Skeletons in the Closet: Exploratory Study on Entrepreneurial Stress

Abstract

When addressing the issues of entrepreneurial well-being, scholars tend to investigative the interrelationships between two variables: work environment and entrepreneur. However, such a quantitative approach to the issue ignores the fact that stress is a rather complex and multiyear phenomenon. Thus, novel ways are required to overcome the oversimplification of the stress process. This study addresses the phenomenon of entrepreneurial stress through the perspective of personal accounts and asks the question of what the entrepreneur’s actions can lead to stress. The study applies narrative analysis to gain a deeper insight into the phenomenon of entrepreneur stress since stories are known to bear the account of one’s acts and behaviours. The findings reveal the complex nature of stress by illuminating how personal beliefs and behaviour can subject entrepreneurs to stress, strain, and overwork. The results of the paper contribute to the literature on entrepreneurial stress and well-being by casting a more nuanced light on life pressures experienced among entrepreneurs.