim to be anywhere close to attaining it (p. 1). From a womans perspective, the work-life balance issues become significant as more women are starting their own businesses to achieve balance and flexibility. One of the current trends in business, according to the Center for Womens Business Research (2007a), is that for the past two decades, majority women-owned firms continued to grow at around two times the rate of all firms (42% vs. 24%)( 3). As this trend continues, an increasing number of women face the challenge of finding the right balance between managing personal responsibilities and attaining professional goals (Cooper & Dunelberg, 1986; DeMartino, Barbato, & Jacques, 2006; Hughes, 2006). A comprehensive review of literature presents little research specifically addressing the work-life balance issues of women entrepreneurs (Mattis, 2004; Shelton, 2006). Much of the literature in work-life balance has included both men and women (Fetzer, 2004; Gurvis & Patterson, 2005). In addition, the field of womens studies has focused on female leaders in the corporate world, the glass ceiling effect on women

2 leaders (Kephart, 2005; Mattis, 2004), the exodus to starting their own businesses (Daniel, 2004), and women who chose to stay in corporate leadership positions (Caudron, 1997, 1998; Clark, 2005). This study explored strategies used by current women entrepreneurs and observed trends that will help to develop a work-life balance model that could assist future women business owners. Chapter 1 begins with an overview of the specific problem and includes a discussion of the historical background of women entering the workforce and challenges with work-life balance issues. The significance to the field of leadership is explored and the theoretical framework guiding this research is presented in this chapter. Background of the Problem The influx of women into the workforce over the past 30 years has led to an increase in responsibilities as women take on new roles as leaders while trying to accomplish personal and professional objectives (Noor, 2004; Nordenmark, 2004; Parasuraman, Purohit, & Godshalk, 1996; Parasuraman & Simmer, 2001; Pilieci, 2007; Rothbard, Phillips, & Dumas, 2005). During the early 1970s, women entered the workforce in large numbers and experienced the challenge of managing work and life responsibilities (Boyum-Breen, 2006; Daniel, 2004). This phenomenon drastically changed the traditional family structure as our society once knew it. A woman staying at home to take care of the family while the men went out to work no longer describes the typical American family. Todays family structure consists of single parenting, divorced parents, child-care and elder-care issues which create challenges to the work-life balance objective (Bianchi & Casper, 2001; Moore & Hofferth, 1979; Putney & Bengtson, 2005; Schoen & Canudas-Rumo, 2006; Singleton, 2000).

3 Women started to enter the workforce in large numbers in the 1970s and 1980s due to economic conditions requiring dual income in order for families to meet financial obligations (Nock, 2001; Loscocco & Leicht, 1993; Raley, Mattingly, & Bianchi, 2006). Couples started moving away from the traditional male as a breadwinner to the direction of shared breadwinning. Nock (2001) coined the term MEDS which stands for marriage of equally dependent spouses where each spouse contributes 40-50% of the income (p. 59). Such marriages will continue in prevalence (Nock, 2001). The evolution of women in the workforce has resulted in women taking on new roles in the workplace while maintaining their domestic responsibilities. As changes continued in the workplace, women began developing new leadership skills that positioned them for greater responsibilities and candidates for upward mobility within the corporate structure. This created a new set of challenges as women faced issues of pay equity, the glass ceiling effect and other gender-related work issues, such as lack of flexibility to handle childcare and family responsibilities (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985; Greenhaus & Powell, 2003; Hobson, Delunas, & Kesic, 2001; Kephart, 2005; Mattis, 2004; Reynolds, 2005). Women started to leave the corporate environment to start their own businesses as a result of many of these challenges. According to Caudron (1998) women are becoming entrepreneurs in record numbers because they have good ideas, they seek challenge, and they want their contributions recognized (p. 24). In fact, Caudron (1998) continued to state that, when asked about their reasons for leaving corporate employment, the allure of business ownership, including flexibility and independence, was cited almost three

4 times more often than glass-ceiling issues (p. 24). According to Daniel (2004), the following are reasons why women are leaving corporate America: 1. Dissatisfaction with corporate life focused on two key areas: unhappiness with work environment 28%- and glass ceiling issues 29%. 2. A desire for more balance between work and home (e.g. more flexibility) 51%. 3. A desire for greater challenge, 22%. (p. 57). Clearly, dissatisfaction with corporate life had more to do with work-life balance issues (51%) than with the glass ceiling issues (29%) or unhappy work environment (28%) or a desire for greater challenge (22%). While changes continued in the workplace, changes were also occurring in the home. The incidents of divorce continues to grow and the family structure began to change resulting in many heads of households being women and with single parenting, a vast number of cases the children were left in the care of the woman (Polomeno, 2007; Putney & Bengtson, 2005; Rogers, Power, & Hope, 1997). Women therefore, had to find creative ways to ensure that they can financially provide for their families. They sought job promotions, part-time jobs, and other entrepreneurial activities (Mallon & Cohen, 2001; Mattis, 2004; Reynolds, 2005; Vera & Dean, 2005; Ward, 2007; Woodward, 2007). Other changes were also happening in academia. More women pursued higher levels of education and, according to Hughes (2006), created a desire for greater independence, challenges, and improved financial opportunity. With more employment options to sustain themselves financially, women could now decide on whether or not

5 they wanted to be married and when and if they wanted to have children (Hall-Schwarz, 2005). Moore and Hofferth (1979) support this point stating that, increased employment of women raises occupational aspirations and educational attainment, age at marriage will continue to rise (p. 5). The changing dynamics of both the workplace and the home results in women facing work-life issues which are significantly different from men especially when children are involved and they are in the primary care of the woman. As women strived for personal growth and development, climbing the organizational ladder was once a viable option for independence and financial freedoms. For a number of reasons, women realized that they do have the leadership and entrepreneurial skills to manage their own businesses. While corporate America recognized the need to implement work-life policies such as flexible work schedule and child-care policies, many women entrepreneurs still face the problem of balancing work and personal responsibilities (Caproni, 1997; Kranz, 2006). Statement of the Problem Women in the workforce continue to face the challenge of managing work obligations and personal and family responsibilities (Frone, Russell, & Cooper, 1992; Gershbain & Brownstone, 2007; Guendouzi, 2006; Noor, 2004; Shelton, 2006; Welter, 2004). To gain more flexibility and control over their work and personal lives, many women have started their own businesses in an effort to increase work-life balance (Baber & Monaghan, 1988; Machung, 1989; Slate, 2007; Ward, 2007). Women business owners are well known to experience economic success, employing 19.1 million people and generating $2.5 trillion in sales (Bizwomen.com, 2007). However, these women

6 continue to face the challenge of achieving work-life balance which entails balancing multiple roles such as business owners, mothers, and/or spouses in an effort to achieve flexibility and balance (Schapira, 2005). According to the Center for Womens Business Research (2007a), the number of women-owned businesses continues to grow at twice the rate of all U.S. firms. According to Shelton (2006), relatively little work has examined the strategies employed to mitigate work-family conflict (p. 286). This qualitative phenomenological study explored both success and failed strategies of women business owners in the New York tri-borough area who face the issue of work-life balance. The results of this study provided information represented in a work-life balance model for women business owners. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological doctoral dissertation research study was to explore both the success and failed strategies of women entrepreneurs who have been challenged with work-life balance issues and to develop a work-life balance model that can be used as a tool for future women entrepreneurs. A qualitative approach was appropriate for this study because past studies which examined work-life balance were successful using this approach (Bourne, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Damiano-Teixeira, 2003; Mastri, 2007; Schapira, 2005; Schultz, 2007). A qualitative phenomenological design was appropriate because it addressed the specific problem and goals of this study which was to examine the realities of work-life perceptions in women business owners (Boyum-Breen, 2006). Participants were allowed to express freely their experiences of how they are able to face the challenges of work-life balances as it pertains to personal

7 and career objectives. A semi-structured approach with open ended questions allowed participants to explore their unique experiences in the private setting of an interview and further allowed for candid, personal responses (Lewis, 2003; Mcilfatrick, Sullivan, & McKenna, 2006; Millward, 2006; Thorpe, 2003; Vera, 2005; Woodward, 2007). According to Neuman (2003), a qualitative researcher interprets data by giving them meaning, translating them, or making them understandable (p. 148). Interview data in this study was analyzed using the software NVivo (QSR International, 2007) to discover common themes and patterns that emerged. The population under investigation was 10 women entrepreneurs who live in the New York tri-borough area: Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. The target population was women who have been operating their own business in which they have 100% ownership and have been in business for at least three years. Women were selected from various industries and marital and child dependent status using the purposeful sampling method discussed further in chapter 3. Significance of the Study This study was significant because it addressed the area of personal growth and development for women leaders who are business owners (DeMartino et al., 2006; Shelton, 2006). The characteristics of successful leaders are of interest to theorists as well as leaders and those aspiring to be leaders. A focus on women entrepreneurs will further increase the understanding of leadership behaviors related to balancing personal responsibilities and achieving professional objectives (DeMartino et al., 2006; Shelton, 2007). The problem of work-life balance challenges for women entrepreneur will continue to increase as the number of women-owned businesses continues to grow at

8 twice the rate of other U.S. firms (Center for Womens Business Research, 2007a; Slate, 2007; Ward, 2007). As the number of women-owned business continue to grow at a fast pace, women entrepreneurs will need to develop successful strategies that will help them balance personal and professional responsibilities. According to Platske (2007), if you have unmet needs in your family, you cannot adequately give to your work. And if you ignore the work/life balance, self, family and/or work will suffer ( 3). Successful strategies for work-life balance are important for business and personal growth (Morris, Miyasaki, Watters, & Coombes, 2006). Significance to the field of leadership The field of research in leadership continues to grow and changes in both the internal and external business environment suggest that as changes occur, leadership behaviors will adapt to ensure favorable outcomes. The perceptions of these outcomes differ among men and women. According to Jome, Donahue, and Siegel (2006), women view their businesses from a more relational perspective and may be more likely to define their business goals or success by both traditional financial indices as well as more personal or internal aspects (p. 130). According to Roche and Baskerville (2007), the issues of work-life balance are not likely to be examined until some crisis or event occurs. This would suggest that as a proactive approach, business owners and leaders should identify strategies that could be implemented to minimize conflict and increase the likelihood of work-life balance and facilitation (Roche & Baskerville, 2007, p. 65). Women entrepreneurs would benefit from employing success strategies that will assist them in achieving balance in their personal and professional lives.

9 The results of this study provided information on strategies that will affect personal and organizational outcomes. As the trend continues and women find creative ways to become leaders in niche markets, scholars and practitioners will want to learn more about this phenomenon. In addition, the results of this study provided information that will assist women who are planning to start their own businesses. Most significantly, the information gathered in this research assisted in identifying effective strategies illustrated in a leadership model that can be used as a tool to assist women to become more efficient and effective business leaders (Daniel, 2004; Frone et al., 1992; Guendouzi, 2006; Hughes, 2006). The results of this research provided a base for future studies specifically geared toward understanding how women entrepreneurs manage the dilemma of work-life balance. Nature of the Study A qualitative phenomenological design was selected for this research due to the identified research problem and goals. The problem investigated was the strategies used by women business owners who face work-life balance issues. The goal of the study was to explore the past experiences of women business owners holding multiple roles as mothers and/or spouses in an effort to achieve flexibility and balance. Although a more detailed description of the research design will be presented in chapter 3, the purpose of this section is to provide an overview of the design and to justify its appropriateness. A key strategy to consider in selecting a research design is to frame the study before selecting the appropriate design method. The framing of the study is done by using the problem statement and research questions which narrow the purpose statement to specific questions that researchers seek to answer (Creswell, 2005, p. 117). These are

10 found in both qualitative and quantitative research. To explore fully the topic researchers typically state several questions. These questions act as boundaries within which the study will take place. The formulation of research questions guides the selection of the research method and design. Similar to building a house the frame provides structure and boundaries. Research questions can be fact-oriented or information-gathering which are different ways to address the purpose of the study (Cooper & Schindler, 2002). The research questions and problem statement therefore, formed the framework within which the study was conducted and the purpose statement was fulfilled. According to Cooper and Schindler (2002), research design can be classified by the approach used to gather primary data (p. 319). Research can be approached in three ways depending on the type of problem that needs to be researched: qualitative, quantitative and mixed method. According to Creswell (2005), quantitative research is a type of educational research in which the researcher decides what to study, asks specific, narrow questions, collects numeric (numbered) data from participants, analyzes these numbers using statistics and conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective manner (p. 39). Quantitative research uses a more scientific approach toward understanding a specified concern, event or experience. Qualitative research, on the other hand, depends upon the views and perceptions of participants, asks open-ended questions seeking to understand participants experiences (Creswell, 1998, 1994; Krahn & Putnam, 2003; Moustakas, 1994; Merriam, 2002; Neuman, 2003; Smith, 1995; Smith, Jarman, & Osborn, 1999; Van Manen, 1990). The mixed method is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods.

11 Although the differences in all three methods can be seen at each of the six steps in the research process, the main differences have to do with the type of data collected and the analysis and interpretation. In a quantitative study, the data is represented by numbers whereas in qualitative the data is represented by text. In interpreting and analyzing the data, a quantitative study is objective while a qualitative study is more biased. In quantitative statistical analysis, descriptions of trends and group comparison or relationship among variables are determined. In the qualitative study, text is analyzed for common theme and results are examined for larger meanings. In a quantitative study, a description of trends or an explanation of the relationship among variables should be evident. In qualitative, an exploration in which little is known about the problem should be explained. In this research study, the phenomenon of how women entrepreneurs handle the challenges of work-life balance was studied and addressed. The design selected for this dissertation was a qualitative phenomenological study with data being collected by conducting face-to-face interviews. A phenomenological study focused on the lived experience of women entrepreneurs from their perspectives. The hermeneutic phenomenological design kept the study centered on the participants and their views (Creswell, 2005). In addition, according to Laverty, 2003, hermeneutic phenomenology is concerned with the life world or human experienced as it is lived (p. 7). This approach was selected for several reasons. First, work-life balance has been studied in depth focusing on women in leadership and even deans at a four-year college/university level but no study has focused on the work-life balance of women entrepreneurs (Bourne, 2006). A qualitative study provided the opportunity to examine the realities of work-life perceptions in women business owners. Secondly, a qualitative

12 approach allowed women to express freely their experiences of how they are able to face the challenges of work-life balances as it pertains to personal and career objectives. Finally, a semi-structured approach with open-ended questions allowed the participants to explore their unique experiences in the private setting of an interview facilitating candid, personal responses. Data analysis was conducted using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach (Smith, 1995; Smith et al., 1999). This distinctive approach was used to analyze data collected in qualitative research for identifying themes. In a similar study, Millward (2006) explains this process by whereby potential meanings are identified and recorded using key words that capture the essential essence of what is being said (but which are also strongly grounded in participants own words) (p. 321). This form of analysis has been used in several recent studies where lived experiences of women were being studied and analyzed (Eatough & Smith, 2006; Millward, 2006). In addition, this study utilized the software NVivo designed to remove many of the manual tasks associated with analysis such as classifying, sorting and arranging information and allow more time to explore trends, build and test theories (QSR International, 2007). A qualitative approach was appropriate for this study because past studies examining worklife balance were successful using this approach (Bourne, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Damiano-Teixeira, 2003; Mastri, 2007; Schapira, 2005; Schultz, 2007). This approach was successful in ultimately meeting the objectives of the study. Research Questions Using the qualitative design and personal interviews for data collection, the three research questions that were posed in this study were:

13 1. How is success in work-life balance defined by women entrepreneurs? 2. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? 3. How does work-life balance affect personal and organizational outcome for women entrepreneurs? Theoretical Framework The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs facing issues of work-life balance. The theories that guided this study were the decision-making, motivational behaviors, Maslows hierarchy of needs, work-life conflict and work-life integration, role stress and role expansion theory. These theories provided the theoretical framework for this study. Decision-Making Everyday, people make decisions to ensure the best possible outcome. Making the right decision in both personal and professional and personal life can be challenging. Decision-making requires deciding on alternative solutions and choosing the one that will produce the most desirable outcome. In work-life balance, deciding on priorities can be the biggest challenge as the overall well being of the individual is considered. According to Endres and Woods (2006), generally, a behavioral theory of entrepreneurial behavior starts with questions about an entrepreneurs modes of reasoning through the complete process of opportunity construction, exploitation and interpretation of results (p. 196). How an entrepreneur makes decisions according Clayton (2005) will not be in self interest but more communal type of decision-making where people make decision on the basis of mutual best interest (p. 241). In real life situations women in the workforce have

14 to make choices that will benefit them as individuals as well as their families and the organization in which they work (Cahalan, 2007; Schultz, 2007). Morris et al. (2006) noted that women entrepreneurs require a myriad of skills ranging from planning, and organizing to the ability to delegate and make rapid decisions under stress (p. 241). Motivational Behaviors The study of leadership has focused on the motivational factors that cause some people to be more productive than others. Leadership behaviors have an impact on organizational outcomes and research has suggested that this is the heart of organizational success (Endres & Woods, 2006; Hughes, 2006). In a similar manner, motivational behaviors affect the successful outcome of personal lives and in particular the family unit. According to Slate (2007) by learning about these womens motivations, passions, and worries, youll develop a better understanding of family-run, woman-owned businesses and be better equipped to help them construct functional, holistic financial plans that meet the needs of everyone in the family (p. 16). Collins, Hanges, and Locke (2004) acknowledged that additional research is needed to explore the direction of the relationship between achievement motivation and entrepreneurial behavior, since achievement motivation does significantly predict entrepreneurial activity both choice of an entrepreneurial occupation and performance in that role (p. 114). Maslows Hierarchy of Needs The various stages of Maslows hierarchy of needs explain motivational behavior and the extent to which ones actions are driven by the desire to satisfy personal needs (Dintleman, 2002). This framework has been used in organizational management to ensure that the needs of individuals and the needs of the organization are aligned (Daniel,

15 2004; Dixon & Bruening, 2007; Greenhaus & Powell, 2003, 2006; Shelton, 2006). Maslows hierarchy of needs further allows managers to design jobs that are suited for the employees skill sets and potential for advancement within the organization. Ayadurai and Sohail (2006) cited the following motivating factors for women business ownership: to achieve a higher standard of living; to pursue a business idea; to be self-reliant; to support the family and due to lack of opportunities in the employment sector (p. 11). Maslows theory can also be used, as a framework for research is explained for understanding and action rather than a rigid prescription governing all human activity (Zalenski & Raspa, 2006, p. 1121). Work-Life Conflict The conflict between work responsibilities and family obligations can cause stress on both women and men. The fact that women are traditionally responsible for the domestic duties in the home and are more nurturing often put more pressure on the working-woman to manage work-life conflict. While this phenomena affects women and men, this study will focus on the conflict women face in trying to resolve conflicts in both work and personal life (Dutcher, 2003; Gurvis & Patterson, 2005; Millward, 2006; Schapira, 2005; Shelton, 2006; Ward, 2007; Woodward, 2007). Work-Life Integration Keeping ones personal life separate from the professional life was once thought to be the best strategy for keeping a balance between the two entities. Recent studies in this area suggest that one of the possible solutions could be integrating work responsibilities and family obligations (Greenhaus & Powell, 2003, 2006; Gurvis & Patterson, 2005; White, 2007). Rather than keeping them separate, work-life integration

16 is designed to take a holistic approach rather than a compartmentalized approach. White (2007) suggested that employees should consider, integration of your personal and professional lives as a process rather than a destination (p. 358). This theoretical framework provided some understanding of the work-life balance issues. Role Stress Theory and Role Expansion Theory Role stress theory postulates that having one role as employee and one as a parent and housewife in general is very stressful and causes role conflicts (Nordenmark, 2004). In contrast, the role expansion theory argues that conflict with multiple roles can have positive effects on the individuals well being (Nordenmark, 2004). These two opposing theories can be beneficial in explaining work-life balance issues as women take on entrepreneurial roles (high stress) and leverage the flexibility this affords them to handle family and work responsibilities and priorities. Definition of Terms This study includes terms and words that can be defined in more than one way or have a unique connotation. For the purpose of this study, the following words and terms are defined as follows: Work-Life Balance. Work-life balance is defined in this study as the dilemma of managing work obligations and personal and or family responsibilities (Lockwood, 2003). The main focus of this study was to determine how women entrepreneurs manage the role conflict between work and personal responsibilities in order to achieve balance. Balance is defined as, a state where an individual manages real or potential conflict between different demands on his or her time and energy in a way that satisfies his or her needs for well-being and self-fulfillment (Clutterbuck, 2003, p. 8).

