ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study explores the innovative strategies of women entrepreneurs integrating the role of work with personal and family responsibilities to achieve business success and a happy life. In addition, the study will also analyse the challenges faced in achieving work and life balance. This study uses a mixed-methodology approach involving structured interview techniques using questionnaires and semi-structured, in-depth interviews. A total of 50 Malay women entrepreneurs in Terengganu were randomly selected to answer the questionnaire. Five of the samples have been interviewed in an in-depth manner. The findings show three key strategies undertaken by Terengganu Malay women entrepreneurs to integrate work and life demands. The strategies are: (i) engaged in stress management activities; (ii) plan their early work and home chores responsibilities; (iii) and use technology (mobile phones, internet) to manage work and home. Whereas, the challenges they face in achieving work and life balance are related to (i) discussing business problems with families; (ii) unable to do family work; and (iii) facing physical health / fatigue problems. To ensure the balance of work and life, this study suggests that women entrepreneurs should adopt innovative strategies in balancing work and life such as getting support from their spouses and families, engage in stress management activities, and change the structure of their work to make it more flexible.
Agarwal, S., & Lenka, U. (2015). Study on work-life balance of women entrepreneurs- review and research paper agenda. Industrial And Commercial Training. Vol. 47. No. 7, pp. 356-362.
Al-Hossienie, C. A. (2011). Socio-economic Impact of Women Entrepreneurship in Sylhet City, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Development Research Working Paper Series (BDRWPS).
Appelbaum, S. H., Asham, N., & Argheyd, K. (2011). “Is the glass ceilling cracked in information technology? A qualitatif analysys: Part 1”. Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 43 No. 6, pp. 354-61.
Bullough, A., & Abdelzaher, D. (2013). Global Research on Women’s Entrepreneurship: An Overview of Available Data Sources & Limitations. Business and Management Research Vol. 2, No. 3.
Clark, S. C. (2000). Work/family border theory: A new theory of work-life balance. Human Relations, 53(6), 7470–7770.
Cross, C., & Linehan, M. (2006). Barriers to advancing female careers in the high-tech sector: empirical evidence from Ireland. Women in Management Review. Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 28-39.
Edralin, D. M. (2012). Innovative Work-Life Balance Strategies of Filipina Entrepreneurs: New Evidence from Survey and Case Research Approaches. International Conference on Asia Pacific Business Innovation and Technology Management. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Social and Behavioral Sciences 57, 201 – 208.
Harrington, B., & Ladge, J. J. (2009). Present Dynamics and Future Directions for Organisations, Organisational Dynamics, 338(2), 148-157. In Farrell, k. (2011). A Study of Work-Life Balance Benefits in the Irish Hotel Sector. Home Renaissance Foundation Working Papers. Number 30.
Jahed, A. M., Kulsum, U., & Akthar, S. (2011). Women Entrepreneurship in BANGLADESH: A Study on Support Services Available For Its Development And Growth. Global Management Review. 5(3).
Kirkwood, J., & Tootell, B. (2008). Is Entrepreneurship the Answer to Achieving Work-Family Balance?. Journal of Management & Organization, 14(3), pp. 285-302.
Lewis, S., & Cooper, C. L. (2005). Work–Life Integration: Case Studies of Organisational Change. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester.
Lewis, S., Gambles, R., & Rapoport, R. (2007). The constraints of a ‘work-life balance’ approach: an international perspective. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 360-73.
Uddin, M. D., & Chowdhury, M. M. ( April 2015). An Investigation into the issues of Work-Life Balance of Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM). e-ISSN: 2278-487X, p-ISSN: 2319-7668. Volume 17, Issue 4. Ver. III, pp. 07-17.
Marlow, S. (2002). Women and self-employment: a part of or part from theoritical construct?. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 83-91.
Mathew, R. V., & Panchanatham, N. (2009b). Influencers and the role in determining the work life balance of employees working in the information technology sector. KGEES Journal of Social Science, 1, 17–31.
Mathew, R. V., & Panchanatham, N. (2011). An exploratory study on the work-life balance of women entrepreneurs in south India. Asian Academy of Management Journal. 16(2), 77–105.
Nadelcheva, S. (2012). Female Entrepreneurship in Denmark. Multiple Case Study on Danish and International Women Who Have Business in the Country. MSc in International Business. Aarhus University, Business and Social Sciences.
Peeters, M. C. W., Montgemery, J. J., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W.B. (2005). Balancing work and home: How job and home demands are related to burnout. International Journal of Stress Management, 12, 43–61.
Sumaira, R., & Azam, M. R. (2012). Gender and work-life balance: a phenomenological study of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Journal os Small Business and Enterprise Development. Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 209-228.
In-Text Citation: (Romli & Ghani, 2018)
To Cite this Article: Romli, L., & Ghani, N. A. (2018). Innovative Strategies between Work and Life Balance among Female Entrepreneurs in the State of Terengganu, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(5), 47–60.
Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode