Entrepreneurial mothers' behaviours on their business and family life: a case study in Sri Lanka

PurposeThis study examines women entrepreneurs' understanding of motherhood and entrepreneurial career and how they negotiate this combination with their gendered understandings and social norms in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using in-depth, semi-structured interviews from 20 entrepreneurial mothers in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Sub-samples were taken to achieve demographic heterogeneity.FindingsThis study found that entrepreneurial mothers do not perceive their business as separate from their motherhood understanding. They believe that their profession is a part of motherhood responsibilities. This study also found that to negotiate a combination of roles, these mothers employed two coping strategies at different levels: family and business.Research limitations/implicationsAs the sample size is small, an extended research strategy would be more effective. Future research could seek to identify strategies that women entrepreneurs use to balance their business–family life.Practical implicationsThis research provides implications for balancing business and family life for women entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThe paper extends the cultural and geographical scope of the literature on women entrepreneurs' business–family life experiences.