17 Work-Life Conflict. The push and pull between work and family responsibilities (Lockwood, 2003). This refers to the conflict women face in managing their role as business owner while maintaining personal and family responsibilities and obligations. Work family culture. The extent to which an organizations culture acknowledges and respects the family responsibilities and obligations of its employees and encourages management and employees to work together to meet their personal and work needs (Lockwood, 2003). In this study the culture created by the entrepreneur determined how work-life conflicts are handled (Renner, 2007). Women business owner. For this study, only women who are 100% owners were considered. Sole business ownership provided a greater level of responsibility and therefore, a greater challenge to manage personal and organizational outcomes. Entrepreneur. A person whom has taken new ideas and concepts and created a business which provides employment for himself/herself and others (Hughes, 2006). Rani and Rao (2007) defined entrepreneur as a person whom has an eye for opportunity, willing take risks, a commercial acumen, and through enterprising skills an innovativeness can generate employment for others and create personal wealth (p. 28). Assumptions A fundamental assumption was that the participants in this study will reveal multiple understanding and meanings and provide the researcher with a number of different perspectives in their own words (Ivanoff & Hultberg, 2006, p. 127). This was also based on the basic assumption that the participants would be truthful in their responses in order to provide validity to the study. The responses would truly reflect the thoughts and experience of the participants as they were selected based on their

18 knowledge and experience concerning the phenomenon being investigated. Ivanoff and Hultberg (2006) highlight the point that just by virtue of the selecting the participants for the study, awareness will be created which will give this methodology a specific characteristic of being heuristic. This heuristic process is described as reevaluating their own understanding of their life situation and how to manage it while the researcher has to be a listener and learn from the participants, as they are the experts on the topic in progress (Ivanoff & Hultberg, 2006, p.131). The overall meaning and assumption is that while the participants are gaining understanding the researcher is learning (Moustakas, 1990). Scope, Limitations, and Delimitations The scope, limitations, and delimitations establish the boundaries, exceptions, and qualifications inherent in every study (Creswell, 1994, p.110). The nature of this qualitative, phenomenological research suggests certain boundaries that frame the study. According to Creswell (1994), the scope, limitations, and delimitations are also provided to identify potential weaknesses of the study. Scope The scope of this study was limited to 10 participants who shared their lived experience. The scope was limited due to the nature of the study that focused on lived experiences of women entrepreneurs who face work-life balance issues. The scope was also limited to a geographic area of New York tri-borough area: Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn.

19 Limitations The following is a list of some limitations that had the potential to threaten the internal validity of this study. This is followed by a discussion of ways to minimize these limitations. 1. This study was limited by the honesty of the subjects responses during the interviews. A phenomenological study focused on the candid responses of the participants as they shared their experiences and were subject to the participants recollection of events and the extent to which they chose to share. 2. This study was limited by the amount of time available to conduct the study. While one hour was allocated for each interview, this time constraint may have restricted how much information was shared. 3. Validity of this study was limited to the interpretation of the responses and the ability to identify emerging themes. Aisbett (2006) cautions that any data collected can never be generalized to other groups of participants or populations (p. 57). 4. This study was restricted to a small population of selected women entrepreneurs in a specific geographic location in the tri-borough area of New York. Generalization of the results is uncertain. Future studies involving larger sample size and greater geographic location should be conducted. In addition to the above-mentioned limitations, Haberstroh, Duffey, Evans, Gee, and Trepal (2007) stated that small sample size is a form of limitation because it may not represent what others experience. Choudhuri, Glauser, and Peregoy (2004) stated, however, that, the purpose of qualitative research is not to produce generalization (p.

20 444). This point is supported by Brantlinger, Jimenez, Klinger, and Pugach (2005) who stated that qualitative research is not done for purposes of generalization but rather to produce evidence based on the exploration of specific contexts and particular individuals (p. 203). While generalization was not the purpose of the study, trustworthiness and validity of the research had to be established. Choudhuri et al. (2004) suggested that part of establishing trustworthiness or validity is to make transparent the selection process, the interview settings, and how interview questions were created (p. 444). Although this phenomenological method had inherent limitations, acknowledging them increased the credibility of the study. Delimitations Several researcher controlled delimitations may limit the extent to which the results of this study can be generalized. First, this study was confined to interviewing women entrepreneurs who are sole owners of their businesses which did not take into account other women entrepreneurs who share ownership with spouses, family members or other partners. Second, the focus on ownership for more than three consecutive years did not allow input from start-up business owners who may have success and failed strategies that could be of benefit to the outcome of this study. Third, interviews of women business owners could be interpreted as bias on the part of the researcher. Chapter Summary This chapter introduced the issue of work-life balance as it pertains to women entrepreneurs and the challenge of finding balance between professional responsibilities and personal obligations. Work-life balance is critical to the key objectives of organizations who are concerned with quality of work-life for their employees (Miller &

21 Miller, 2005). From a womans perspective, the work-life balance issues become significant as more women are starting their own businesses to achieve balance and flexibility. To gain more flexibility and control over their work and personal lives, many women have started their own businesses in an effort to increase work-life balance (Baber & Monaghan, 1988; Machung, 1989; Slate, 2007; Ward, 2007). Platske (2007) suggested that a person cannot adequately contribute to his or her work if they have needs that are not met within the family and in addition, when the work-life balance issue is ignored self, family and/or work will suffer. A qualitative approach is appropriate for this study because past studies which examined work-life balance were successful using this approach (Bourne, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Damiano-Teixeira, 2003; Mastri, 2007; Schapira, 2005; Schultz, 2007). This qualitative phenomenological research study explored the strategies of women entrepreneurs who have been challenged with work-life balance issues and development of a work-life balance model that can be used as a tool for future women entrepreneurs. The target population was women who have been operating their own business in which they have 100% ownership and have been in business for at least three years. Women were selected from various industries and various marital and child dependent status using the purposeful sampling method. Finally, data analysis was conducted using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach (Smith, 1995; Smith et al., 1999). This distinctive approach was used to analyze data collected in qualitative research for identifying themes. In addition, the software NVivo was utilized in this study which was designed to remove many of the manual tasks associated with qualitative data analysis.

22 The results of this study provided information on strategies that will affect personal and organizational outcomes for women entrepreneurs. In addition, the results of this research provided a base for future studies specifically geared toward understanding how women entrepreneurs manage the dilemma of work-life balance. The next chapter will provide a review of the existing literature that will give further insight into concepts of work-life balance and entrepreneurship.

23 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research was to explore the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs in the context of how they manage the worklife balance dilemma. This chapter presents results from searches of related literature and discussions pertaining to the areas that contribute to the understanding of the phenomena being studied. Those areas include the historical role of women in the family; germinal studies and theories that affect the study of work-life balance; entrepreneurship; current studies in work-life balance; and finally gaps in the current research literature. Title Searches, Articles, Research Documents, Journals Researched Scholarly books, refereed journal articles, and research documents were searched for and used through the University of Phoenix Electronic Library. Internet search engines EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Emerald, and ProQuest Digital Dissertation were used. References from other appropriate titles were used to further the literature searches through internet online search engines and in public libraries. Title searches included; work-life balance, women entrepreneurs, organizational gender studies, women starting businesses, work-life integration, women and family, work/family balance and work-life dilemma. The search led to approximately 10,000 peer reviewed articles on the above categories of which over 100 were included in this literature review. The key words of work-life balance and women entrepreneur in a search of more than 600,000 dissertations on the ProQuest Digital Dissertations database revealed 786 dissertations addressing work-life balance and 77 that addressed the women entrepreneur. A search combining both key words revealed only five dissertations. Of these five, only

24 one study specifically addressed entrepreneurship as an option for women seeking balance of work and family demands (Bourne, 2006). Historical Overview To understand fully the phenomenon being studied, a literature review from a historical perspective is necessary to observe how the role of women has transformed over the decades. The womens ability to balance family and organizational responsibilities requires a good understanding of the roles they play in both their personal and professional lives. The most popular theoretical perspective to guide the research on work-life balance has been role theory (Barnett & Gareis, 2006; Dutcher, 2003; Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985; Greenhaus & Powell, 2003, 2006). This theory posits that as individuals assume multiple roles in both personal and professional lives it becomes more difficult to manage each role successfully. Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, Snoek, and Rosenthal (1964) referred to role pressures from work and family as being mutually incompatible in some respect. Role stress theory is also another theoretical perspective that postulates that having one role as employee and one as a parent and housewife in general is very stressful and causes role conflicts (Bryant & Constantine, 2006; Nordenmark, 2004). In contrast, the role expansion theory argues that conflict with multiple roles can have positive effects on the individuals well being (Nordenmark, 2004). This historical overview identifies the role women play in the family as well as the transition into organizations. The historical and changing role of women in the family It has been a traditional concept that child-rearing is the role of women while the role of men is to pursue careers outside of the home (Gershbain & Brownstone, 2007;

25 Greenhaus & Powell, 2003, 2006; Putney & Bengtson, 2005). Contemporary research in this area of the changing roles of women has focused on the changes to the traditional family structure. A longitudinal study conducted by Putney and Bengtson (2005) consisting of women from four different historical periods; 1920s women, 1900-1915; Depression Era women, 1916-1930; Silent Generation women, 1931-1945; Baby Boomers, 1946-1956; and Generation Xers, 1960-1975 gives insight into the changing role of women from a historical perspective. Factors affecting the psychological well being and their ability to adapt to life stresses and pressure depend on the period in which women are born. For example, according to Putney and Bengston (2005), the prevalence of three, four and five generation families increases the role women play, which now includes grandparenthood affects baby boomer more than it did the 1920s women. In addition, other phenomenological changes in the family structure such as the increase in divorce and remarriage, single parenthood and cohabitations increases the complexity of family configuration and relationships which affects the role of women in the family (Putney & Bengston, 2005). Divorce and remarriage. Changes in the configuration of the family triggered by divorce and remarriage have important implications for women and family well-being. It has been said in the news media that the high rate of divorce in the U.S. is approximately 50% or that one in two marriages will end in divorce (Hurley, 2005). Schoen and Canudas-Romo (2006) stated that the 1995 U.S. rates imply that 43%-44% of marriages would end in a formal divorce (p. 749). This information, according to Hurley (2005) is erroneous and misleading because, the people who are divorcing in any given year are not the same as those who are marrying, and that the statistic is virtually useless in

26 understanding divorce rates. Schoen and Canudas-Romo (2006) does admit a need to, introduce substantial adjustment factors of uncertain accuracy to estimate the overall risk of divorce (p. 749). Hurley (2005) further emphasizes the point that, studies find that the divorce rate in the United States has never reached one in every two marriages, and new research suggests that, with rates now declining, it probably never will (p. F7). According to the U.S. Bureau of Census (2001), the divorce rate is 17.7 per 1,000 married women, down from 22.6 in 1980. The marriage rate is also on a steady decline: a 50% drop since 1970 from 76.5 per 1,000 unmarried women to 39.9. The increased responsibilities of the woman to care for the family oftentimes becoming the sole bread winner put an economic strain which further makes it difficult to achieve balance in work and family responsibilities (Lockwood, 2003; Lorenz, Wickrama, Conger, & Elder., 2006; Loscocco & Leicht, 1993). Regardless of the actual percentage rate of divorce, the psychological impact of divorce affects the family structure and the role women play has been well documented in the literature (Huurre, Junkkari, & Aro, 2006; Lorenz et al., 2006). The increased stress caused by greater financial responsibilities will affect the womans ability to balance work and family responsibilities especially if she has to care for the children. The effect of divorce and remarriage has even greater effect on work-life balance issues when young children are involved. The psychological effect of stress on children of divorced parents has been studied through various longitudinal studies and results consistently show that, parental divorce is an indicator of such stress in childhood that influences persist well into adulthood (Huurre et al., 2006, p. 261). Earlier studies indicate similar findings of the lasting negative effects on children resulting from parental

27 divorce (Cherlin, Chase-Lansdale, & McRae, 1998; Gilman, Kawachi, Fitzmaurice, & Buka, 2003; Hope, Power, & Rodgers, 1998; Rogers et al., 1997). The stress and emotional impact of divorce has been described as being equivalent to losing ones spouse through death (Polomeno, 2007). Studies on the effect of stress on women as a result of divorce have been documented in the literature (Houghton, 2007). A study by Lorenz et al. (2006), traces the decade-long 1991-2001 effects of divorce on the psychological distress and physical illness of a panel of 416 women who were mothers of ninth graders in 1991 (p. 112). The result of this study revealed that divorced mothers of adolescent children have chronically higher levels of acute stressful events independent of chronic stressors such as greater parenting burdens or worse jobs and work conditions (p. 121). The stress and other effects of work-family conflict include psychological distress, poor health, decreased marital or job satisfaction, reduced job performance, and intent to leave ones profession (Bruening & Dixon, 2007, p. 472). Caring for young children and elderly parent. Childcare and eldercare are undoubtedly the most important issues facing working mothers today (Eikhof, Warhurst, & Haunschild, 2007; Meyers & Gornick, 2005; Guendouzi, 2006; Millward, 2006; Polomeno, 2007; Putney & Bengtson, 2005; Singleton, 2000). Family-friendly programs, according to Devlin (2007) makes sense to try to support staff with caring responsibilities rather than lose skilled staff (p. 2). In support of family-friendly programs, Wang and Walumbwa (2007), stated that a committed workforce can be used as a mechanism to, reduce employee absenteeism, stress and turnover rates (p. 397). While childcare has been well documented as a primary concern of working mothers,

28 eldercare is reported to be even more stressful than childcare (Singleton, 2000). Singleton further suggested similarities in terms of the demands both physically and psychologically however, distinct differences between childcare and eldercare exist. One distinct difference is the facing of ones own mortality as one deal with the issue of final separation (Singleton, 2000). Studies in gender differences in caring for the elderly revealed that men are more likely to help with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) which involves grocery shopping, writing check, and mowing the lawn; women will help more with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) such as bathing, dressing, and feeding (Singleton, 2000). Delayed nest-leaving. Adult children who are staying longer at home before venturing out to live on their own is also another factor that affects the role of women in the family and is not often discussed. The U.S. Census Bureau in 2000 showed that 56% of men and 43% of women aged 18 to 24 years lived at home with one or both parents (U.S. Census 2001). While the responsibilities of women toward older children is less than with school age children the fact of having an increased household affects the relationships and role of women as mothers and spouses. Research has shown that one of the problems some women face is caring for adolescents with developmental disabilities adding yet another dimension to specialized care (Parish, 2006). Single Parenting. According to the U.S. Census 2000, the continued shift from two- parent to single parent families are increasing. According to Bianchi and Casper (2001), the proportion of households consisting of married couples with their own children declined from 40% in 1970 to 24% in 2000, while single parenting households increased from 11% in 1970 to 16% in 2000. These figures could be a reflection of the

29 decreased number of marriages and women opting to have children without being married. In fact, Bianchi and Casper (2001) confirms that approximately 30% of childbirths took place outside of marriage. The effect of single parenting as it relates to work-life balance has been studied resulting in the fact that single mothers face increased stress compared to single fathers (Noor, 2004). The changing dynamics of the family caused by divorce, remarriages, delayed leaving the nest, and single parenting greatly impact the role of women in the family (Bianchi & Casper, 2001). These changes include not only the responsibility for domestic issues; childcare and eldercare but also the economic well being and functioning of the home unit. The next section will address the evolution of women in organizations. The historical role of women in organizations Women started to enter the workforce in large numbers in the 1970s and 1980s due to economic conditions requiring dual income in order for families to meet financial obligations (Raley et al., 2006). Couples started moving away from the traditional male as a breadwinner to the direction of shared breadwinning. According to Nock (2001) who coined the term MEDS, which stands for marriage of equally dependent spouses where each spouse contributes 40-50% of the income, this type of marriage will continue to increase (p. 59). The influx of women into the workforce over the past 30 years has led to an increase in responsibilities as women take on new roles as leaders in organizations while trying to accomplish personal and professional objectives (Jennings & McDougald, 2007; Parasuraman et al., 1996). New roles in leadership results in women being confronted

30 with stressors which stem from stereotypical expectations and biases that others have of women and women have for themselves (Hoyt, 2005). Despite the influx of women into the workforce, they have only made minor gains into top management positions (Colarelli, Spranger, & Hechanova, 2006; McDonald, 2004). American women according to Clift (2007), still earn 77 cents to a man's dollar; they experience wider gender gaps in education, politics, business and health; they hold 98 per cent of low-paying "women's" jobs and fewer than 15 per cent of board seats at major corporations (p. 1). This pay inequity along with work-life balance issues has forced several women to seek alternative measures to gain more control over their time and finances. Another important factor to consider is that women have not been fairly represented in top management positions including positions held on board of directors. The following statistics presented by Catalyst (2006) reveals the following: In 2006, women held 14.6 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies, down from 14.7 percent in 2005. Women of color held just 3.1 percent of all Fortune 500 board seats, down from 3.4 percent in 2005. The number of companies with no women board directors increased from 53 in 2005 to 58 in 2006, but the number of companies with three or more women board directors also increased from 76 in 2005 to 84 in 2006. ( 4) The unfair representation of women in top management positions creates dissatisfaction among women leaders who want to maximize their leadership potential (Caudron, 1998; Clark, 2005; Daniel, 2004). Kephart (2005) further explains that women continue to cluster near the bottom of professional and organizational hierarchies with

31 lower earnings, lower authority, and lower advancement potential than their male counterparts (p. 3). Women started to leave the corporate environment to start their own businesses as a result of many of these challenges (Clark, 2005; Daniel, 2004; Mallon & Cohen, 2001; Mattis, 2004). According to Caudron (1998), women are becoming entrepreneurs in record numbers because they have good ideas, they seek challenge, and they want their contributions recognized (p. 24). In fact, Caudron (1998) continues to state that, when asked about their reasons for leaving corporate employment, the allure of business ownership, including flexibility and independence, was cited almost three times more often than glass-ceiling issues (p. 24). According to Daniel (2004), the following are reasons why women are leaving corporate America: 1. Dissatisfaction with corporate life- focused on two key areas: unhappiness with work environment 28%- and glass ceiling issues 29%. 2. A desire for more balance between work and home (e.g. more flexibility) 51%.

3. A desire for greater challenge, 22% (p. 57). Evidence from the research literature suggests that women are dissatisfied with corporate life and desire more balance and flexibility over work and personal life (Frone, 2003; Frye & Breaugh, 2004; Greenhaus & Powell, 2006; Hobson, Delunas, & Kesic, 2001). In a Scandinavian study on the topic of women and work-life balance, 40% of full-time working women who have had children during the last eight years stated they would prefer to shorten their working hours, while few fathers shared that preference (Nordenmark, 2004). This further supports the pivotal role women play in the family and caring for children.

