Abstract
This PhD research project explores mumpreneurs’ well-being in the context of a developing nation, Bangladesh. In particular, this study examines how well-being can serve as both a driver for and an outcome of mumpreneurship. Mumpreneurs are mothers who set up their businesses in the diverse economic spaces of home, locality, and online, while meeting the requirements of their role as caregivers for their children. Although prior research on mumpreneurs identified that creating well-being for themselves and others is a central motivation, their perspectives on well-being creation have not been examined in depth. This partial understanding of why mumpreneurs start their business, and how they create well-being through their business activities, impedes efforts (by both scholars and policymakers) to support them in achieving their aspirations for personal and community well-being enhancement.
The majority of the existing mumpreneurship studies were conducted in the context of developed nations. There is scant knowledge about mumpreneurs in the context of developing nations and very little knowledge regarding their well-being. To address this gap in the literature, this study employs diverse economies as a theoretical lens and explores mumpreneurs’ psychological well-being, specifically, their eudaimonic well-being. Eudaimonic well-being refers to psychological wellness and emphasises human potential and self-actualisation. Examining the eudaimonic well-being of mumpreneurs in consideration of their particular socio-cultural contextual factors should provide insight into why certain people choose entrepreneurship as their pathway to living well.
A qualitative research approach is employed in this study. As a research method, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 mumpreneurs in localities of Dhaka city, followed by thematic analysis to explore their well-being. In the context of a developing nation, the findings have practical implications for policymakers and organisers of online social medias for women entrepreneurs (e.g. Fempreneurs in Dhaka) to assist mumpreneurs, who contribute to not only economic development but also well-being creation.
This study contributes to theory and relevant literature in four ways. First, this research added the concept of an ‘ecosystem of well-being’ to the domain of women’s place-based politics in the field of diverse economies. Participants’ various transactions, labour deployment, and forms of enterprise in the diverse spaces of home, localities, and online indicate that they are not only engaged in community development, operating economic activities, and being resilient, but also are adopting and promoting a culture of care, leading to creation of an ecosystem of well-being.
Second, this study contributes to the existing literature on mumpreneurship. It demonstrates that mumpreneurs can feel driven to start their businesses in order to improve their eudaimonic well-being and create well-being as an outcome of mumpreneurship. Therefore, this study adds a rich understanding of mumpreneurs’ well-being, with due consideration given to the socio-cultural context and the importance of diverse economic spaces for well-being creation.
Third, this study contributes to the broader literature on well-being in the field of entrepreneurship. The significance of this study is that it highlights the impact of socio-cultural context on entrepreneurs’ eudaimonic well-being perspectives by exploring how well-being acts as a driver for and an outcome of mumpreneurship in the context of a developing nation.
Fourth, this study also contributes to broader theoretical spaces. The ecosystem of well-being and an approach using diverse economies offers the potential to enhance understanding in developmental studies, particularly in indigenous entrepreneurship in developing contexts.