A Study on the Work-Life Balance Issues Faced by Micro and Small Village Entrepreneurs (MSVEs) in India

Abstract

This paper aims at appreciating the need for and relevance of understanding conceptual paradigm of Work-Life Balance, and Rural Entrepreneurs who are conceptualized as Micro and Small Village Entrepreneurs (MSVEs). Enterprises in rural environments are operating in an arena of extreme and rapid change. In India, entrepreneurship has traditionally been considered a prerogative of affluent urban people. However, in tandem with a changing socio-cultural environment and an increase in educational opportunities, people from rural context have started recognizing their inherent talents and business skills. With the help of various governmental and non-governmental agencies, growing numbers of people from small villages and towns in the country are joining the ranks of entrepreneurs. However, in the existing familial and societal setup, such Micro and Small Village Entrepreneurs (MSVEs) are overburdened and find it increasingly difficult to balance their work and life roles. Therefore, the major objective of the present study was to understand and illustrate the work-life balance (WLB) issues faced by such Micro and Small Village Entrepreneurs (MSVEs) of the states of Haryana and Rajasthan in India. In this context, data has been collected by area sampling (cluster-random) paired with semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. This study revealed that role overload, dependent care issues, quality of health, problems in time management and lack of proper social support are the major factors influencing the WLB of MSVEs entrepreneurs in India. Furthermore, even though the vast majority of the entrepreneurs examined in this study suffer from WLB issues, there are significant differences in the level of WLB issues faced by the various categories of MSVEs entrepreneurs.