32 Germinal Studies of Work-Life Balance Since the early 1970s, people have been speaking of the importance of work-life balance (Elbing, Gadon, & Gordon, 1975). The notion of people wanting to work to live as oppose to living to work, created a desire of employees to find the right balance between work and family responsibilities (Judkins, 2007). As the work week increased and work stress increased, employees were less satisfied and more depressed (Pilieci, 2007). Germinal studies in this area started with replacing the traditional fixed-hour systems with flexible work hours where the worker shared in the control of the working time (Elbing et al., 1975). As a result, employees were reporting increased personal satisfaction due to the ability to balance the demands of their personal and work life. The term work-life balance was first coined in 1986 as a result of workers neglecting their personal family obligations to pursue corporate goals (Lockwood, 2003; Work Life Balance Center, 2007). According to the Work-Life Balance Center (2007), work-life balance is defined as a life where, we spread our energy and effort emotional, intellectual, imaginative, spiritual and physical between key areas of importance. The neglect of one or more areas, or anchor points, may threaten the vitality of the whole ( 2). Defining work-life balance, according Wright (2005), is difficult because work-life balance cannot be generalized. Instead of trying to define work-life balance, Wright (2005) suggested that each person, understand where you are in your life right now and honestly evaluate whether the choices you have made are serving you well (p. 21). In order to fully understand how work-life balance affects women, the next section explains why entrepreneurship offers more options in terms of flexibility.

33 Entrepreneurship An entrepreneur is defined as a person whom has taken new ideas and concepts and created a business which provides self-employment and employment for others (Hughes, 2006). Research in the area of entrepreneurship and the effect on both work and family life gave insight into the relationship between work and family domains with respect to the role demands and time commitment in both entities (Estes, Noonan, & Maume, 2007; Parasuraman et al., 1996). Findings from this study illustrated two types of conflict; work-to-family and family-to-work. Time commitment in the two types of conflicts are transmitted into career success and life stress (Parasuraman et al., 1996). Work-to-family conflict is associated with heightened life stress whereas family-to-work is associated with decreased career satisfaction of entrepreneurs. According Parasuraman and Simmers (2001) self-employed persons may be more psychologically involved in work and display higher levels of job involvement than organizationally employed persons (p. 553). Due to the increased responsibilities, business owners typically work longer hours and may experience more work-life balance issues than organizationally employed persons (DeMartino et al., 2006). Previous studies revealed that self employment offers certain work characteristics and benefits such as autonomy and schedule flexibility that could facilitate better balancing of work-life issues (Cooper & Dunelberg, 1986; Greenhaus & Callaman, 1994; McAtavey, 2002). In contrast however, Parasuraman and Simmers (2001) stated that, business ownership has both costs and benefits and is not a panacea for the role pressures and constraints encountered in traditional organizational employment (p. 566). While one of the benefits of being a

34 business owner includes flexibility, the pressures and time constraints may not provide the balance business owners are seeking. The effect of gender on the psychological well being of business owners has been studied and according to Parasuraman et al. (1996), women entrepreneurs devote significantly more time to family than men(p. 294). The findings of several studies indicate that gender influences career success and well being of entrepreneurs. Women have been leaving corporations to form their own businesses (Mallon & Cohen, 2001; Kephart 2005; Shelton, 2006) in order to gain flexibility and achieve work-life balance. This trend is continuing and according to the Center for Womens Business Research, as of 2006, there are an estimated 7.7 million 51% or more women-owned firms, accounting for 29.7% of all businesses in the U.S. majority (51% or more) women-owned firms in the U.S. generate $1.1 trillion in annual sales and employ 7.2 million people nationwide. ( 1). These statistics indicate that while the number of women-owned business surpass that of all firms, including publicly held firms, the number of employees and the growth in sales lag significantly behind. Work-life balance issues may be a contributing factor to the reason financial success for women owned businesses is not on par with other firms (Center for Womens Business Research, 2007b). One possible explanation could be as cited by Morris et al. 2006 that growth is a deliberate choice and that women have a clear sense of costs and benefits of growth and make careful trade-off decisions (p. 240). Not only were women starting their own businesses in beauty parlors and nursing fields, but also in a wide array of industries that would be typically male dominated industries such as oil and gas services, gun-cleaning equipment, cablevision (Oxygen

35 Network), security, technology, advertising, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture manufacturer, temp staffing, and travel (Eikhof & Haunschild, 2006; Knotts, Jones, & LaPreze, 2004; Peck, 2007). According to the Center for Womens Business Research (2007), women are now in non traditional businesses and reports that construction, agricultural services, transportation, communications, and public utilities are the fastest growing industries among women-owned firms, yet very little is known about this segment of our economy ( 2). The Center for Womens Business Research (2007) further states that studies indicate that these industries, which were traditionally dominated by men, show the differences and similarities between men- and womenowned firms. Women are no longer limited to female dominated professions such as beauty care or nursing, they have crossed over into all industries. In addition, motivational factors for business ownership were cited by Ayadurai and Sohail (2006) as follows: to achieve a higher standard of living; to pursue a business idea; to be selfreliant; to support the family and due to lack of opportunities in the employment sector (p. 11). Current Research Current Studies on Work-Life Balance Work-life balance is defined as the dilemma of managing work obligations and personal and or family responsibilities (Lockwood, 2003). Balance is defined as, a state where an individual manages real or potential conflict between different demands on his or her time and energy in a way that satisfies his or her needs for well-being and selffulfillment (Clutterbuck, 2003, p. 8). Many of the research on work-life balance have to do with corporations looking at this issue as a case of social responsibility and/or

36 competitive advantage (Joshi et al., 2002; Mastri, 2007). The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) predicts that work-life balance will be one of the top 10 trends influencing the workplace in the next decade (Reiss & Costello, 2007). In fact, to date, many of the fortune 500 companies such as Ernst and Young have work-life balance policies in place (Miller & Miller, 2005). According to Bird (2006) the demand for work-life-balance solutions by employees and managers is expanding at an unprecedented rate (p. 21). Zacharias (2005), however, reported that while these policies attempt to improve flexibility and control over work hours for employees career-oriented women do not believe that work-life balance will be brought about by these policies. Research in the area of family-friendly policies revealed that a coherent familysupportive work-place environment may be what is needed to assist workers in their goal to achieve work-life balance (Batt & Valcour, 2003; Berg, Kalleberg, & Appelbaum, 2003; Frye & Breaugh, 2004; Wang & Walumbwa, 2007). Organizations have in the past taken a one sided approach to work-life efforts that has not yielded much success. A recent study reported by Kranz (2006) found that although 90 % of employees surveyed say achieving work/life balance is a high priority, only 15 % claim to be anywhere close to attaining it (p. 1). Jim Bird, CEO of Worklifebalance.com suggests a two-prong approach: what the company does for the individual and what the individuals do for themselves (Bird, 2006). Bird (2006) further explains that work-life balance is more an individual issue that affects the organization than it is an organizational issue that affects the individual (p. 3). According to Joshi et al. (2002), achievement and enjoyment are critical to achieving work-life balance. From a companys perspective, areas in which organizations

37 can assist is in addressing this issue includes, telecommuting, flex-time, child-care, elder care, job sharing, maternity leave, employee assistance programs, vacations, and other perks (Eikhof et al., 2007; Frone, 2003; Hardware, 2007). These benefits are designed to motivate and retain a superior workforce and individuals are encouraged to take advantage of these benefits. According to Bond, Galinsky, Kim, and Brownfield (2005), 47% of the companies surveyed stated that the main reason for implementing work-life policies and programs is to recruit and retain employees (p. 26). Obstacles to implementing work-life policies included, job doesnt allow, hard to supervise, lack of staff and inflexible work arrangements (Bond et al., 2005, p. 27). Lewison (2005) suggested that organizations create good programs that address the changing needs of its employees and communicate the importance of work-life balance policies to front-line managers. According to Lewison (2005), smart firms and companies are implementing programs that address employees elder-care demands as well as single-parent staff members emergency-day-care needs (p. 45). Miller and Miller (2005) reported that companies need to understand that people want to have better work lives and working 24/7 will only result in talent melt down. In addressing the work-life balance dilemma, Gershbain and Brownstone (2007) stated that work-life balance is not a womens issue, yet it is more accurate to describe it as an issue of gender inequality (p. A13). This stigma attached to work-life balance as a womens issue may be the cause of many women not taking full advantage of the programs available. Studies have shown that women are reluctant to take a full year of maternity leave or request flexible or part-time work because of the fear that this will have negative effect on career advancement (Millward, 2006).

38 Solutions to the work-life balance dilemma can have significant impact on both the individual and the organization (Bruening & Dixon, 2007; Dixon & Bruening, 2007; Greenhaus & Powell, 2006; Hobson et al., 2001). The following are some of the benefits to the organization: (1) measured increases in individual productivity, (2) accountability and commitment, (3) better teamwork and communication, (4) improved morale, and (5) less negative organizational stress (Work Life Balance, 2007). In a similar manner, the benefits to the individual are: (1) more value and balance in daily life, (2) better understanding of what individual work-life balance is, (3) increased productivity, (4) improved relationship both on and off the job, and (5) reduced stress (Work Life Balance, 2007). The notion of work-life integration and segmentation are also interesting concepts in attempts to solve the work-life dilemma. According to Clark (2000), no one desirable state of integration or segmentation exists. Clarks border theory explains that the primary connections between work and family systems are not emotional but rather human (Clark, 2000). People make conscious decisions to cross the borders between work and family systems on a daily basis which makes this complex interaction difficult to predict when conflict will occur (Lambert, Kass, Piotrowski, & Vodanovich, 2006). Understanding the borders of both systems and the crossing over from one domain to another requires flexibility, and the ability to blend or integrate activities from both systems. Successful strategy in achieving balance will come from effective communication and central participation in the form of developing relationships with others (Clark, 2000). Further study on the border concept reveals that organizations need to do more than just adopt policies to address work-life balance but to understand how

39 people manage the boundaries between work and non work and their desire for segmentation as a strategy for managing multiple roles. In support of the importance of communication and relationship building, Van Klaveren and Maasen van den Brink (2007) stated that, if couples derive utility from spending leisure time together, it is expected that these couples will coordinate their work schedules in order to increase the amount of joint leisure time (p. 49). This would impact couples whether married or cohabiting but would not help the single parent who has no one with whom to synchronize work schedules. Work-life balance plays an important role in ethics and ethical behavior and is the result of a recent study conducted by Deloitte and Touche. Verschoor (2007) reported that according to the survey, 91% of all employed adults interviewed agreed that workers are more likely to behave ethically at work when they have a good balance between their job and personal life (p. 13). In addition, 44% of the workers reported high levels of stress, long hours and inflexible schedules as factors that cause conflict with work and personal responsibilities (Verschoor, 2007). The individuals ability to make ethical decisions is therefore, dependent on the positive balance between work and personal responsibilities (Rennar, 2007). Roche and Baskerville (2007) reported that causes and consequences of work-life conflict are consistent in research and potential for balance does exist. A major concern however, is that individuals are not likely to look at work-life balance issues until some crisis or event occurs (p. 65). This suggests that a proactive approach is important and business owners and leaders should identify strategies that could be implemented to

40 minimize conflict and increase the likelihood of work-life balance and facilitation (Roche & Baskerville, 2007, p. 65). Nixon-Witt (2008) suggested that an increased interest in life coaching is one of the possible solutions to the work-life balance issues. Statistics from the International Coach Federation shows over 13,000 members in more than 80 countries and 150 chapters in 42 countries (International Coach Federation, 2008). This growing interest suggests that individuals and businesses are looking for assistance to achieve higher levels of success, confidence, and balance (Nixon-Witt, 2008). One of the ways coaches can help is to design personal productivity programs which can be integrated into daily lives. According to Nixon-Witt (2008), the coach aims to, help their clients experience fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, enhance their thinking and decision-making skills, improve interpersonal effectiveness and increase confidence in carrying out their chosen work and life roles (p. 9). While ongoing research in the field of work-life balance is encouraging, still gaps exist in the research which addresses strategies that can help business owners maximize their potential in achieving work-life balance. Gaps in the Research As much as this topic of work-life balance is considered a major cause of stress and dissatisfaction in organizations, very little research is being done to examine strategies that can mitigate work-family conflict (Shelton, 2006). Prior research has primarily focused examining the psychological means of coping with emotions resulting from such conflict (Bruening & Dixon, 2007; Greenhaus & Parasuraman, 1999; Smith & Gardner, 2007; Zimmerman, 2003).

41 According to Shelton (2006), little research is available specifically addressing the work-life balance issues of women entrepreneurs. Much of the literature in work-life balance has included both men and women (Gurvis & Patterson, 2005; Fetzer, 2004). In addition, the field of womens studies has focused on female leaders in the corporate world, the glass ceiling effect on women leaders (Kephart, 2005; Mattis, 2004), the exodus to starting their own businesses (Daniel, 2004), and women who chose to stay in corporate leadership positions (Clark, 2005; Caudron, 1998). Perhaps the main reason for the gap is expressed by Reynolds (2005) who stated that, this gap in our knowledge exists because the insights of the work-life and workhours literatures have not been well integrated (p. 1313). Finally, a recent study reported by Kranz (2006) found that although 90 percent of employees surveyed say achieving work/life balance is a high priority, only 15 percent claim to be anywhere close to attaining it (p. 1). This indicates a need to continue research in this area. Conclusion The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore both the success and failed strategies of women entrepreneurs and to observe trends that will help to develop a work-life balance model for future women entrepreneurs. The challenges women face in managing multiple roles as mother, spouse, caretaker of elderly parents and business ownership has been espoused in the role theory and well documented in literature (Barnett & Gareis, 2006; Dutcher, 2003; Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985; Greenhaus & Powell, 2003, 2006). The negative impact of divorce on the family unit and the psychological impact on the role of women further contribute to the challenge of balancing work and family responsibilities (Huurre et al., 2006; Lorenz et al., 2006). The

42 continued increase in women business ownership, growing at twice the rate of all U.S. firms (Center for Womens Business Research, 2007a) further highlights the importance of work-life balance strategies and solutions for women entrepreneurs. Roche and Baskerville (2007) suggested a proactive approach rather than waiting for a crisis to occur. Clark (2000) stated that effective communication and developing relationships with others are key success strategies. According to Shelton (2006), relatively little work has examined the strategies employed to mitigate work-family conflict (p. 286). This study specifically addressed work-life balance strategies for women entrepreneurs. Chapter Summary The purpose of this chapter was to focus on literature pertaining to work-life balance and women entrepreneur. The research started with a historical perspective which examined the role women played in both their families and in corporations. The various studies which highlights the theories such as role theory and role conflict provides some framework on which this study will be conducted. In corporate America, women according to Clift (2007), still earn 77 cents to a man's dollar; they experience wider gender gaps in education, politics, business and health; they hold 98 per cent of lowpaying women's jobs and fewer than 15 per cent of board seats at major corporations (p. 1). Daniel (2004) cited dissatisfaction with corporate life, a desire for more balance between work and home and a desire for greater challenge as the main reasons women sought business ownership as an alternative. Research in the area of entrepreneurship and the effect on both work and family life gave insight into the relationship between work and family domains with respect to the role demands and time commitment in both entities (Parasuraman et al., 1996). The

43 effect of gender on the psychological well being of business owners has been studied and according to Parasuraman et al. (1996), women entrepreneurs devote significantly more time to family than men (p. 294). A need for solutions to the work-life balance dilemma is important and will have significant impact on both the individual and the organization. Gaps in the research were identified by Shelton (2006), who stated that little research specifically addressing the work-life balance issues of women entrepreneurs exist in the literature. The next chapter will focus on the research methods that will be used in this study. Chapter 3 will provide discussion on the various research methods available and the rationale for selecting the qualitative, phenomenological approach. The chapter includes a discussion on the entire research process starting with the method, design, population selection, data collection, and analysis.

44 CHAPTER 3: METHOD Women in the workforce continue to face the challenge of managing work obligations and personal and family responsibilities (Frone et al., 1992; Gershbain & Brownstone, 2007; Guendouzi, 2006; Noor, 2004; Shelton, 2006; Welter, 2004). To gain more flexibility and control over their work and personal lives, many women have started their own businesses in an effort to increase work-life balance (Baber & Monaghan, 1988; Machung, 1989; Slate, 2007; Ward, 2007). The problem investigated was the strategies used by women business owners who face work-life balance issues. The goal of the study was to explore past experiences of women business owners holding multiple roles as mothers and/or spouses in an effort to achieve flexibility and balance. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore both the success and failed strategies used by women business owners to address work-life balance issues. A qualitative phenomenological approach allowed participants to express freely their thoughts and feelings about their lived experiences and how they manage the demands of work and family. According to Mcilfatrick et al. (2006), phenomenology is used to answer questions of meaning and is useful in understanding an experience as understood by those having it (p. 1172). A semi-structured approach with open-ended questions enabled the participants to share their unique experiences in the private setting of an interview. This chapter will explain the rationale for the research method selected from the myriad of research methodologies available. In addition, the appropriateness of the design will be discussed to ensure that the design selected offered the best possible method for data collection and analysis and ultimately met the objectives of the study. The data-gathering process took

45 place through face-to-face focused in-depth interviews with the total population of 10 women business owners to describe how they manage work and family responsibilities. The goal was to record dialogues for analysis and to determine patterns as well as emergent patterns and themes. Finally the validity and reliability of the data will be discussed. Research Method and Design Appropriateness Based on the literature and review of other research, most studies with similar objectives of exploring the lived experience of women use the phenomenological approach (Lewis, 2003; Mcilfatrick et al., 2006; Millward, 2006; Thorpe, 2003; Vera, 2005; Woodward, 2007). In addition, the semi-structured approach allowed the participants to express freely their thoughts and feelings of their success and failed strategies in achieving work-life balance. The next section will examine the research method and the appropriateness of the design that will be used in this study. Research Method Deciding on a research strategy is not a simple or easy process. According to Giorgi (2006), only a sound knowledge of philosophical phenomenology combined with an in-depth background of research design and research strategies can help sort out the adequacy of the decisions made (p. 306). According to Hycner (1999), the phenomenon dictates the method not vice-versa including even the type of participants (p. 156). A qualitative phenomenological design was selected for this research due to the specific problem and goals of this study (Amedeo, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Hall-Schwarz, 2005). The problem to be investigated was the success strategies used by women business

46 owners who face work-life balance issues. The goal of the study was to explore the lived experiences of women business owners who have multiple roles as mothers and/or spouses in an effort to achieve flexibility and balance. In a qualitative study an exploration in which little is known about the problem should be explained. In this case the phenomenon which the study addressed was how women entrepreneurs handled the challenges of work-life balance and what patterns can be observed that will serve as a model for other women who want to start their own businesses. A qualitative approach was appropriate for this study because past studies examining work-life balance were successful using this approach (Bourne, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Damiano-Teixeira, 2003; Mastri, 2007; Schapira, 2005; Schultz, 2007). Researchers who have used the phenomenological methodology include Colaizzi (1973, 1978) and Hycner (1985) and each approach varies. Colaizzi for example, wants the researcher to return to each protocol and extract from them phrases or sentences that directly pertain to the investigated phenomenon (1978, p. 59). Giorgi (2006) noted a flaw in this approach in that extractions fail to account for all the data that may be taken out of context. Another major criticism of Colaizzis approach pertains to formulating meanings and using creative insight (1978, p. 59). Both terms offer ambiguity and is unclear how meanings are formulated and how is creative insight implemented. Hycners approach also has some weaknesses. One notable weakness is that Hycner (1985) recommended that the researcher, list all his or her assumptions and prejudices so that he or she might better avoid them in the subsequent analysis (p. 281). This may not be helpful because it may lock the researcher into their assumptions rather than recognizing them as bias. According to Giorgi (2006), the truly effective way is to

