Past research has suggested that work-life balance plays an important role in maintaining a healthy work environment and enhanced productivity, as well as improved mental and physical health (Zheng...Show morePast research has suggested that work-life balance plays an important role in maintaining a healthy work environment and enhanced productivity, as well as improved mental and physical health (Zheng et al., 2015). Work-life balance crafting intentions among entrepreneurs were investigated, given that a critical aspect behind maintaining a healthy work-life balance is one’s motivation to actually craft it. Two variables that may predict entrepreneurs’ intentions to craft and preserve a healthy work-life balance, growth intentions and workaholism, were thus examined in a cross-sectional study employing actual entrepreneurs (N = 172). The results of this study demonstrated that growth intentions were positively and significantly predictive of work-life balance, whereas workaholism was negatively and significantly predictive of work-life balance. The findings of this research provided supporting evidence that workaholism could lead to lower intentions of entrepreneurs to maintain a work-life balance, whereas growth intentions seem to predict a higher engagement in proactive behaviors aimed to maintain a work-life balance.Show less
In recent years, entrepreneurship has become an attractive career choice due to high levels of autonomy and job control. However, these characteristics are accompanied by high job demands and...Show moreIn recent years, entrepreneurship has become an attractive career choice due to high levels of autonomy and job control. However, these characteristics are accompanied by high job demands and boundarylessness between work and other life domains, which constitutes a challenge to maintain a work-life balance. Entrepreneurs’ engagement in work-life balance crafting is required to maintain a work-life balance, which can consequently affect general well-being. There is a lack of research on examining factors that contribute to differences in entrepreneurs’ engagement in WLB crafting. Accordingly, it was proposed that growth pursuit and psychological capital predict work-life balance crafting among entrepreneurs. A cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 142 entrepreneurs who were recruited via Prolific Academic. Results of the multiple regression analysis showed that psychological capital, but not growth pursuit, plays a significant role in WLB crafting engagement, which has beneficial theoretical and practical implications to enhance entrepreneurs’ work-life balance crafting engagement. The study provided novel empirical insight into the role of growth pursuit and psychological capital in entrepreneurs’ behaviors to craft their work-life balance.Show less
This thesis investigated characteristics that predict Work-Life Balance (WLB) crafting among entrepreneurs. Specific attention was paid to the roles of trait competitiveness and growth pursuit. The...Show moreThis thesis investigated characteristics that predict Work-Life Balance (WLB) crafting among entrepreneurs. Specific attention was paid to the roles of trait competitiveness and growth pursuit. The first hypothesis of the study was that competitiveness negatively predicts WLB crafting engagement among entrepreneurs. The second hypothesis was that competitiveness negatively and indirectly predicts WLB crafting engagement among entrepreneurs via growth pursuit. In this study, the answers of 139 valid participants were collected via Prolific Academic who had to be above 18 years of age and be entrepreneurs. The online survey consisted of questions regarding their demographics and businesses. Furthermore, answers regarding their levels of competitiveness, growth pursuit, and engagement in WLB crafting were collected. The analysis was done with a two-level hierarchical multiple regression analysisto analyze the data. Contrary to Hypothesis 1, findings showed that competitiveness did not significantly predict WLB crafting among entrepreneurs. Hypothesis 2 was also rejected as growth pursuit did not significantly mediate the relationship between competitiveness and WLB crafting. The findings lent support to the notion that competitive people are not less likely to engage in WLB crafting activities. Moreover, growth pursuit was not predicted by competitiveness, and did not enhance the understanding of the relationship between competitiveness and WLB crafting.Show less
Entrepreneurship has been found one of the most stressful professions due to the overall pressure and need for achievement it comprises. Entrepreneurs often fail to bring the balance between the...Show moreEntrepreneurship has been found one of the most stressful professions due to the overall pressure and need for achievement it comprises. Entrepreneurs often fail to bring the balance between the work and life domain, which leads to weaker job performance as well as well- being. However, entrepreneurs’ work life balance crafting engagement has found to bring various positive personal, organizational and financial outcomes. But what determines the extent to which entrepreneurs will engage in such behaviors? To answer this question, there are two hypotheses. Firstly, growth pursuit will negatively predict WLB crafting engagement and secondly conscientiousness will positively predict WLB crafting engagement among entrepreneurs. Part of a bigger cross-sectional study, 144 entrepreneurs, recruited from Prolific, participated on an online survey and were part of a two-stage hierarchical multiple regression analysis (MRA). The analysis indicated positive non-significant results for both growth pursuit and conscientiousness. Contradicting the study’s hypotheses as well as indications of past research, this thesis gives valuable insights with regards to why some entrepreneurs engage in WLB crafting more than others. Limitations, suggestions for future research as well as implications of the present study are discussed in detail.Show less
