The same, only different: Doing management in the intersection between work and private life for men and women in small-scale enterprises

Stig Vinberg, Emma Hagqvist, Jonathan Q Tritter, Erika Wall, Bodil Landstad

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The aim of this article is to elucidate how male and female managers of small-scale enterprises in Norway and Sweden relate to and experience the intersection between work and private life. A qualitative content analysis was adopted to explore interviews with 18 managers. The analysis resulted in three primary categories: conflict as a part of the deal, using management to construct balance, and management identity contributing to enrichment. A key theme that emerged was doing management. Both men and women reproduced masculine values in describing their management identities and in explaining how they enacted management. This clear identification was used to legitimate conflict, construct balance and explain the interaction between work and private life as enriching. How the managers enacted gender emerged primarily in how they related to family responsibilities and their feelings of guilt in relation to home and children.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)262-280
Number of pages19
JournalWork, Employment and Society
Volume34
Issue number2
Early online date7 Nov 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2020

Bibliographical note

© Sage 2019. The final publication is available via Sage at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0950017019871244

Keywords

  • enacting management roles
  • gender and management
  • small-scale enterprises
  • work–life balance
  • work–life conflict
  • work–life enrichment

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