47 detect biases or assumptions as they play their role in the process of the analysis itself. Noting the presence for the biases as they function is the better procedure (p. 310). Further understanding of this type of research can be gleaned from the statement by Ivanoff and Hultberg (2006) who explained that, hermeneutics claims that it is not possible for the researcher to stand off to the side of the interpretive process and that understanding requires that we are aware of our prejudices (p. 131). Design Appropriateness A key strategy to consider in selecting a research design is to frame the study before selecting the appropriate design method. The framing of the study was done by using the problem statement and research questions which narrow the purpose statement to specific questions that researchers seek to answer (Creswell, 2005, p. 117). In this case, the problem was that women continue to face the challenge of achieving work-life balance while managing multiple roles in their personal and professional lives. According to Cooper and Schindler (2002), research design can be classified by the approach used to gather primary data (p. 319). Research can be approached in three ways depending on the type of problem that needs to be researched: qualitative, quantitative and mixed method. According to Creswell (2005), quantitative research is a type of educational research in which the researcher decides what to study, asks specific, narrow questions, collects numeric (numbered) data from participants, analyzes these numbers using statistics, and conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective manner (p. 39). Quantitative research uses a more scientific approach toward understanding a specified concern, event or experience and not considered the most appropriate for this study due to the explorative nature of this study. Qualitative research, on the other hand

48 depends upon the views and perceptions of participants, asks open-ended and seeks to understand the participants experiences. The mixed method is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods and is not appropriate because the qualitative method will achieve the objectives of this study. The design selected for this dissertation was a qualitative phenomenological study in which data was collected by conducting face-to-face interviews. Specific to this study was the use of hermeneutic phenomenology research method. Van Manen (1990) explains hermeneutic phenomenology as: descriptive (phenomenological) methodology because it wants to be attentive to how things appear, it wants to let things speak for themselves; it is an interpretive (hermeneutic) methodology because it claims that there are no such things as uninterpreted phenomena. The implied contradiction may be resolved if one acknowledges that the (phenomenological) facts of lived experience are always already meaningfully (hermeneutically) experienced. Moreover even the facts of lived experience need to be captured in language (the human science text) and this is inevitably an interpretive process. (p.180) A phenomenological study focused on the lived experience of women entrepreneurs, from their perspectives. The hermeneutic phenomenological design kept the study centered on the participants and their views (Creswell, 2005). In addition, according to Laverty (2003), hermeneutic phenomenology is concerned with the life world or human experienced as it is lived (p. 7). This approach was selected for several reasons. First, work-life balance has been studied in depth focusing on women in leadership and even deans at a four-year college/university level (Bourne, 2006). A

49 qualitative study provided the opportunity to examine the realities of work-life perceptions in women business owners (Creswell, 2005). Secondly, a qualitative approach allowed women to express freely their experiences of how they are able to face the challenges of work-life balances as it pertains to personal and career objectives (Hughes, 2006; McAtavey, 2002; Millward, 2006). Finally, a semi-structured approach with open-ended questions allowed the participants to explore their unique experiences in the private setting of an interview providing for candid, personal responses and reflection (Merriam, 2002). A qualitative approach was appropriate for this study because past studies examining work-life balance were successful using this approach (Bourne, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Damiano-Teixeira, 2003; Mastri, 2007; Schapira, 2005; Schultz, 2007). Research Questions Research questions can be fact-oriented or information-gathering which are different ways to address the purpose of the study (Cooper & Schindler, 2002). The research questions and problem statement form the framework within which the study was conducted and the purpose statement was fulfilled. Aisbett (2006) cautioned the researcher to have a very clear idea of what he or she wants to understand without having any preconceived ideas of how the participants will respond. Using the qualitative design and personal interviews for data collection, the following three research questions that were posed in this study included: 1. How is success in work-life balance defined by women entrepreneurs? 2. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve worklife balance?

50 3. How does work-life balance affect personal and organizational outcome for women entrepreneurs? Population, Sampling, and Data Collection Procedure and Rationale Population The study focused on women entrepreneurs who have responsibilities to work and family. The population under investigation was women entrepreneurs who live in the New York tri-borough area: Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, (2007) the number of businesses owned by women in New York was estimated at 505,100 in 2002. This represented 29.6% of the states 1.7 million businesses. The target population for this study was women who have been operating their own business in which they have 100% ownership and have been in business for at least three years. Women were selected from various service industries; restaurant, transportation, health and beauty, home improvement, schools, and finance. In addition, various marital and child dependent status using the purposeful sampling method was used in this study. This method was selected because purposeful sampling was the most important kind of non-probability sampling used in qualitative studies to identify the primary participants (Creswell, 2003, 1998; Groenewald, 2004; Tuckett, 2004). Purposeful sampling as explained by Neuman (2003) is an acceptable kind of sampling for special situations such as the phenomenon that was studied. Three of the participants were from Queens, four were from the Bronx, and three were from Brooklyn. In order to ensure confidentiality and anonymity, the participants are not identified by the borough in which they conduct their business.

51 Sampling The process of selecting a suitable sample and size in qualitative research is ultimately a matter of judgment and experience in evaluating the quality of the information collected in relation to the uses to which it will be put, the particular research method and purposeful sampling strategy employed, and the research product intended (Creswell, 2005; Tuckett, 2004). The IPA research studies are generally conducted on small sample of participants because detailed case-by-case analysis of individual transcripts is particularly time consuming (Aisbett, 2006, p. 53). It could be argued that small sample size may be the greatest limitations to this type of research; however, it could also be one of its greatest strengths (Aisbett, 2006). The sample size selected for this study was 10 and small enough to meet the time and budget constraints. Crain and Kluwin (2005) cited time constraints and limited resources as factors why researchers settle for less than ideal sample sizes. Small sample size is explained by Neuman (2003) who stated that qualitative research typically focuses on how the sample or small collection of cases, units, or activities illuminates social life (p. 211). Informed Consent Ethical considerations are of primary concern in this study involving human participants. Bailey (1996) cautions researchers of deception that may be counterproductive and not allow the participants to be sincere in their responses. To avoid this, Groenewald (2004) suggests the following information be included in an informed consent agreement: They are participating in research.

52 The purpose of the research (without stating the central research questions). The procedure of the research. The risk and benefits of the research. The voluntary nature of the research participants. The subjects (informants) rights to stop the research at any time. The procedures used to protect confidentiality (p. 10).

Prior to conducting this study, each participant were provided with and asked to read a Letter for Informed Consent (see Appendix A) which outlined the information suggested by Groenewald (2004). In addition, participants were asked to respond by signing the Response to Request in which they agree to the parameters of their involvement (see Appendix B). Confidentiality Any study that requires the sharing of personal experiences and thoughts requires a high level of confidentiality. The interviews were conducted in a private setting with the understanding that information shared by the participants was for the sole purpose of the research study and will not be used for any other purpose. Participants were informed of the data collection procedure which included audio-taped interviews which were transcribed with observations carefully noted both by real-time field notes and in reflective journals. To further ensure confidentiality, each participant was informed that the results of the research study may be published but their name will not be used and their results will be maintained in confidence. These materials will be stored on computer hard drives with backup copies on jump drives and will be thematically filed using

53 NVivo categorizing software for data analysis. Electronic and transcribed documents will be securely stored in locked files and subsequently destroyed after a three year minimum storage period. Hard copies will be shredded and electronic files erased. Geographic Location The geographic location of the participants of this study was limited to the area of New York tri-borough area: Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. This region was selected due to the convenience for travel and accessibility to the participants. Interviews were conducted in person at the participants place of business. Data Collection Procedure and Rationale The data collection procedure was gathered by conducting face-to-face interviews using semi structured open-ended questions. The interviews consisted of seven questions (see Appendix C) which addressed how the respondents define work-life balance, some of the challenges they face in achieving balance, techniques along with success and failed strategies they have used and finally, how they perceive work-life balance affects personal and organizational outcome. These seven interview questions were derived from the following three research questions that guided the study: 1. How is success in work-life balance defined by women entrepreneurs? 2. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve worklife balance? 3. How does work-life balance affect personal and organizational outcome for women entrepreneurs? The first research question corresponds to the first interview question which was intended to determine how women entrepreneurs define work-life balance. The second

54 research question is addressed using four interview questions; two, three, four, and five which respectively addressed the challenges, techniques, success, and failed strategies women entrepreneurs encounter when achieving work-life balance. The third research question is addressed using two interview questions; six and seven which respectively addressed organizational and personal outcomes. Interviews were audio-recorded with the participants signed consent. Audiotapes allowed for accuracy while the researcher listened attentively to the participants. This was in accordance with the objective of this study which was to enter the life world of the respondent with the aim to provide the participants the opportunity to share their personal experiences (Aisbett, 2006). This style of interview has been used effectively in many studies (Smith, 1995; Smith et al., 1999; Smith & Osborn, 2003). The rationale for this style of semi-structured approach was appropriate to keep the questions focused on the phenomenon being studied and kept discussion within a reasonable time frame of one hour and sometimes more. An important consideration in conjunction with the data collection procedure was the data storage methods. Adopting the practical procedure used by Groenewald (2004), digital recordings for each participant was coded, labeled and stored in a safe place. A caution by Easton, McComish, and Greenberg (2000) suggest safeguarding against equipment failure and environmental conditions which may hinder the data collection process. For this reason all necessary precautions such as spare batteries, tapes, and any other recording equipment was on hand during the interview process.

55 Instrument Selection In this qualitative research study, the central phenomenon was explored using open-ended questions to allow participants to express their lived experiences (Van Manen, 1990). The primary instrument in this study for data collection consisted of the interviewer and the interview questions (see Appendix C). According to Brantlinger et al. (2005), because as qualitative researchers we are constantly evolving instruments and because settings and people also are dynamic and diverse, data collection is most productively done in creative ways (p. 197). The questions that were used in this study were open ended questions which directed the participants to explore their strategies for addressing work-life balance challenges (Creswell, 1994, 1998). The interviewer, same as the researcher, recorded the responses and analyzed for emerging themes using the software NVivo. Instrument Reliability Reliability in field research, according to Neuman (2003), depends on a researchers insight, awareness, suspicions and questions (p. 388). This study depended not only on what was said by the participants but also the manner interpreted by the researcher. The use of open-ended questions has been successfully used in previous studies exploring the lived experiences of women (Bourne, 2006; Boyum-Breen, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Hall-Schwarz, 2005). While the specific questions that were used in this study were self-designed they specifically addressed the overall research objectives. Similar questions have been used to allow for understanding and interpreting the lived experiences of women (Bourne, 2006; Boyum-Breen, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; HallSchwarz, 2005). In addition to the research questions, the researcher needed to ensure the

56 credibility of the participants and that they had no reason to lie. The credibility of both the researcher and the participants was important to ensure reliability of the data. Another way to enhance the validity of qualitative research was by triangulation (Halcomb & Andrew, 2005). Validity and Reliability Research validity in general, according to Neuman (2003), suggests truthfulness and refers to the match between a construct, or the way a researcher conceptualizes the idea in a conceptual definition and a measure (p. 179). This general explanation may be more appropriate for quantitative research than qualitative research. Neuman (2003) stated that authenticity is more important to the qualitative researcher. Authenticity is defined as giving fair, honest and balanced account of social life from the viewpoint of someone who lives it everyday (p. 185). Internal Groenewald (2004) cautions researchers to conduct a validity test by returning to the participants to determine if the essence of the interview had been correctly captured. In this study the researcher ensured that the meanings and context are clearly understood by confirmation from the participants. According to Roberts, Priest, and Traynor (2006), a potential difficulty in achieving validity in qualitative research is researcher bias, arising out of selective collection and recording of data, or from interpretation based on personal perspectives (p. 44). The researcher should, according to Roberts et al. (2006), attempt to minimize bias in the data collection, interpretation and presentation of findings (p. 44). One way this was accomplished was to have given each participant a copy of her text so that she could clarify and validate that it truly reflected their

57 perspective regarding the phenomenon that was studied. Another way to enhance the validity of qualitative research is by triangulation. Triangulation which was used in this study, according to Halcomb and Andrew (2005), describes the combination of two or more theories, data sources, methods or researchers in the study of a topic and also assist with the consistency, comprehensiveness and robustness of the study (p. 72). This was done by cross checking responses from different participants and published literature (Halcomb & Andrew, 2005; Williamson, 2005). Real-time field notes and reflective journals were kept in which an audit trail was evident and demonstrated the rigor of the study (Koch, 1994). External Caution must be exercised in this type of qualitative study in making generalization in an effort to validate the findings. External validity refers to the generalizing the findings from one setting to another (Neuman, 2003). According to Aisbett (2006) data collected can never be generalized to other groups or participants (p. 57). This study encountered several threats to both external validity and generalizability. First, interviewing 10 women entrepreneurs in the New York tri-borough area did not take into account all the lived experiences of all women entrepreneurs. Second, research located in one geographic region of New York was inclusive of all types of women-owned businesses. Third, the inability of the interviewees to articulate their views based on age, background, experience and longevity in business threatened the external validity of this study. Assuring external validity of this qualitative, hermeneutic, phenomenological study was done through analyzing the apparent biases

58 and evaluating the methodology for finding emerging themes from the interview transcriptions thereby making this study significant to leaders in general. Data Analysis Data analysis was conducted using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach (Smith, 1995; Smith et al., 1999). IPA is perhaps the most underutilized and misunderstood type of qualitative research method (Aisbett, 2006). According to Aisbett (2006), this approach involves, a detailed examination of the participants lifeworld in an attempt to explore and document personal experience or an individuals account of an object, event or phenomenon (p. 53). Smith and Osborn (2003) noted the two stage interpretation process or double hermeneutic which means that while the participants are trying to make sense of their lived experience the researcher is also trying to make sense of what the participants are trying to make sense of. The interaction of this double hermeneutic makes IPA a specialized type of analysis and the one chosen for this study. Of all the various approaches, Giorgi (2006) concluded that, the fact that several experiences are being considered, and it is a priori known that each concrete experience is different from every other, makes the process of the phenomenological analysis very different (p. 318). This distinctive approach is used to analyze data collected in qualitative research for identifying themes. In a similar study, Millward (2006) explains this process by stating that potential meanings are identified and recorded using key words that capture the essential essence of what is being said but which are also strongly grounded in participants own words (p. 321). This form of analysis has been used in

59 several recent studies where lived experiences of women were being studied and analyzed (Eatough & Smith, 2006; Millward, 2006). The type of written data included interview transcripts, memos, field notes, coding, and audio recording as described in the data collection section. The researcher used the software NVivo 7.0 which according to QSR International (2007) is designed to remove many of the manual tasks associated with analysis such as classifying, sorting and arranging information and allow more time to explore trends, build and test theories and ultimately meet the objectives of the study. ( 1) Using this software, the researcher was able to analyze the data by coding and placing the words and phrases into categories to develop themes and emerging trends. According to CEO John Owen of QSR International, this software can help researchers and other working with non-numerical data compile, compare and make sense of their information quickly and easily- are already used by more than 350,000 people and organizations in 90 countries (QSR International, 2007, 2). Chapter Summary To summarize, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore both the success and failed strategies used by women business owners to address work-life balance issues. The most appropriate method selected was a qualitative phenomenological approach that allowed participants to express freely their thoughts and feelings about their lived experiences and how they manage the demands of work and family. According to Mcilfatrick et al. (2006), phenomenology is used to answer questions of meaning and is useful in understanding an experience as understood by those having it (p. 1172).

60 This chapter explained the rationale for the research method selected from the myriad of research methodologies available. In addition, the appropriateness of the design was discussed to ensure that the design selected offered the best possible method for data collection and analysis and ultimately met the objectives of the study. The datagathering process took place through face-to-face focused in-depth interviews with the total population of 10 women business owners to describe how they manage work and family responsibilities. A semi-structured approach with open-ended questions enabled the participants to share their unique experiences in the private setting of an interview. The use of a digital recorder was used to record dialogues for analysis and determine patterns as well as emergent patterns and themes. Triangulation was used by cross checking responses from different participants and published literature (Halcomb & Andrew, 2005; Williamson, 2005). Data analysis was conducted using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach (Smith, 1995; Smith et al., 1999). In addition, the researcher used the software NVivo 7.0 which is designed to remove many of the manual tasks such as sorting, classifying, and arranging information which will allow more time to explore trends. Finally the validity and reliability of the data was discussed and the important caution given regarding generalization of the findings. Chapter 3 included an in-depth discussion of the research method and design for this study. Chapter 4 will include the results of this qualitative phenomenological study. Chapter 4 will report on the composite descriptions and emergent themes including supporting quotes from the research participants.

61 CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological doctoral dissertation research study was to explore both the success and failed strategies of women entrepreneurs who have been challenged with work-life balance issues and to develop a work-life balance model that can be used as a tool for future women entrepreneurs. Interviews were conducted with 10 business owners who live in the New York tri-borough area: Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn to determine common themes of how women entrepreneurs manage the work-life balance dilemma. The six emergent themes are as follows: (a) the greatest challenge women entrepreneurs face is not having enough time to manage multiple responsibilities; (b) effective techniques used to balance these responsibilities are proper planning and development of organizational skills; (c) success strategies include building good relationships and time management; (d) failed strategies include conflict with spouse and poor planning; (e) organizational outcomes included better finances, better relationships and better customer service; and (f) personal outcomes included quality time spent with family and personal satisfaction. The information gathered in this research will assist in identifying effective strategies to be illustrated in a leadership model that can be used as a tool to assist women to become more efficient and effective business leaders (Daniel, 2004; Frone et al., 1992; Guendouzi, 2006; Hughes, 2006). Chapter 4 presents the results of this study and includes the following sections: (a) research questions, (b) data collection and analysis procedures, (c) results and findings and (d) summary. This chapter details the research results including the data analysis and the themes that emerged from the in-depth interviews.

62 Authenticity and Reliability of the Study Authenticity is defined by Neuman (2003) as giving fair, honest and balanced account of social life from the viewpoint of someone who lives it everyday (p. 185). A semi structured approach was used and the open-ended questions guided the discussion during the interview process. All interviews were conducted in settings chosen by the participants and they were free to express their lived experiences. Research validity in general, according to Neuman (2003), suggests truthfulness and refers to the match between a construct, or the way a researcher conceptualizes the idea in a conceptual definition and a measure (p. 179). The participants in this study were free to express their lived experiences and had no reason not to be truthful. During the interview, participants were asked to clarify their responses if the meanings and context were not clearly understood. Every effort was made to minimize bias in the data collection, interpretation and the presentation of the findings. To ensure accuracy and authenticity, all interviews were audio taped. In addition, each participant was given a copy of her text so that she could clarify and validate that it truly reflected her perspective regarding the phenomenon that was studied. Triangulation was used in this study and, according to Halcomb and Andrew (2005), describes the combination of two or more theories, data sources, methods, or researchers in the study of a topic and also assist with the consistency, comprehensiveness and robustness of the study (p. 72). This was done by cross checking responses from different participants and published literature (Halcomb & Andrew, 2005; Williamson, 2005). Real-time field notes and reflective journals were kept in which an audit trail is evident and demonstrates the rigor of this study.