Entrepreneurs are widespread and make up for a lot of the proportion of small businesses, this makes them a crucial group to include in research. Despite that fact entrepreneurs have been...Show moreEntrepreneurs are widespread and make up for a lot of the proportion of small businesses, this makes them a crucial group to include in research. Despite that fact entrepreneurs have been strikingly absent in research concerning work-life balance (WLB) crafting. In this paper an entrepreneur sample (N=142) is used to assess the relation between growth pursuit and WLB crafting and between perceived behavioural control and WLB crafting. Multiple Regression Analysis was used to assess the predictive effect of these factors on WLB crafting in SPSS. Contrasting our hypothesis based on limited resources research it was found that growth pursuit positively predicts WLB crafting. This finding is probably explained by other research which states that people who engage in WLB crafting also have the time and motivation to pursue growth because they have a good WLB. The hypothesised effect of perceived behavioural control on WLB crafting was found to be positive and significant which was in line with our hypothesis based on an array of research which all pointed to a positive effect of perceived behavioural control on target behaviour. This is explained by the fact that people who believe they can do something actually will while others who do not believe will not even try to engage in that behaviour. Limitations and future research directions (especially into mechanisms that explain the found results) are discussed. Theoretical and practical, particularly programs which could boost work-life balance crafting and the benefits thereof, implications are discussed.Show less
Sexual minorities may experience discrimination in workplaces, for instance, due to the perceived incongruence between stereotypes attributed to sexual orientation and gendered work. This paper...Show moreSexual minorities may experience discrimination in workplaces, for instance, due to the perceived incongruence between stereotypes attributed to sexual orientation and gendered work. This paper aims to study the effects of this perceived incongruence on entrepreneurs' performance trust. We hypothesise that homosexual entrepreneurs receive lower evaluations than heterosexual entrepreneurs in a male-typed business, and that homosexual entrepreneurs receive lower evaluations in a male than female-typed business. We conducted a vignette study (N = 200) designed as a 2 (sexual orientation: homosexual vs. heterosexual) x 2 (gender-typed business: female-type field vs. male-type field) cross-sectional, between-subjects experiment with participants recruited from Prolific Academic. Both hypotheses were not supported, suggesting that the context of the entrepreneur, acceptance towards sexual minorities, possession of masculine and feminine traits, and performance may play a bigger role in performance trust than the stereotypes associated with them.Show less
Greatly inspired by Pierro et al.’s (2013) study on need for closure, the current study investigated whether high need for closure individuals outsource economic decisions in an influencer...Show moreGreatly inspired by Pierro et al.’s (2013) study on need for closure, the current study investigated whether high need for closure individuals outsource economic decisions in an influencer marketing context, similar to how Pierro et al.’s (2013) found high need for closure individuals to outsource organizational decisions to opinion leaders. Based on previous scientific literature a research model was developed to test the following two hypotheses: social media influencer credibility has a positive effect on purchase intentions towards influencer-promoted products, and the positive relation between social media influencer credibility and purchase intentions is moderated by need for closure, in a way that high NFC individuals have greater purchase intentions compared to low NFC individuals. A simple linear regression and a process model 1 moderation analysis were performed to test the hypotheses. Social media influencer credibility was found to have a significant positive effect on purchase intentions. Need for closure was not found to moderate this positive relation. The former finding replicated, strengthened, and extended findings from previous research to an influencer marketing context. Limitations, theoretical and practical implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed as well.Show less