63 Sampling Procedure The phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs to gain insights into their knowledge and experiences of how they manage the work-life balance dilemma. Business owners from the New York tri-borough area were approached to participate in the study. Some participants were known through community knowledge and referral from business associates and friends. Two of the participants were located through a searchable database for minority and women-owned businesses in the New York area while others were located through colleagues and friends. Choudhuri et al. (2004) suggested that part of establishing trustworthiness or validity is to make transparent the selection process, the interview settings, and how interview questions were created (p. 444). While the participants who were known had no personal relationship with the researcher, there was a potential for researcher bias because there was a customer relationship that existed as the researcher knew the participants as a customer of their business. Each participant who met the criteria of 100% ownership and have been in business for at least three years was sent an invitation to participate in the study with a return stamped envelope (see Appendix A). Telephone calls were made to ensure responses were received in a timely manner to meet the deadline of the study. Participation in the study was voluntary and each participant signed the informed consent form (see Appendix B). Participants received no remuneration or special incentive for their participation. Each participant expressed an interest in obtaining a copy of the completed study. It was therefore agreed that each participant would be presented with a

64 completed copy of the study. Participants in this study were selected from various industries and various marital and child dependent status (see Appendix D). Study Population The population under investigation was 10 women entrepreneurs who live in the New York tri-borough area: Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. The definition of an entrepreneur for this study is a person whom has taken new ideas and concepts and created a business which provides employment for him or her and others (Hughes, 2006). Rani and Rao (2007) defines entrepreneur as a person whom has an eye for opportunity, willing take risks, a commercial acumen, and through enterprising skills an innovativeness can generate employment for others and create personal wealth (p. 28). The target population was women who have been operating their own business in which they have 100% ownership and have been in business for at least three years. The following is a brief description of each participant. Participant Summary P1 is the owner and operator of an Upholstery company. This entrepreneur has a passion for home decorating and re-upholstery. Services include re-upholstering chairs and couches and matching window treatments. All re-upholstery work is done on her premises. This specialized service started as a result of her skills and talent however, infidelity on the part of her husband resulted in the failure of the business. This entrepreneur had to re-start the business as a sole owner for the past 15 years. P2 is a very creative entrepreneur who identified the need for providing professional writing services such as word processing, desktop publishing and other creative writing services for individuals and corporations. P2 does more than just typing;

65 she does research writing and prepares grant proposals for small companies who do not have the resources. She employs two part-time employees and hires additional writers based on the volume of work. Services are provided locally as well as internationally through internet communications. A widow at a young age, P2 successfully raised her two sons while caring for her mother and building her business. P3 is the owner and operator of a Caribbean Restaurant. While her husband is the head chef, she is the sole owner and is involved in the day to day operation. Meals include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Seating capacity is limited for dining in; therefore, most meals are prepared for take-out consumption. Some orders are phoned in ahead of time, however, most customers walk-in and place their orders. P4 is a multi-business owner. She currently owns a hair salon which she describes as being able to run itself as each booth is rented out and a manager is assigned to oversee the day to day operations. Her latest venture is a small packaging and delivery company which is part of a well known franchise. She has been operating this for the past nine years and finds that it still requires her day to day input. Her greatest challenge is to find suitable staff to free her up so she can do more marketing and promotions which is what she enjoys the most. P5 owns and operates a fleet of 40 buses providing transportation for school children. A divorced mother of an adult child (over 18 years old), this entrepreneur has successfully overcome the obstacles of being in a male dominated business. Gaining the respect of competitors and staff, she is not only concerned about financial wealth for herself but contributes to several charitable organizations, giving of her time and finances.

66 P6 owns and manages an insurance brokerage office which provides insurance for automobiles, residences, and commercial properties. In addition, life insurance is a major part of the services provided. Defensive driving classes are also offered and provide a one stop shop for the customers. A relatively young entrepreneur and being in business for only four years, this energetic entrepreneur is not afraid to take risks and is already considering franchising as an expansion strategy. P7 is a retailer of exquisite ladies suits, dresses and hats. This clothing boutique entrepreneur caters to the church goers who enjoy designer garments ranging from special church events such as conventions to formal occasions including weddings. This entrepreneur previously worked for corporate America but felt the need to gain more flexibility in her life which prompted her to open her own business doing something she enjoys. P8 is the owner and instructor of a Dance Studio. This entrepreneur recognized the need to provide dance classes for boys and girls age three to 18 in the areas of tap, ballet, jazz, modern and Hip-Hop. For over 28 years, she has been providing excellent service to the community by being actively involved in the classes and interacting very closely with the parents. She is married with two adult children and her husband is very supportive at home although he is not involved in the business. P9 is the founder and principal of a private school ranging from Pre-K to 5th Grade. In 1980 she became disenchanted with the low expectations of public schools and started her own school in her home, converting her garage to a classroom. This school has grown and relocated to its current location. The school now accommodates over 250 students with a long waiting list of prospective students. Music, foreign language, and

67 computers are integral components of the schools curriculum. She has recently remarried with three children and her husbands contribution to the home both, financially and domestically, helps her to keep a good balance between home and work. P10 owns and operates a unisex hair salon. This entrepreneur has been in business for 24 years. A hair stylist herself, this entrepreneur leases out three chairs in her salon to other hair stylists. Customers are served by appointments however, walk-ins are also welcomed. She is married with one child from a previous marriage. Most of the time she spent building her business was as a single mother. Recently married, her new husband is not directly involved in the business and she ensures that there is no overlapping of business and home responsibilities so that quality time can be spent in both areas of her life. Data Collection Process Many of the participants were very reluctant, initially, to agree to the time commitment to conduct face-to-face interviews. In order to reduce the time spent on the face-to-face interviews, the interview questions were provided to each participant prior to the scheduled time of the interview. This allowed each participant sufficient time to prepare her responses. Four participants initially requested to do the interview by phone; however, they were informed that a face-to-face interview was an integral part of this research study. Once the face-to-face interviews started, all the participants were actively involved and freely expressed their experiences. Every attempt was made to conduct all interviews in the private setting at each participants place of business. In two situations however, this did not happen. One interview was conducted over lunch at a restaurant

68 while one was conducted at the entrepreneurs residence. This is further explained in the section entitled, Challenges or Unique Occurrences during Data Collection. The in-depth interviews consisted of open-ended questions which allowed each participant to freely express her views and provide as much detail as she wished to share. Many personal experiences were shared during the interview even though participants were aware that the interview was being audio taped. Participants were reminded that their confidentiality would be protected and that their names would not appear in the final study. Time Spent Collecting Data Interviews ranged from 30 minutes to one hour and a half. The longer interviews were the ones conducted outside of the business owners place of business and are explained in the next section as challenges or unique occurrences during the data collection process. The data gathering process which included the in-depth interviews took place over a period of a week and a half. Transcribing data from the audio tape to text took place over the same time-period. After each interview was conducted the audio recordings were transcribe to text on the same day. Challenges or Unique Occurrences during Data Collection The main challenge encountered was setting up appointments to see the participants. Potential participants who met the criteria of sole ownership and have been in business for at least three years were contacted by phone and asked to participate in the study. Most of the potential participants made every effort to keep their appointments; however, two were excluded from the study because of scheduling conflicts. In order to maintain the sample size of 10 that was proposed for this study, another two participants

69 were contacted. The very nature of the participants who are managing multiple roles resulted in time constraints issues for all. One participant, (P5) was very flexible in that the computer repairman was working on her computer and it was not convenient to conduct the interview at her place of business. She suggested that the interview be conducted over lunch at a restaurant. Unfortunately, she did not put enough money in the meter and resulted in a parking ticket of $35. An offer was made to pay but the participant insisted that she would take care of it. Another participant, (P3) who manages a restaurant found it impossible to accommodate a face-to-face interview at her place of business due to time and space constraints. This interview was conducted at her home after business hours. The length of time for these two interviews was one hour and a half. All other interviews lasted one hour. All the participants are actively involved in the dayto-day operations of their businesses so the interviews were occasionally interrupted with a telephone call or an employee requesting direction. Only two participants (P1, P4) worked during the interview while others set time aside to focus on the interview. Notes Taken During Interviews During all interviews, notes were taken in a journal notebook. Each participant gave her permission for notes to be taken during the interview process. The 10 interviews produced 25 pages of notes and comments. Journal notes and additional comments from each participant are presented in Appendices F and G respectively. Research Questions Three central open-ended research questions guided this research: (1) How is success in work-life balance defined by women entrepreneurs? (2) What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? and (3) How

70 does work-life balance affect personal and organizational outcome for women entrepreneurs? These central research questions were addressed through the following sub questions inquiry regarding the participants lived experiences. 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? Data Analysis Process Codes were used to identify each participant to keep her identity confidential. Each code corresponded to the 10 interviews and the seven discussion questions asked of each participant. As stated in chapter 3, the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach (Smith, 1995; Smith et al., 1999) was use to analyze the data. This approach is a detailed examination of each participants response and how their personal experience addresses the questions being asked about the phenomenon of work-life balance. In addition, NVivo software was used to identify and classify the common themes.

71 Findings This section presents the findings from the data gathered during the in-depth interviews. Findings on the demographic data survey are also presented in this section. The research instrument used is shown in Appendix C. Demographics Business Data Survey Results Simon (2006) recommends that data demographics explaining age and relevant related information on the population be included in this section. A summary of the statistical characteristics of the human participants in this study is broken down by number of years in business, age of the entrepreneur, marital status, child dependent status, elder dependent status, and the type of business they currently own. The relevant demographics for this study are presented in (see Appendix D). Appendix E is a summary of the number of years in business, the age, and marital status of the participants. The majority of the participants have been in business for over 21 years (40%) and 30% have been in business between 11 and 20 years. Only 30% of the participants have been in business for three to 10 years. Also displayed in Appendix E is a summary of the age of the participants. A majority of the participants were between the age of 51 and 60 years (60%) while 30% were between 41 and 50 and only 10% were between 31 and 40 years. The marital status of the participants is also displayed in Appendix E revealing that 70% of the entrepreneurs were married, 20% were divorced, and 10% were widowed. Table 1 displays a summary of the child and elder care dependent status of the participants. All participants had children. No distinction made between adult children and young children. Only two participants were involved in elder care (20%).

72 Table 1 Child and Elder Care Dependent Child Dependent Number of Participants Percent of Total Participants

Yes No Total Elder Dependent Yes No Total

10 0 10

100% 0% 100%

2 8 10

20% 80% 100%

In-Depth Interviews The following is a discussion of the results of the responses given by all participants to the seven survey questions during the in-depth interviews. The responses presented in this section are only the relevant statements that directly address the question. These responses are interpreted and supported by relevant quotes from the participants. Each question is followed by an analysis of the composite response. Journal notes of the interviews conducted are included in Appendix F. Question 1. Definition of work-life balance The following are the response from each participant of how they not only define work-life balance but the importance they place on it. This opening question was intended to get each participant to focus on her interpretation of the work-life balance

73 dilemma. P1 responded by stating that in terms of work-life balance it is very difficult to take care of a husband and business. She said, You must keep business life separate from personal or else your best friend will steal your husband because not enough time is spent with him. P2 said she was puzzled by the question because work-life balance is as natural as breathing. Working is all that she does because 80% of her time and energy is spent on work and only 20% on personal matters. Her business is her marriage since her husband passed away several years ago and now her children are grown. Work-life balance is easy because she does what pleases her which in turn pleases her clients. P3 said, This is a challenge to determine how I function daily to successfully run my home and business and maintain my role as a wife and achieve the goals I have for my life. It is important to have a good balance to have a happy life. P4 defined work-life balance as effectively managing family and business. She said You must be effective in all that you do. You are better off doing a nine to five job rather than trying to run your own business, if you are not successful in balancing work and life. P5 defined work-life balance as, Finding the happy medium between work and personal obligations to having a happy life. P6 stated that her definition was, how you balance your time and energy between personal life and the business in order to be happy in both areas. P7 stated that, It is a very important issue. Balance is defined by attaining the goals in an enjoyable way. There is never enough hours in the day to do all that you need to accomplish. There is a sense of pride, satisfaction and fulfillment when goals are met. The balance is different for each day. Flexibility is there to create balance. P8 responded by stating that, I have a fabulous husband who is very supportive and great father who

74 takes care of the children so I could focus on the business. Without his support there would be no balance. P9 explained that work-life balance varies at different times in her life. In her first marriage she had no children so it was much easier. She had no worry about finances. She had more time to spend on her business. She said, Once you have children it pulls you and it is impossible if your spouse is not supportive. If you dont have support of your spouse it is almost impossible to achieve any balance. She said some things are going to suffer and that it is a matter of making sacrifices. She continued to state that, women have to juggle priorities to achieve balance. P10 stated that Balancing the responsibilities of work and home is very important and you will make mistakes in both areas which will lead to dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Question 1. Analysis Evidenced from the interviews, each participant interpreted and defined work-life balance as a desired goal to achieve overall quality of life. Each definition depended on several factors such as length of time in business; the type of business; the child or elder dependent status; and for married women, the support of the spouse. Women who were in business for a longer time-period seemed to have more of a comfort level in their balance. The definition of balance varied with the type of business as well. The businesses that required the owners physical presence presented a greater challenge to meet the time and energy required to successfully manage the business. Child care issues were significant as each participant acknowledged that time commitment to family were important core values. Spousal support was also expressed as an important component in the work-life balance definition. Those who had great support from their husbands believed that they

75 had a good balance with work and home and it was easier to achieve balance. One participant (P2) defined her balance in terms of percentage, stating that her work-life balance formula is 80% work and 20% personal. This formula represented the proportion of time and energy spent in both areas of her life. Only three of the participants expressed that the two should be kept separate (P1, P3, and P10). While the concept of work-life separation was expressed there was no supporting evidence that they were successful in keeping work and personal responsibilities separate. Question 2. Challenges in achieving work-life balance The purpose of this question was to find out some of the challenges women entrepreneurs had in achieving work-life balance. P1 reported that there was not enough time to spend with her husband while she was running the business. In her case her husband cheated on her and ran off with her best friend. P2 stated that she had no challenges because she does not have worry about homework since her children are now adults and they do not live with her. She said, I dont have to worry about the children. I am free to focus my clients and there is no significant other. When children were teenagers, she wanted to be in the house. She needed to know their friends and was aware of all their activities. Her mother lived with them at that time and it was very difficult. Work-life balance had a different meaning when the children were young and eldercare issues were a challenge. She describes her previous balance as 40% business and 60% when she had child care and elder care responsibilities. P3 stated that, there are good and bad challenges. Some challenges are rewarding when you are able to provide excellent service to your customers. Getting good references from customers is important means that people recognize your good work.

76 Bad challenges she describes as, when I am not able to meet the demands of the customers. As a wife sometimes it is difficult to make time to prepare a romantic, candle lit dinner for my husband. She stated that one must be able to separate work from home. Time constraints sometimes prevent her from meeting personal and business goals. P4 stated that, It is hard to get good management to help with the business. Hard to find people who are as passionate about your business as you are. They dont seem to be as focused and resourceful. She wants to groom others to take on more of the day to day tasks. At home her husband takes care of some of the domestic chores. P5 responded by stating that, The biggest challenge is to resist having the business taking over your life. Your business is a living breathing thing. It is very hard not to get consumed by this. She admits that she loves to micro manage and has to learn to delegate more of the responsibilities at work. There is not enough time for leisure activities and taking care of her personal needs is often neglected. P6 proudly stated that her husband is very supportive. He helps out with the children so she can focus and spend time on the business. She admits that she does feel guilty when she is not able to spend time with children or to take care of her personal needs. P7 said, The biggest challenge for me is the high expectation I have of myself and the expectations of my spouse, children, clients, and friends which can be a major problem in trying to achieve work-life balance. The stress this causes is sometimes difficult to manage however, she advises that one has to realize that, you cannot be all things to all people. You have to be real to yourself. P8 reported that there are times when she was not able to attend her childrens games and extracurricular activities and there is a feeling of guilt. Her own personal

77 ambition to be striving to be the best often makes her think about expanding the business by starting up another studio. This desire however, has to be balanced with the quality of life she would have with her husband and a grandchild on the way. The importance of her family keeps her from expanding her business. P9 stated that as the sole owner of the business everything rest on her so the business always take priority. It can be very stressful even when she is on vacation she is still taking calls and thinking about the business. It is difficult to have a schedule because everything is dictated by the business. The goals are set to leave work early but most times the business is unpredictable. Uncontrollable events such as the security alarm sounding off, or if there is a flood for example, or any emergency that requires her to physically be there interferes with time she may have set aside for her family. She is a hands-on person and gets involved in every aspect of the business even to sweep the sidewalk. She believes that there is no job that she wont get involved in. P10 stated that her major challenge is to prioritize, have a plan for each day, and staying focus. Being a business owner means making sacrifice. Working late hours is a challenge and after work she has to go home and cant go hanging out with girlfriends. She said, Social life had to be put on the back burner. Set your goals for your personal and business. It is all about sacrifices. Question 2. Analysis The common theme derived from the expressed challenges represents the lack of sufficient time to spend in both areas of their lives (P1, P3, P5, P6, P8, P9, and P10). Other areas of challenges were; not getting good help, high self expectations and only one reported that she had no challenges (P2).

78 Question 3. Techniques used to achieve work-life balance Question 3 was intended to solicit the techniques the participants used in achieving work-life balance. P1 said, You must be focused, give what you have and be good to your customers. P2 stated that meditation, prayer and exercise are the key tools used to keep her balanced. She is sure she would have had a nervous breakdown with the loss of her husband and raising two sons as a single mother if she did not meditate, pray and exercise regularly. She is a disciplined person and is able to manage stress well. P3 said, You must have proper planning and organizational skills. She cannot let the business drive her plans, she has to plan and delegate to the staff so that she can take care of her personal needs such as hair and nails. She believes that she must be physically present so that she can keep close contact with staff and customers. Building positive relationships is a key factor in managing the stressful environment. Her presence means that she is an integral part of the operation so that things get done properly and she is able to closely supervise the operation. P4 stated that, You must be passionate about your business. She cautions that one must be organized and structured. She said that, You must see the business as a long-term venture. Do not expect to make profit right away. She stated that the business owner must have resources in place before starting a business because this is usually one of the weaknesses of startup businesses. She said that a strong financial foundation must be set and spousal support is very important. P5 recognized the need for vacation and had to force herself to take time off away from the business to relax and enjoy what she has been working for. She said that she had to learn how to delegate and trust staff to manage the business in her absence. She

79 cautions not to put all your eggs in one basket. It is important to have backup to the backup. Never trust just one person in your absence. It is critical that staff is crosstrained and can carry out multiple tasks. P6 stated that it is important to, Plan ahead, make notes to yourself, staff and even to the family. She said that having a checklist, writing lots of memo for both the home and business helps to keep her balanced. She said that a business owner must, delegate to staff so you dont burn out trying to do everything. P7 said that she creates a log that helps her to stay on track. She cautions that one Must understand that there are unexpected things that will come up. Communication with family is important so that they can provide support and encouragement. P8 stated that it is important to have great people to work for you. This allowed her time to attend the after-school activities with her children. Being open and honest with the parents created a positive relationship and a flexible environment for times when appointments had to be rescheduled. Getting the family involved help to foster positive relationships both in personal and business life. Her daughter and niece now work for her. Relationship building is a key factor in achieving a desired work-life. She does not have to advertise because she has built up a good reputation in the community. Doing the right thing for example, sending cards to sick parent helps to build a positive relationship. She also stated that, You need to set parameters and sometimes you have to say no. An example of this occurred when she was not able to pick up her daughter from school at specific times. A business owner must be able to identify priorities. She continued to state that conflict between going to your son or daughters game and going to work means that sometimes you have to compromise and miss half the game.

80 P9 said that she still set goals and prepares a daily schedule but it only serves as a framework because most times it is not achieved. She is learning to not micromanage. Delegation is important when she has the right staff. She stated that it is hard to find staff that shares her vision. Sharing the responsibilities at home not only with her husband but hiring a helper to clean at home while husband does the grocery shopping and cooking are techniques she uses to achieve work-life balance. In addition, her mother who requires minimal elder care also helps with the laundry and her daughter has her chores as well. P9 stated that a live-in helper takes care of most of the domestic chores which allows her to have time for her children. She spends quality time with her children, checking the homework and bonding with them. She uses time management techniques well by checking the homework in aftercare so that when she gets home she has more social interaction with her children. She does not give out her home phone number any more to clients since there are more people in her organization who can assist. P10 said her technique is to be very organized and plan well. She said that she always have a to-do list. Question 3. Analysis The effective techniques described by all participants were directed towards organizational skills such as planning, organizing, directing, delegating, and controlling. Having a clear vision and focus was also expressed. The suggestion of keeping focused by relying on prayer, meditation, and exercise was also mentioned by several participants. Relaxation was also a common theme in the techniques used to maintain a successful balance.

81 Question 4. Success strategies used in achieving work-life balance Question 4 allowed each participant to share their success strategies as they reflected on strategies that worked well to create work-life balance. P1 stated that having a good relationship with customers is part of the success strategy. She suggested that the business owner, become their friends so that they will recommend you to others. She said that one should work decent hours so more time can be spent with husband but cautioned not to have husband be a part of the business. She said, Make sure you choose a business that you have a passion for and you enjoy so if you have to do long hours at least it is something you like to do. She expressed the point that after her marriage failed, her business also failed and she had to go to work for someone else. This allowed her time to reorganize her priorities and now she has a successful business as the sole owner. P2 reported that she was very blessed that when she started her business it was the right timing because there was not a lot of competition. This gave her the opportunity to create a large client base. Sometimes the volume that she gets is more than she can handle and her success strategy is to use a temp agency to provide suitable employees. She hired a Home Health aide for her mother who eventually had to be relocated to a Nursing Home. The selection of this type of business, she explained, allowed her to spend more time with her sons. As a former teacher she was exhausted when she got home and had no time for herself or her family. This type of business allows her to take a personal day off to pamper herself. P3 suggested that her success strategy is to try to, leave work at work. Her goal is to, come home and relax with her daughter and granddaughter and to try to make life

82 comfortable and reduce the stress. Her business has developed successfully and she does not believe that finances would cause her to worry at this time. She makes a good distinction between work and home but admits that they do overlap at times. She likes to give God thanks for what she is able to accomplish. Whatever she does is done willingly, honestly, and wholeheartedly. P4 stated that an entrepreneur must be able to market themselves through networking and building positive relationships. She has other businesses that are managed by an assigned manager. She credits her ability to develop positive relationships as the main strategy for her success. P5 stated that time management is a great strategy for balancing personal and professional responsibilities. She admits that she needs to work on this skill. She cited the fact that she knew of this interview which was to have taken place in her office, however the computer repair man was late in starting on the repair of her computer and was still working on it when the interview should have started. This meant that the interview had to be conducted at a nearby restaurant. She pointed out that whenever these situations occur she always knows how to think quickly and always finds a solution. Another important point she made was the need to show personal interest in her employees. This would improve their loyalty when they realize that she is concerned about their total wellbeing. She admitted that she had to learn to let people make their mistakes and improve on her delegating skills. On a personal note she stated that it was her choice to leave her husband so that she can concentrate on creating a happy life for herself through her business. P6 simply stated that her success strategy is being able to be organized and plan ahead. P7 said that proper management of her time logs allows her to balance both

83 personal and business tasks. She stated that one has to ensure that time is set aside to take care of personal needs such as hair and nails. P8 responded by stating that she does not do competitions because this adds too much stress on her students. This sets her apart from the other dance studios. Her strategy is to build up confidence in her students and allow them to enjoy dancing. She has developed this over the years and the reduced stress is great for her student and her as well. She admits that she has always had the zest for life. She set the standard and culture for the teachers. She admits that she is from the old school, very strict, but she is also able to adjust to what is going on today. She believes in creating an atmosphere where both the students and teachers are comfortable can perform their best. She suggests that one must be compassionate with people and be passionate about the business. She said, You cannot run your business without being hands on. That is why businesses fail because the owner is not visible. She said that people want to see the owner. On the personal side she says she keeps her relationship with her husband alive and fresh. Her creative nature keeps her husband always wondering what is next. She has great communication with her husband and every now and then they plan get-a-ways where they can enjoy each other. P9 says that she use small bits of time effectively. Time management is very important she stated and suggested that, you must truly enjoy your work. She says she always have a personal list and a business list. She admits that both lists must be integrated in order to be effective in both areas of her life. She also admits that she takes some personal tasks, such as paying bill, to her office. Delegating responsibilities is also an area that has to be addressed especially when an emergency arise. Planning ahead and

84 delegating are critical to the organizations success. P10 stated that her priority with her son was to ensure that his homework got done. At nights she would read his books and check his homework. This would let him know that she is interested in his school-work. Her son is now grown so there is not much for her to do anymore. She has no regrets running her business by herself. She stated that there would be too much power struggle and ego if she had her husband involved in her business. Question 4. Analysis All participants expressed success strategies in terms of relationship building; getting support from home and from work. These participants realized that success strategies can be found within themselves as well as getting input from others. Participants expressed the need to get outside help by hiring domestic helpers or nannies. Getting family members involved in participating with domestic chores was also noted as a success strategy. Training and delegating were also mentioned as a way to get employees more involved at work and allow the business owner to manage work and personal responsibilities. Question 5. Failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Question 5 allowed each participant to reflect on the strategies that did not work well for them in achieving work-life balance. P1 stated that having her husband as a part of the business caused conflict because both parties did not have the same ideas of how to run the business. Power struggles is the main problem why their partnership was not successful. P2 reported no failed strategy. P3 said that better financial decisions such as purchasing the building she now rents for her business, would have made her work-life

85 balance much easier. This would have put her in a better financial situation so that more time could be spent on her personal life. P4 explained that the first business she started was a hair dressing salon and she did not have to be hands-on. The business managed itself because she employed a manager to take care of the day-to-day responsibilities. This packaging business however is different because she feels she has to be there all the time. Recently she found a reliable manager and believes that she can take time off to go out and promote the business and take care of her personal needs. P5 admits that she needs help to plan her day better. Not being able to delegate means that she is overwhelmed and stressed. She admits that she needs to develop more organizational skills and to refrain from procrastinating. This would allow her more time for her personal needs. P6 stated that her husband came to work with her in the business for two weeks but she started to feel suffocated. The reason she wanted to have her own business is because she did not want to have a boss. Her husband critiqued her in everything she did. As a result of this conflict she had to let him go! P7 said that, People think that to get balance you have to get everything done but sometimes you need to get help. Get someone to pick up children from school. You must have buffered time. Spousal support is important. She admitted that she could not have survived without the support of her husband at home. P8 admitted that she had to learn how to communicate with the parents of her students. She said that it is hard to separate what happens at work with home. Bad decisions will spill over into the personal life. Sometimes if she had a bad day she shares

86 it with her husband who always helps her to get through it. She has learned from her mistakes and especially how to deal with people. The least little thing she said, would have bothered me in the past but over the years I am not as sensitive anymore. P9 responded by stating that, you must realize that not everything can be scheduled. She cited Valentines Day and birthdays as important dates not to miss. Her husband sometimes surprises her on those special days which means that she has to have duties at the business streamlined so that at a moments notice she can leave work. More time can be spent on the important personal things. She has to make a date with husband in order to spend time away from the business and the children. She tries to plan weekend getaways every three months but it does not always work out that way. She said that You must have the right partner. Her husband is very good at planning so family events are planned by him. She admits that she needs more time to take care of her personal needs (hair dresser etc.). P10 stated that she regretted not having a business partner when she started the business 24 years ago because it was very difficult to take care of her young son and the financial responsibilities of running the business. She was emphatic that the partner would not necessarily be a husband but a business partner. This would have taken some pressure to not have to be at the shop every day. In retrospect, this would have allowed her more time to run personal errands and take better care of herself. She is aware that not that many partnerships work well but concluded that if she is going to fail, she prefers to fail by herself.

87 Question 5. Analysis Failed strategies were expressed in terms of not having spousal support or conflicts with spouses. Lack of delegating skills was also expressed as a failed strategy. P7 said it well, People think that to get balance you have to get everything done but sometimes you need to get help. Get someone to pick up children from school. Failure occurred when the entrepreneur did not use all the available resources in the family or at work. Looking beyond the confines of home and work and hiring outside help can safeguard the entrepreneur from having burnout and meet the desired balance in their lives. Lack of sufficient finances was also expressed as a failed strategy. High stress levels was also expressed and implied in many of the responses. One participant, who will not be identified, sees a therapist on a regular basis to assist her in handling the stressful demands of both the business and family matters. Question 6. Work-life balance issues and organizational outcome The purpose of Question 6 was to identify the effect work-life balance had on the organizational outcome. P1 stated that the most important organizational outcome is that the Business would blossom and financial success would have been achieved. P2 expressed that work-life balance issues would affect her ability to achieve business goals. P3 said that she has a great relationship with her staff and customers. She is more relaxed and not stressed, so she is able to communicate and deal with irate customers. She pointed out that getting sufficient rest is important to making better business decisions. One positive outcome she stated is that good work-life balance would make the work environment better for everyone as there would be less stress in the workplace.

88 P4 believes that she spends more time in this business than she should. This is due to the technical nature of her operation. Organizational outcomes would be that customer relations would improve. P5 stated that when the business is making money and employees and customers are happy then organizational outcomes are positive. P6 stated that emergencies in her personal life can get in the way of getting her business done. She has to be at the business all the time and likes to be hands-on but sometimes emergencies keep her from being there. Here children are most important so if there is an emergency she has to look after them first. Her main concern is the safety and well being of her children. P7 stated that There is an opportunity cost for everything. You have to give up something to gain something. There are times I have to close my shop and lose business to take my children to Broadway or extra curricular activities. She equates this to women in corporate America who have to give up income by reducing their hours to gain flexibility and balance. P8 said that the result of good work-life balance is that everyone in the business would benefit. She said that when she is happy everyone else around her is happy. So work-life balance is important not just for her but for her business as well. This point is demonstrated by the fact that generations use her studio. Women bring their daughters who bring their daughters as well. She concluded that there are generations benefiting from her service. P9 stated that she has a much better temper with staff and she does not feel as stressed. Her staff is happier and so are the parents and children. P10 said that because she works only by appointments, she plans around her personal needs around her

89 business schedule. Personal errands would not affect customer service. The customers get her undivided attention. Question 6. Analysis Organizational outcomes were expressed in terms of better financial goals being met, satisfied customers, and satisfied employees. The reason an entrepreneur starts a business is to create wealth for herself and others. Therefore, meeting financial goals is an obvious organizational outcome. Self satisfaction was also an important observation as each entrepreneur expressed pride in knowing that they have accomplished their goals. Two participants (P8, P9) stated that they intend to pass their business on to the next generation. Question 7. Work-life balance and personal outcome Question 7 directed each participant to reflect on the personal outcomes that are derived from work-life balance. P1 said that she enjoys her work and spending time with her son and grandchildren. She is much more relaxed when she goes home. P2 stated that she walked the right path which resulted in a very successful life. Personal outcome is measured by the success of her two sons: one is a top engineer at General Electric and the other is a Navy Seals. She stated that there is a personal satisfaction in knowing that she is a single parent who successfully raised two boys in the Bronx. P3 stated that she has a very positive relationship with her husband because they communicate very well. Even though her husband is employed by her as the executive chef, they get along fine. P4 said, I have not been able to take vacation. This puts a personal strain on me and my entire family. She has a hard time making long-term plan for family but she looks forward to taking a family vacation in the near future. P5

90 reported that having trained staff allows her to travel more and do more community and charity work. P6 confessed that because she does not spend as much time with her children as her husband does, the children always call for Daddy before they call for Mommy. She does feel guilty when she is not able to spend time with her children and feels jealous when her husband has such a good relationship with them. P7 said that it is rewarding and fulfilling to know that you are your own boss. There is personal satisfaction in knowing that the business is profitable and she is able to spend time with her family. The flexibility of being a business owner allows her more time to take care of personal matters such as banking, and picking up children from school every day. P8 stated that high expectations of her self means that others in the business will have high expectations of themselves. She believes in setting the standard of excellence for her own personal growth and development. P9 admitted that a positive personal outcome would result in quality time spent with her children and husband. Her children are very involved with extracurricular activities and she has to plan around their activities but tries to incorporate these activities into the school. For example, karate and music are offered at the school as after-school activities which here children are involved in. It is important to bond with children. Even though the younger children attend her school, she still has to schedule time to spend quality time with them at home. P10 said she keeps all business matters separate from personal matters. Her customers do not call her at home and her sons time is not affected by customers.

91 Question 7. Analysis Only two participants (P1, P10) made deliberate attempts to keep their work and personal lives separate. Personal outcomes were expressed with the ability to spend more time with the family and more time to attend to their personal needs. Vacations and leisure time for relaxation were seen as rewards for managing both areas of their lives successfully. Five participants (P1, P3, P5, P8, and P9) noted that financial success in the business would allow for more leisure and vacations. Emergent Themes The data analysis process for this qualitative study attempted to find emerging themes about the central phenomenon. The use of the software NVivo 7.0 assisted with the classifying, sorting and arranging of the information gathered and allowed more time to explore the emerging themes. Using this software facilitated the analysis of the data by coding and placing the words and phrases into categories to develop themes and emerging trends. The emergent themes are classified by the intent of the research questions. Emergent themes and the respective identifiable invariant constituents are presented in Tables 2 through 7 proceeded by a detailed analysis supported by quotes from the participants. The six emergent themes are as follows: (a) the greatest challenge women entrepreneurs face is not having enough time to manage multiple responsibilities; (b) effective techniques used to balance these responsibilities are proper planning and development of organizational skills; (c) success strategies include building good relationships and time management; (d) failed strategies include conflict with spouse and poor planning; (e) organizational outcomes included better finances, better relationships

92 and better customer service; and (f) personal outcomes included quality time spent with family and personal satisfaction. Table 2 Theme One: Challenges Invariant Constituents Number of Participant Percent of Total Participants

Getting good help Not enough Time High Self Expectations No Challenges

1 7 1 1

10% 70% 10% 10%

Table 2 presents various challenges the participants face in achieving work-life balance. The majority of the participants (70%) identified that not having enough time was a challenge in achieving work-life balance. Getting good help was a challenge for P4 who stated that it is, Hard to find people who are as passionate about your business as you are. P7 replied that The biggest challenge for me is the high expectation I have of myself and the expectations of my spouse, children, clients and friends which can be a major problem in trying to achieve work-life balance. One participant (P2) stated that she had no challenges.

93 Table 3 Theme Two: Techniques Invariant Constituents Number of Participant Percent of Total Participants

Be focused Mediation/Prayer Relaxation Exercise Proper Planning Develop Organizational Skills Build Positive Relationships Delegation/Staff Training Effective Communication

1 1 1 2 5 3 2 4 1

10% 10% 10% 20% 50% 30% 20% 40% 10%

Table 3 presents the techniques used by the participants to achieve work-life balance. Half of the participants identified proper planning as a technique that helped them to achieve work-life balance. Delegating and staff training were also identified (40%) as effective techniques. Developing organizational skills was reported by 30% of participants. Building positive relationship was stated by the participants (20%). Exercise was also stated as a technique to help achieve work-life balance (P2). Other identifiable invariant constituents included (a) being focused, (b) meditation and prayer, and (c) effective communication.

94 Table 4 Theme Three: Success Strategies Invariant Constituents Number of Participant Percent of Total Participants

Good Relationships/Networking Get outside help Separate home and work Prayer Time Management Organize and Plan Communication Delegation

3 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1

30% 10% 10% 10% 40% 10% 10% 10% 10%

The success strategies used by the participants are illustrated in Table 4. The research participants credit their success strategies in having proper time management skills (40%). The ability to develop good relationships and networking were also important success strategies (30%). An equal number of participants (10%) identified other constituents to include (a) get outside help, (b) keep home and work responsibility separate (c) prayer, (d) organize and plan, (e) communication and (f) delegation.

95 Table 5 Theme Four: Failed Strategies Invariant Constituents Number of Participant Percent of Total Participants

Spousal Conflict Poor Financial Decision Poor Hiring Strategy Ineffective Communication Poor Decision Making Poor Time Management Poor Planning Ineffective Delegating No failed Strategy

2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2

20% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 20% 10% 20%

The failed strategies expressed by the participants are illustrated in Table 5. An equal amount of responses (20%) identified spousal conflict and poor planning as contributing to failed strategies they experienced. Other constituents identified equally (10%) were (a) poor financial decisions, (b) poor hiring strategy, (c) ineffective communication, (d) poor time management, and (e) ineffective delegating. Two participants (P2, P7) responded they could not identify any failed strategy.

96 Table 6 Theme Five: Organizational Outcomes Invariant Constituents Number of Participant Percent of Total Participants

Improved Finances Improved Relationships Improved Customer Service Loss of Revenue

3 3 3 1

30% 30% 30% 10%

The organizational outcomes identified by the participants are illustrated in Table 6. An equal number of participants (30%) stated that the following were the organizational outcomes of work-life balance efforts: (a) improved finances, (b) improved relationships, (c) improved customer service. One participant (P7) responded that loss of revenue is an organizational outcome of work-life balance efforts. She stated that, There is an opportunity cost for everything. You have to give up something to gain something. There are times I have to close my shop and lose business to take children to Broadway or extra- curricular activities.

97 Table 7 Theme Six: Personal Outcomes Invariant Constituents Number of Participant Percent of Total Participants

More Relaxed Successful Children Improved Communication Quality of time with Family Personal Satisfaction More vacation No Vacation

1 1 1 3 2 1 1

10% 10% 10% 30% 20% 10% 10%

Table 7 presents the personal outcomes the participants experienced when worklife balance was achieved. A large number of responses (30%) identified quality time with family as a desired personal outcome of work-life balance efforts. Personal satisfaction was also stated as desired personal outcome (20%). The following constituents were also reported (a) more relaxed, (b) successful children (c) improved communication and (d) more vacation. One participant reported that I have not been able to take vacation. This puts a personal strain on me and my entire family. Finally, additional comments were solicited from each participant and are summarized in Appendix F. These additional comments provides a rich source of advice for new or potential women entrepreneurs who are considering starting their own

98 businesses and may not have considered the work-life balance dilemma. Considering the vast experience of the women in this study this first-hand information is a valuable contribution. Summary The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutic, phenomenological study was to explore both the success and failed strategies of women entrepreneurs who have been challenged with work-life balance issues and to develop a work-life balance model that can be used as a tool for future women entrepreneurs. Three central open-ended research questions guided this research: (1) How is success in work-life balance defined by women entrepreneurs? (2) What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? and (3) How does work-life balance affect personal and organizational outcome for women entrepreneurs? The population under investigation was 10 women entrepreneurs who live in the New York tri-borough area: Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. The target population was women who have been operating their own business in which they have 100% ownership and have been in business for at least three years. To ensure data were gathered from information rich cases women were selected from various industries and various marital and child dependent status using the purposeful sampling method (see Appendix D). The data analysis process for this qualitative study attempted to find emerging themes about the central phenomenon. The use of the software NVivo 7.0 assisted with the classifying, sorting and arranging of the information gathered and allowed more time to explore the emerging themes. The themes revealed the following: (a) the greatest challenge women entrepreneurs face is not having enough time to manage multiple

99 responsibilities; (b) effective techniques used to balance these responsibilities are proper planning and development of organizational skills; (c) success strategies include building good relationships and time management; (d) failed strategies include conflict with spouse and poor planning; (e) organizational outcomes included better finances, better relationships and better customer service; and (f) personal outcomes included quality time spent with family and personal satisfaction. The findings presented in this chapter are interpreted in chapter 5. More specifically, chapter 5 presents a summary of the findings and interpretations. Chapter 5 includes the conclusions and limitations of the study, recommendation in the form of a work-life model, recommendations for future studies and the significance of the findings to leadership.

100 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Women in the workforce continue to face the challenge of managing work obligations and personal and family responsibilities (Frone et al., 1992; Gershbain & Brownstone, 2007; Guendouzi, 2006; Noor, 2004; Shelton, 2006; Welter, 2004). To gain more flexibility and control over their work and personal lives, many women have started their own businesses in an effort to increase work-life balance (Baber & Monaghan, 1988; Machung, 1989; Slate, 2007; Ward, 2007). According to the Center for Womens Business Research (2007a), the number of women-owned businesses continues to grow at twice the rate of all U.S. firms. The focus of this study was to explore the lived experiences of 10 women entrepreneurs in the New York tri-borough area. The purpose of the study was to explore both the success and failed strategies of women entrepreneurs who have been challenged with work-life balance issues and to develop a work-life balance model that can be used as a tool for future women entrepreneurs. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted and synthesis of the data revealed the following six themes: (a) the greatest challenge women entrepreneurs face is not having enough time to manage multiple responsibilities; (b) effective techniques used to balance these responsibilities are proper planning and developing organizational skills; (c) success strategies include building good relationships and time management; (d) failed strategies include conflict with spouse and poor planning; (e) organizational outcomes included better finances, better relationships and better customer service; and (f) personal outcomes included quality time spent with family and personal satisfaction. This chapter includes a review of the study, a discussion of the conclusions drawn from the analysis of the interviews, and demographics findings in chapter 4. The

101 contribution of the results of this study to women entrepreneurs is addressed and the greater significance to the study of leadership is presented. In addition a recommended work-life balance model will be presented based on the findings of chapter 4. This chapter concludes with suggestions for future research, significance of findings to leadership, and closing remarks. Research Approach The phenomenological method captured the lived experiences of 10 women entrepreneurs and revealed insights of how they manage the work-life balance dilemma. These insights are discussed in this chapter. A qualitative approach was appropriate for this study because past studies examining work-life balance were successful using this approach (Bourne, 2006; Cahalan, 2007; Damiano-Teixeira, 2003; Mastri, 2007; Schapira, 2005; Schultz, 2007). In addition this approach allowed the participants to freely express their lived experiences. Although all preconceived beliefs, notions, and suppositions were suspended, a background as a woman entrepreneur of a shipping company enabled the researcher to have a deeper understanding of the participants experiences. Further understanding of this type of research can be gleaned from the statement by Ivanoff and Hultberg (2006) who explains that, hermeneutics claims that it is not possible for the researcher to stand off to the side of the interpretive process and that understanding requires that we are aware of our prejudices (p. 131). Being able to identify with the experiences shared in the interviews provided a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and therefore, identification of the failed and successful strategies.

102 Summary of Key Demographic Items The number of years each participant owned her business ranged from four years to 28 years. Most of the participants (60%) fell within the 51-60 age group. The majority (70%) were married, two were divorced and one was widowed. All the participants had at least one child and only two had elder care responsibilities. The types of businesses varied for each participant (see Appendix D). Summary of Findings and Interpretations The data analysis for this qualitative, hermeneutic, phenomenological study revealed six major themes: (a) the greatest challenge women entrepreneurs face is not having enough time to manage multiple responsibilities; (b) effective techniques used to balance these responsibilities are proper planning and developing organizational skills; (c) success strategies include building good relationships and time management; (d) failed strategies include conflict with spouse and poor planning; (e) organizational outcomes included better finances, better relationships and better customer service; and (f) personal outcomes included quality time spent with family and personal satisfaction. Theme One: Women Report Work-Life Balance Challenges The participants in this study (70%) express time constraints as a major challenge in achieving work-life balance. Germinal studies in this area started with replacing the traditional fixed-hour systems with flexible work hours where the worker shared in the control of the working time (Elbing et al., 1975). Due to the increased responsibilities, business owners typically work longer hours and may experience more work-life balance issues than organizationally employed persons (DeMartino et. al., 2006). Parasuraman and Simmers (2001) stated that, business ownership has both costs and benefits and is

103 not a panacea for the role pressures and constraints encountered in traditional organizational employment (p. 566). While one of the benefits of being a business owner includes flexibility, the pressures and time constraints may not provide the balance business owners are seeking. The effect of gender on the psychological well being of business owners has been studied and according to Parasuraman et al. (1996), women entrepreneurs devote significantly more time to family than men(p. 294). Supported by the research literature, women entrepreneur continue to face the challenge of managing multiple roles, citing not enough time as the major challenge in achieving work-life balance. Theme Two: Women Report Work-Life Balance Techniques The most effective techniques used to balance work and life responsibilities reported in this study are proper planning and developing organizational skills. Morris et al. (2006) noted that women entrepreneurs require a myriad of skills ranging from planning, and organizing to the ability to delegate and make rapid decisions under stress (p. 241). Strategic planning is well accepted as a technique to ensure organizational outcomes. Spidal (2007) refers to personal strategic planning as a way to find balance between career and life and to plan for continuous improvement in all areas ones life. These areas are identified by Spidal (2007) as mental, physical, spiritual, family, social and career/financial (p. 122). For a woman entrepreneur whose challenge of balancing multiple roles often leaves her trying to be all things to all people, the results of this study supports the importance of strategic planning. The entrepreneur should look at her long-term needs not only for satisfying work and personal domains but a way of taking control of her life.

104 Other effective techniques found in this study included meditation, prayer, relaxation, and exercise. The literature supports the importance of proper diet and exercise and stress reduction strategies to overcome the work life conflict. According to Allen and Armstrong (2006), a relationship exists between work-family conflict and physical health. In fact, Allen and Armstrong (2006) supported previous studies which stated that, work-family conflict has been connected with physical health outcomes (p. 1205). While none of the participants in this study revealed any mental or physical health concerns, many of them recognized the need to reduce stress through prayer, meditation, relaxation, and exercise. The techniques described by all participants were directed to organizational skills such as planning, organizing, directing, delegating, and controlling which are effective in both the entrepreneurs business and personal life. Having a clear vision and keeping focused were also expressed and are essential for the entrepreneur to manage both work and personal entities. The suggestion of keeping focused by relying on prayer, meditation, and exercise should be considered as useful techniques to manage work-life balance issues. Relaxation techniques as a form of reducing stress and maintaining focus should be considered as an effective way to achieve work-life balance. Theme Three: Women Report Success Strategies in Work-Life Balance Success strategies revealed in this study include organizational skills such as planning, delegating, effective communication, and relationship building. Prayer was also noted a success strategy. Clark (2000) stated that effective communication and developing relationships with others are key success strategies. In addition, Bruening and Dixon (2007) reported in a previous study that, thirteen of the participants acknowledged how they had learned to better manage their time and to be creative with

105 scheduling to make sure both work and family obligations were met (p. 484). One of the major challenges identified in this study is that women entrepreneurs do not have enough time to meet the demands of work and home. Time management as a success strategy would allow women entrepreneur to prioritize all tasks to ensure a greater outcome in reaching the desired goals. Getting outside help and delegating are critical to the success strategy. Business owners need to know their limitations and recognize that they cannot be all things to all people. The notion that if I dont do it, it wont get done properly as expressed by one of the participants is not an effective way to manage a business. Developing good working relationships and networking provides additional support for the business owner. While only two participants stated that a success strategy is to keep work and home separate, all participants shared experiences where they were not able to keep them separate. This success strategy of keeping them separate may be an impossible task. Finally, prayer as a success strategy was mentioned in many of the comments however, the participants did not expound in this area. This may be an area for future research. Theme Four: Women Report Failed Strategies in Work-Life Balance The failed strategies identified in this study include conflict with spouse and poor planning. The failed strategies were the inverse of the success strategies. Where success strategies were identified in organizational skills, failed strategies were acknowledged in the lack of organizational skills. These were identified as: poor financial decision, poor hiring strategy, ineffective communication, poor decision making, poor time management, poor planning, and ineffective delegating. By identifying failed strategies, the success strategies are validated and reinforced.

106 Theme Five: Women Report Organizational Outcomes Organizational outcomes included better finances, better relationships, and better customer service. Each participant was very clear in stating her desired organizational outcomes which included finances. The definition of entrepreneur not only implies but states emphatically that finance is an important organizational outcome. Rani and Rao (2007) defined entrepreneur as a person whom has an eye for opportunity, willing take risks, a commercial acumen, and through enterprising skills an innovativeness can generate employment for others and create personal wealth (p. 28). Personal wealth and organizational wealth are usually considered the same because the business is owned solely by the business owner. Other organizational outcomes cited were improved relationship and improved customer service. Both of these outcomes are directly related to creating wealth. One participant in the study acknowledged the point that a loss of finances may not necessarily be considered a negative organizational outcome because of a trade off with personal outcomes. Theme Six: Women Report Personal Outcomes Three of the 10 participants expressed personal outcomes in terms of quality time spent with family. Personal satisfaction was reported by two of the participants. Parasuraman and Simmers (2001) stated that, business ownership has both costs and benefits and is not a panacea for the role pressures and constraints encountered in traditional organizational employment (p. 566). While one of the benefits of being a business owner includes flexibility, the pressures, and time constraints may not provide the balance business owners are seeking. This is supported by the fact that three of the participants stated that leisure and vacation time was a desired personal outcome.

107 Summary and Conclusions Three central open-ended research questions guided this research: (1) How is success in work-life balance defined by women entrepreneurs? (2) What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? and (3) How does work-life balance affect personal and organizational outcome for women entrepreneurs? Only women entrepreneurs who were 100% owners and have been in business for at least three years participated in this study. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted producing the following six major themes: (a) the greatest challenge women entrepreneurs face is not having enough time to manage multiple responsibilities; (b) effective techniques used to balance these responsibilities are proper planning and development of organizational skills; (c) success strategies include building good relationships and time management; (d) failed strategies include conflict with spouse and poor planning; (e) organizational outcomes included better finances, better relationships and better customer service; and (f) personal outcomes included quality time spent with family and personal satisfaction. Work-Life Balance Definition Work-life balance was defined in this study as the dilemma of managing work obligations and personal and or family responsibilities (Lockwood, 2003). The main focus of this study was to determine how women entrepreneurs manage the role conflict between work and personal responsibilities in order to achieve balance. Balance is defined as, a state where an individual manages real or potential conflict between different demands on his or her time and energy in a way that satisfies his or her needs for well-being and self-fulfillment (Clutterbuck, 2003, p. 8).

108 Evidenced from the responses, the participants see work-life balance as a desired goal to achieve overall quality of life. Each definition depended on several factors such as length of time in business; the type of business; the child or elder dependent status; and for married women, the support of the spouse. Women who were in business for a longer time seemed to have more of a comfort level in their balance. This is expected as they had more time to develop their skills. The definition of balance varied with the type of business as well. The businesses that required physical presence presented a greater challenge to meet the time and energy required to successfully manage the business. Child care issues were significant as each participant acknowledged that time commitment to family were important core values. Spousal support is also important as those who had support from their husbands believed that they had a good balance with work and home or it was easier to achieve balance. One participant (P2) defined her balance in terms of percentage stating that her work-life balance formula is 80% work and 20% personal. In defining work-life balance there was a notion that the link between the business and the personal life of the entrepreneur was inevitable. Only three of the participants believed that the two should be kept separate (P1, P3, and P10). The financial health of the business, while not addressed specifically in this study, does contribute to how well the entrepreneur is able to balance work and home responsibilities (P9). Work-life balance means different things to different entrepreneurs and this definition varies according to the business cycle. The underlying resources of money, time, and energy are factors that affect the ability to balance work and personal responsibilities. The overarching goal as expressed by several participants is to enjoy a

109 happy life which includes success in both the business and family relationships. Success in one area and not the other resulted in imbalance or dissatisfaction. Presentation of Work-Life Balance Model Figure 1 is a work-life model developed as a result of the interviews and the additional comments women entrepreneurs shared about their lived experiences. During the literature review process of this study no other model similar to this was reviewed. This model identifies each role as a strand. The entrepreneurial experiences and skills produce outcomes in both personal and professional rewards.

Work-Life Balance Model-Woven Roles

Work Responsibilities

Entrepreneurship
Organizational skills: Planning Delegating Communicating Relationship building

Work-Life Balance

Life Responsibilities

Prayer/Relaxation Techniques

Figure 1. Work-Life Balance Model-Woven Roles The work-life model presented in Figure 1 is a result of the interviews conducted and past experiences of the researcher. This model challenges the notion that the entities are separate and that women should try to keep the two areas of their lives separate. This work-life model depicts the analogy of a rope. The rope is made up of several strands which represents the various expectations she has of her self and other have of her. These

110 expectations are manifested in the roles women assume or are placed on them. In this model each strand represents the two main roles which are work and life responsibilities. Each strand must be organized to function independently to achieve the desired goal of each entity. The decision to start ones own business means that each strand requires good organizational skills: planning, delegating, communicating, and relationship building. Another important technique that is often overlooked is the importance of prayer and relaxation which is incorporated in this model. When a woman decides to start her own business she must recognize that each strand cannot stand on its own and cannot be managed as separate entities. The unexpected challenges and crisis that occur in the regular process of life, causes a natural overlapping of roles and responsibilities. For example, a child gets sick or has a school performance requiring time away from the business, will result in overlapping of personal and professional responsibilities. Another scenario could be that an emergency after business hours requiring the owner to return to the business will interfere with time set aside for the family. The overlapping of roles cannot be controlled therefore they have to be incorporated into real life. It is where the strands of each entity overlap that strength can be found and balance is achieved. Contrary to other analogies of a juggler keeping balls in the air, many women consider juggling roles as a way to get things done. This does not seem to be a productive way as it suggests leaving things to chance and room for error. The woven roles model suggests that each role (strand) is clearly defined and can stand on its own. When the two roles are expected to operate at the same time there has to be some interconnectedness that would allow the entrepreneur to draw from the strengths of both roles being

111 connected. Research has shown that it is not possible for an entrepreneur to function in each role without there being any interference from each entity (Clark, 2000; Lambert et al., 2006). Clarks border theory explains that the primary connections between work and family systems are not emotional but rather human (Clark, 2000). Parasuraman and Simmers (2001) stated that self-employed persons may be more psychologically involved in work and display higher levels of job involvement than organizationally employed persons (p. 553). This means that the entrepreneur cannot separate herself from her business or her family responsibilities. Rather than trying to keeping them separate, work-life integration is designed to take a holistic approach rather than a compartmentalized approach. White (2007) suggested that employees should consider, integration of your personal and professional lives as a process rather than a destination (p. 358). This concept is even more critical for women entrepreneurs whose roles are more complex than employees of a corporation. Therefore, by weaving together the two entities a woman entrepreneur is able to function with the strength of combining both entities. The major themes that emerged from the qualitative data can be classified into three categories; organizational skills, people skills and self-improvement skills. These are the basic skills that every entrepreneur must possess in order to manage the work-life balance dilemma. Without these skills personal and organizational outcomes will not be met and balance will not be achieved. Recommendation for Future Research and Actions Given the narrow scope of this qualitative phenomenological study, additional research is needed to validate the emergent themes and invariant constituents that

112 emerged through in-depth interviews with 10 women entrepreneurs in the New York triborough area. The recommendation is to repeat this study in different geographic locations and increase the sample population. Conducting the study in different geographic locations with a larger sample size would allow the results to be generalized to a larger segment of women entrepreneurs. Another recommendation is to replicate this study using men entrepreneurs. A comparative study would reveal if women and men have similar perceptions and lived experiences in managing work-life balance issues. Understanding the similarities and differences may provide additional insights into work-life balance strategies for women and men entrepreneurs. Considerable research on work-life balance initiatives by both private and public sectors are currently being done, however, not enough research is being done in the area of women entrepreneurship. The model or concept of woven roles presented in this study should be further investigated and tested to determine if in fact, women are better able to manage both entities by weaving them together as opposed to keeping them separate. Comparative studies should be done to compare women who manage their roles separately with those who weave them together. Finally, a study to measure organizational and personal outcomes should be conducted to determine work-life balance success from the perspective of the woman entrepreneurs. A quantitative study to measure work-life balance strategies would be helpful to determine which strategies or combination of strategies is successful in achieving work-life balance.

113 Suggestion for Future Studies Future studies should identify whether or not the gender of the entrepreneur has any effect on the work life model presented in this study. In other words, is there a difference in how men and women manage their multiple roles? Comparative studies on men and women entrepreneurs would give further insights as to how entrepreneurs manage the work-life balance dilemma. The length of time the entrepreneur has been in business may also be an important factor in determining effective strategies in work-life balance. Studies that compare start up businesses, three to five years, with for example, five to ten years and ten years and more, may reveal different strategies that could benefit entrepreneurs and provide additional insights into the phenomenon of work-life balance. Studies to determine the cultural influence of the entrepreneur would also add insights that may be shared across cultures. As globalization continue to be a reality, studies which examine the global aspect of entrepreneurship should be conducted to identify challenges and solutions to work- life balance in various countries. In addition to cultural factors, there should be further investigation of spiritual factors in the success of work-life balance strategies. This study focused on women entrepreneurs who owned 100% of their business. Studies exploring partnerships may be helpful in understanding how work-life balance strategies are affected by sharing the responsibilities of the business. Longitudinal studies to determine the lasting and possible damaging effects on personal outcomes such as the health of the entrepreneur and the relationship with children and spouses should be conducted. The results of such studies would provide new insights into the effects of work-life balance on the familys structure.

114 Significance of Findings to Leadership The results of this study provided information on strategies that will affect personal and organizational outcomes for women entrepreneurs. It will change the way women look at their roles as the trend continues and women find creative ways to become leaders in niche markets. A more urgent need exists for entrepreneurial women to develop organizational skills in the areas of work and family responsibilities. Scholars and practitioners will want to learn more about this phenomenon and the interconnectedness of the multiple roles women play as business owner, mother and/or spouse. In addition, the results of this study provided information that will assist women who are planning to start their own businesses. The information gathered in this research assisted in identifying effective strategies illustrated in a leadership model that can be used as a tool to assist women to become more efficient and effective business leaders (Daniel, 2004; Frone et al., 1992; Guendouzi, 2006; Hughes, 2006). The results of this research provided a base for future studies specifically geared toward understanding how women entrepreneurs manage the dilemma of work-life balance. While women entrepreneur represent a portion of the field of leadership the coping skills of leaders in general will benefit from the strategies identified in this study. According to Roche and Baskerville (2007), the issues of work-life balance are not likely to be examined until some crisis or event occurs. This would suggest that as a proactive approach such as exposure to a work-life balance model would allow business owners and leaders to identify strategies that could be implemented to minimize conflict and increase the likelihood of work-life balance and facilitation (Roche & Baskerville, 2007, p. 65). Women entrepreneurs would benefit from employing the success strategies

115 identified in the work-life balance model presented in this study. Gaps in the research were identified by Shelton (2006), who stated that little research specifically addressing the work-life balance issues of women entrepreneurs exist in the literature. This study provided new insights into the phenomenon of work-life balance for women entrepreneurs. Closing Remarks As the number of women-owned businesses continues to grow at twice the rate of other U.S. firms there will be a greater need for women to employ work-life balance strategies that will help them balance personal and professional responsibilities (Center for Womens Business Research, 2007a; Slate, 2007; Ward, 2007). Each participant requested a copy of this study because they are in need of finding solutions to their worklife balance dilemma. The interest expressed by the participants in this study indicates that a real need exist to find work-life balance solutions for women entrepreneurs. A successful work-life balance strategy is etched in how the roles are viewed and how they interact. A model that shows the interconnectedness of these roles goes farther in finding solutions than those that attempt to keep them separate.

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136

APPENDIX A: COVER LETTER FOR INFORMED CONSENT Date: Subject: Request to Participate in a Doctoral Study Dear ,

I am a student at the University of Phoenix working on a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. I am conducting a research study entitled Worklife Balance in Women Entrepreneurs: A Phenomenological Study. The purpose of the research study is to explore the success strategies of women business owners who face the issue of work-life balance. The results of this study will provide information needed to develop a work-life balance model for women business owners. Your participation will involve an approximate one hour interview with open ended questions pertaining to your success in balancing work and family responsibilities. Your actual lived experiences as an entrepreneur and mother and or wife are particularly important to the data collection for the study. The interview will take place at a time and place that is convenient to you and will be audio taped and transcribed. The transcribed document will be sent to you for cross-checking for accuracy and for your edit if you desire. These materials will be stored on computer hard drives with backup copies on jump drives. The data will be coded to protect your confidentiality. Electronic and transcribed documents will be securely stored in locked files and subsequently destroyed after a 3 year minimum storage period. Hard copies will be shredded and electronic files erased. Your participation in this study is voluntary. If you choose not to participate or to withdraw from the study at any time, you can do so without penalty or loss of benefit to yourself. The results of the research study may be published but your name will not be used and your results will be maintained in confidence. In this research, there are no foreseeable risks to you. Although there may be no direct benefit to you, the possible benefit of your participation is that future women business owners will benefit from your success strategies. You will be participating as a co researcher since your input is the essence of the research, and this information may help other women business owners improve their work-life balance challenges.

137

If you have any questions concerning the research study, please call me at 516-238-4275. Enclosed is a response form with a stamped, self-addressed envelope for you to return to me. I hope that you will be able to serve as a participant of this study since I feel that this study will contribute to women entrepreneurship studies. Sincerely,

Wendy A. Finlay, Doctoral Candidate University of Phoenix Phoenix, AZ

wafinlay@email.phoenix.edu

138 APPENDIX B: RESPONSE TO REQUEST PLEASE COMPLETE & RETURN THE FOLLOWING IN THE ENCLOSED SELFADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE.

To: Wendy A. Finlay University of Phoenix From: Participant Address, City, State, Zip

Phone: 516-238-4275 Email: wafinlay@email.phoenix.com Participants Phone Number

Subject: Response to Request to Serve as a Study Participant Dear Wendy, I have received your cover letter explaining your dissertation study and request for me to serve as a study participant. With the understanding of the perimeters of my involvement as per your letter, here is my response: Please check one:

___________________Yes, I will be happy to participate in your study. ___________________No, I will not participate in your study. If yes is checked please note the time, day and manner you prefer to be contacted to schedule the brief interview at your convenience. This is NOT the interview date, but only the day and time you wish for Wendy to call and set up the interview:

Day____________ Date____________ Time____________ Phone____________ Or if you prefer Email______________________________________________________

139 By signing this form I acknowledge that I understand the nature of the study, the potential risks to me as a participant, and the means by which my identity will be kept confidential. My signature on this form also indicates that I am 18 years old or older and that I give my permission to voluntarily serve as a participant in the study described.

Signature of Study Participant_______________________________________________ Typed Name of Study Participant Date

140 APPENDIX C: SURVEY INSTRUMENT Project: Work-life Balance in women entrepreneurs - a phenomenological study Date : _______________________Time of interview:____________________ Place:_____________________________________________________________ Interviewer:______________________ Interviewee:_____________________ Name of Business:_______________________________________________________ Demographics: Ownership %_________________ Number of years in Business________________ Age: (circle age group) 20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71 and over Marital Status: Married ______ Single _______ Divorced _______ Child Dependent_______________Elder Dependent_______________________ Procedure: Describe the project, telling the interviewee about the a) purpose of the study, b) individuals and sources of data being collected c) what will be done with the data to protect confidentiality of the interviewee and, d) how long the interview will take. Turn on tape recorder and test it. Questions: 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? Additional Comments?_________________________________________________ Thank the individual for their cooperation and participation.

141 APPENDIX D: SUMMARY OF PARTICIPANTS Years in Business P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 15 15 10 9 35 4 5 28 28 24 Age Group 41-50 51-60 51-60 51-60 51-60 31-40 41-50 51-60 51-60 41-50 Marital Status D W M M D M M M M M Child Dependent Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Elder Dependent No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No Type of Business Re-Upholstery Prof. Writing Restaurant Packaging Bus Co. Insurance Boutique Dance Studio School Hair Salon

142 APPENDIX E: RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS DEMOGRAPHICS Year in Business Number of Participants Percent of Total Participants

3-5 6-10 11-20 21 and over Total Age of Participants 20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61 and over Total Marital Status Married Single Divorced Widowed Total

2 2 3 3 10

20% 20% 30% 30% 100%

0 1 3 6 0 10

0% 10% 30% 60% 0% 100%

7 0 2 1 10

70% 0% 20% 10% 100%

143 APPENDIX F: JOURNAL NOTES P1 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? Work-life balance is not that easy. Taking care of the store and a husband you have to keep them separate, unless you lose your husband. From my experience you dont have time to watch your husband and so my best friend was fooling around with my husband. It is very hard to take care of husband and business. Keeping business life separate from personal or else your best friend steal your husband. You can have a boyfriend but dont have your husband in your business. You must keep business separate from personal or else your best friend will steal your husband because not enough time is spent with him. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Not enough time to spend with husband and husband runs off with your best friend. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve worklife balance? You must be focused, give what you have and be good to your customers. Work decent hours so you can spend time with family. Make sure you dont involve husband because you will have conflict when you are the one that teach him the business. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Good relationship with customers. Become their friends so that they will recommend you to others. Work decent hours so you can spend time with husband but do not let husband be a part of your business. Make sure you choose a business that you

144 have a passion for and you enjoy so if you have to do long hours at least it is something you like to do. Had to go to work for someone else, give up business and started all over to get back on the ground. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance Having husband as a part of the business causes conflict because both do not have the same ideas of how to run the business. There was power struggles. He didnt know anything about the business I taught him everything. Then now he wants to be the boss. I have no regrets getting rid of him. I did not do anything wrong he did. Now I am back on my foot, I know exactly where I am going. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? Business would blossom and financial success would have been achieved. 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? I am more relaxed. I like to make money. It is stressful but I enjoy my work. I work long hours but I love it. Enjoy work and being with her son and grand children. Much more relaxed when you go home.

145 P2 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? Was puzzled by the question because work-life balance is as natural as breathing. Working is all that I do. 80% spent on work and 20% on personal. Business is her marriage. Children are grown so her life is business. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? No challenges because no worry about homework, dont have to worry about the children. Free to focus her clients. No significant other. When children were teenagers, she wanted to be in the house. Know their friends and staying on top of them. Mother used to live with them at that time it was very difficult. Work-life balance had a different meaning when the children were young and eldercare. 40% business and 60% Personal back then. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Meditation, prayer, exercise. She is sure she would have had a nervous breakdown. She is a much disciplined person. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? She was very blessed that business was very good at the time. Sometimes she used temp agency for the business. Got Home aide for the mother who eventually had to go to a Nursing Home. Selection of the business allowed her to spend more time with her sons. As a teacher she was exhausted when she got home. Take a personal day off to pamper yourself.

146 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? No failed strategy. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? Business goals are being met. 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? She walked the right path which resulted in very successful. Top engineer at General Electric and one of very few Navy Seals. Single parent, in Bronx raising 2 boys.

147 P3 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? How do I function to run my home and business and maintain my role as a wife and achieve the goals I have for my life. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Good and bad challenges. Some challenges are rewarding when you are able to provide excellent service to your customers. Getting good reference (word of mouth) result. People recognize your good work. Bad challenges when not able to meet the demands of the customers. As a wife sometimes it is difficult to make time to be with family. Like to prepare romantic meal, candle light for her husband. Must be able to separate work from home. Time constraints sometimes prevent her from meeting personal and business goals. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Must have proper planning and organization. She cannot let the business drive her plans she has to plan and delegate to the staff so that she can take care of personal needs such as hair and nails. She feels that she must be present and likes to be present. Your presence means that she is an integral part of the operation so that things get done properly. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Leave work at work. Come home and relax with daughter and granddaughter. Try to make life comfortable which results in less stress. Business has developed successfully and does not feel that finances would cause her to worry. She makes a good distinction

148 between work and home. Likes to give God thanks for what she is able to accomplish. Whatever she does is done willingly, honestly and wholeheartedly. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Better financial decisions such as purchasing the building she now rents for her business. This would have put her in a better financial situation so that more time could be spent on her personal life. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? She has a great relationship with her staff and customers. She is more relaxed and not stressed so she is able to communicate and deal with irate customers. Sufficient rest is important to make better business decisions. Make the work environment better for everyone. 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? Communication is very good and has a very positive relationship with her husband even though he works for her.

149 P4 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? Effectively managing family and business. You must be effective in all that you do. Better off doing a 9-5 job than trying to run your own business if you are not going to be successful. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? It is hard to get good management to help with the business. Hard to find people who are as passionate about your business as you are. They dont seem to be as focused and resourceful. She wants to groom others to take on more day to day tasks. At home husband takes care of some of the domestic chores. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? You must be passionate about your business. You must be organized and structured. You must see the business as a long-term venture. Do not expect to make profit right away. Must have resources in place before you start business. Need to set foundation of finances and spousal support. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Must be able to market yourself, networking and building relationships. She has other business that hires a manager to manage for her. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? First business she started was a hair dressing place and she did not have to be hands-on. It manages itself. This business is different she feels she has to be there all the

150 time. Recently found a reliable manager and feels that she can take time off to go out and promote the business and take care of her personal needs. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? She feels that she spends more time in this business and has to be present because it is more technical operation. This requires much more interaction with the public. 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? Not being able to take vacation. Personal strain on her and entire family. No longterm plan for time with family.

151 P5 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? Finding the happy medium to having a happy life. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Resist having the business take over your life. Business is a living breathing thing. It is very hard not to get consumed by this. She loves to micro manage. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Had to force herself to take time off. Had to reorganize and re staff her business. Had all her eggs in one basket. Dishonest manager had to be fired. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Time management is great strategy. She admits that she needs to work at this. Shows personal interest in her employees. Chose to leave her husband. Had to learn to let people make their mistakes. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? She needs help plan her day better. Not being able to delegate. My organizational skills need to be developed. I procrastinate too much. I had to learn how to delegate and trust my staff. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? When the business is making money and employees and customers are happy then organizational outcomes are positive.

152 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? Good positive relationship with her children. Now that I have trained staff I can travel more and do more community and charity work.

153 P6 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? How you balance your personal life and the business. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Husband is very supportive. He helps out with the children so she can focus on the business. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Plan ahead; make notes, checklist, and lots of memo for both the home and business. Delegate to staff. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Being able to be organized and plan. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Husband came to work with her in the business for 2 weeks but she started to feel suffocated. The reason why she wanted to have her own business is because she did not want to have a boss. Husband critiqued her in everything she does. She had to let him go! 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? Emergencies in personal life can get in the way of getting her business done. She has to be at the business all the time and likes to be hand-on but sometimes emergencies keeps her from being there. Her children are most important so if there is an emergency she has to look after them first.

154 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? Affects children and they sometimes call for Daddy before they call for Mommy. She does feel guilty when she is not able to spend time with her children and feels jealous when husband has such a good relationship with them.

155 P7 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? It is a very important issue. Balance is defined by attaining the goals in an enjoyable way. There is never enough hours in the day to do all that you need to accomplish. Sense of pride, satisfaction and fulfillment when goals are met. The balance is different for each day. Flexibility is there to create balance. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Your own expectation and the expectations of spouse, children, clients and friends can be a major problem in trying to achieve work-life balance. You have to realize that you cannot be all things to all people. You have to be real to yourself. You need to set parameters. Sometimes you have to say no. Not able to pick up daughter from school at specific times. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Creates a log that helps her to stay on track. Must understand that there are unexpected things that will come up. Communication with family. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Proper management of her time (log). Make sure you make time to take care of your own personal needs: (hair and nails). 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? People think that to get balance you have to get everything done but sometimes you need to get help. Get someone to pick up children from school. Must have buffered

156 time. Spousal support is important. Could not survive without the support of her husband at home. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? There is an opportunity cost for everything. You have to give up something to gain something. There are time she has to close her shop (lose business) to take children to Broadway. Women in corporate America have to give up income, reducing their hours to gain balance in their lives. 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? Rewarding and fulfilling to know that you are your own boss, personal satisfaction. Making the business profitable so that you can spend time with family. The flexibility allows her to take care of personal matters, banking, and picking up children from school.

157 P8 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? Fabulous husband who is very supportive and great father. Takes care of the children so she could focus on the business. Started with 10 kids and now have 400 children. Started with $1 per lesson. Husband interacts well with children even though he has his own career. Danced all her life. Opening up studio allowed her to be home with the children when she started the dance classes in her basement. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Times when she was not able to attend the games. Pressure to start up another studio but because family is important she had to decide not to open another studio. Must identify your priorities. Conflict of going to your son or daughters game or going to work. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Have great people to work for you. This allowed her to attend the after-school activities with her children. Being open and honest with the parents so that you can be flexible. Daughter now works for her also her niece. Relationship building. She does not have to advertise because she has built up a good reputation in the community. Doing the right thing- Sending cards to sick parent. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? She does not do competition. This sets her apart from the other studios. Build up confidence which has to develop over the years. She has always had the zest for life. She set the standard and culture for the teachers. She is from the old school, very strict but she

158 is also able to adjust to what is going on today. Must be compassionate in what you do. You cannot run your business without being hands on. That is why businesses fail because the owner is not visible. People want to see the owner. Create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable. Keeps her relationship with her husband alive and fresh. Her creative nature keeps her husband. They plan get-a- ways with husband. Communication is very important. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Was not as seasoned to know how to communicate with the parents. It is hard to separate what happens at work with home. Bad decision will spill over into the personal life. Learned from her mistakes. Had to learn how to deal with people. Least little thing would bother her. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? Everyone benefit in the business. When she is happy everyone else around her is happy. So work-life balance is important not just for her but for her business. Generations use her studio. Women bring their daughters who bring their daughter as well. So there are generations benefiting from her service. 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? High self-expectations mean that others in the business will have high expectations of themselves.

159 P9 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? Work-life balance varies at different times in my life. First marriage she had no children so it was much easier. There is no worry about finances. There is more time spent on business together. Once you have children it pulls you and it is impossible if spouse is not supportive. If you dont it is almost impossible. Some things are going to suffer. Women have to juggle. Her daughter spends a lot of time at the business. Only illness and accidents. Her husband insists that she does not bring work home. It depends on the type of business. Child care you have to be physically present. Parents need connection with the owner. They have to be available at all times. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Everything rest on you so the business always take priority. Even when you are on vacation she is still taking calls and thinking about the business. It is difficult to have a schedule because everything is dictated by the business. The goals are set to leave early but most times the business is unpredictable. If the alarm goes off, or there is a flood any emergency you have to physically be there. She is a hands-on person and gets involved in every aspect of the business even to sweep the sidewalk. You do things at the business like cleaning the bathroom that you dont even do at home. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Still set goal and schedule but it only serves as a framework but most times it is not achieved. She is learning to not micromanage. It is hard to find staff that shared your vision. Sharing the responsibilities at home. She had helper to clean at home and husband

160 does the grocery shopping and cooking. Mother will do the laundry. Older daughter has her chores as well. Her time is spent spending time with her children, checking the homework. Live-in helper takes care of most of the domestic chores. She checks the homework in aftercare so that when she gets home it is more social. She does not give out her home phone number any more since there are more people who can assist. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Use small bits of time effectively. Time management and you must really enjoy your work. Have a Personal list and a Business list. Must integrate both areas in order to be effective in both. Bring some personal task to be done at work. Delegate responsibilities even with someone else with the key for emergencies. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Must realize that not everything can be scheduled. Valentines, Birthday are important not to miss. Must have duties at the business streamlined so that more time can be spent on the important personal things. Has to make a date with husband. Weekend getaways every 3 months. You must have the right partner. Husband is very good at planning. Need time to take care of personal needs (hair dresser etc). 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? Much better temper with staff- not as stressed. 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? More quality time spent with children. Children are very involved with extra curricular activities. She has to plan around their activities but tries to incorporate these activities into the school. It is important to bond with children.

161 P10 Journal Notes 1. How do entrepreneurial women define work-life balance? The balance with work home and personal very important to balance or you will make mistakes. 2. What are some of the challenges in achieving work-life balance? Prioritizing, planning staying focus. Making sacrifice. Set your goals for your personal and business. It is all about sacrifices. Working late hours, after work go home, cant go hanging out with girlfriends. Social life had to be put on the back burner. 3. What are some of the techniques used by entrepreneurial women to achieve work-life balance? Very organized and well planned. Always have a to-do list. 4. What are some success strategies used in achieving work-life balance? With her son, making sure homework gets done. At nights she would read his books and checks homework. This would let him know that she is interested in his school work. Husband has no input in business. Her son is now grown so there is not much for him to do. No regrets running business by herself. Too much power struggle and ego. 5. What are some failed strategies used in achieving work-life balance? Would have gotten a business partner, not necessarily a husband. This would have taken some pressure to not have to be at the shop every day. This would allow time to run errands. Not sure that many partnerships work well. She prefers to fail by herself. 6. How does work-life balance issues affect organizational outcome? She works only by appointment and so she plans around her schedule. Personal errands would not affect customer service. Customers get her undivided attention.

162 7. How does work-life balance issues affect personal outcome? She keeps all business separate from home. Customers do not call her at home. Her sons time is not affected by customers.

163 APPENDIX G: ADDITIONAL COMMENTS P1. Do not count eggs when you count too fast you will lose it. When you fail it hurts. Dont like too much talk with no action. It is like a harvest you plant and then you wait to see what happens. Have a goal but keep your goal to yourself. Be a good listener, learn from other people and do not stop learning. I hate big talkers who have no action. Big talk is shallow. Advice to new women entrepreneur: learn from other business women; balance what makes sense for you. Be sure to associate with men so you can learn from them. Do not be afraid to work hard. Sometimes it is very painful but you have to be prepared to work really hard. Be a good listener and never stop learning. Learn from other peoples experience especially business women. Develop good relationship with your customers but watch out those who just want to use you to get a discount. Good relationships with customers mean that they will recommend you to their friends. P2. Know that there are going to be challenges. Sometimes you dont know where the business is coming from. Keep the faith. Understand the strength within you. Pay attention to marketing. Keep on going dont give up. Take time out to pamper yourself. Make sure that your partner has the same work ethics and understands your commitment to the business. Keep focus- do not let any person interfere with your goal & objectives. Shared story of friend whose husband was jealous of her success and she had to choose to lose her business. P3. You must have a mentor who can share some of their success and failure Must have a supportive spouse whether they work in the business or not. Power struggles sometimes but you must be able to know your mate and know how to not let situations get out of hand. When he flares up she keeps quiet till he calms down and then she lets

164 him know in a very nice way what she need and wants to get done. Leave conflict from the business at the door do not bring it home. What happens at work stays at work. She had to set the tone for this. She admits that her husband is very good to work with but they do have clashes at times. Rewarding and challenging but you must have the Lord in your heart and ask him to guide you daily. This sets the tone for the day and allows you to have great relationship with customers even when she is out at the supermarket. This is rewarding to know that even out in public people recognize her. She believes in giving back to the community. She often has treats for the children. She does a lot of charity work for schools, churches. It is rewarding when you give back. P4. You must be passionate. You get more energy from the passionate. Important to find quality time to spend with yourself. Finances must be intact. There are lots of sacrifices in the startup phase of your business. Must make enough money to hire help for both home and business. Find someone who you can delegate to. Be sure to build your business not just for you but for the next generation. Do not mix business with personal. P5. No additional comments P6. Make sure that your spouse is on board with you. Make sure that the support at home is there with your husband. She does not think her business would be successful without the support of her husband. P7. You must realize that you have to give up something to gain. You have to count the cost. You must plan ahead. No such thing as working 24 hrs to achieve balance. You must plan ahead and decide what you are willing to give up before you start your own business.

165 P8. Read and learn do not be afraid to make mistakes. Do not be afraid to step out of the box and take risks. Build lasting relationship both in the business and personal. Always be one step ahead and plan. Organize your business so that it runs itself. Communication is important in both personal and business. Keep employees up to date on reading as well. P9. Do not have children till business is settled. Be sure that the selection of partner fits into your business plans. Must choose a business that you are passionate about. P10. Stay focused. Set a goal. Plan properly. Make sacrifices that will work for you. Work hard to succeed. Put the work in and you will get the results.