RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT

ON

“WORKLIFE BALANCE OF WOMEN

ENTREPRENEURS IN LUDHIANA CITY”
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Business Administration (2022-2024)

Submitted to

Department of Business Administration

Punjab College of Technical Education, Baddowal,

Ludhiana.

Affiliated to

Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.

Research Supervisor: Submitted by:

Dr.Naresh Sachdeva Divya Malhotra

Director Roll No. 2213752

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Divya Malhotra, Roll number-2213752 has undergone a research
project on “Work Life Balance of Women Entrepreneurs in Ludhiana City” under my
supervision in the specialization area International Business. The work embodied in this
report is original and is of the standard expected of an MBA student and has not been
submitted in part or full to this or any other university for the award of any degree or
diploma. She has completed all the requirements of guidelines for research project report.

The work is fit for evaluation.

Signature of Supervisor

Name: Naresh Sachdeva

Director
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project report entitled “Work Life Balance of Women
Entrepreneurs” is an original work and has not been submitted in part or full to any other
university/institution for the award of any degree or diploma.

Signature of Student

Name- Divya Malhotra

Roll No. – 2213752

 ACKNOWLEGDEMENT

I express my Deep and profound sense of gratitude to my project guide Dr. Naresh
Sachdeva, PCTE, Ludhiana for his guidance and constructive support in the completion of
this study. His guidance at each step of the project helped me to broaden my Outlook on the
project and in successful completion of the project. I shall always remember his polite way of
correction and constant encouragement by asking various questions.

I specially thank all the faculty members of PCTE for equipping me with the skills and
abilities through their inputs which assisted me in the completion of the project. I wish to
thank all those people who have directly or indirectly been instrumental in successful
completion of the project report.

I would like to thank all the respondents who spared few moments from their precious time to
fill the questionnaires and help me getting the required information.

Divya Malhotra

Roll No. – 2213752

 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION OF TOPIC

“YOU CAN TELL THE CONDITION OF A NATION BY LOOKING AT THE

STATUS OF ITS WOMEN.” -BY JAWAHAR LAL NEHRU

Superwomen are a great way to describe today's women! They oversee a full-time job from 9
to 5, in addition to maintaining their home. Women are viewed as both weaker and fairer than
males, and they are expected to rely on men both inside and outside the home.
Entrepreneurship is a key component, and now more women are successful in this because
they possess traits desirable for the growth of entrepreneurship. To an entrepreneur,
according to economists, is a person who combines resources, materials, labor, and other
assets into combinations to increase their value over time, as well as someone who introduces
modifications, inventions, and innovations to meet consumer demands. Women are viewed
negatively. In rural places, women are actually perceived as slightly less likely to work
outside the home. improper, slightly incorrect, and unquestionably harmful to womanly virtue
and purity. Women would be better suited to entrepreneurship than to traditional
employment.

WHAT IS WORK LIFE BALANCE?

Work-life balance is the degree to which an individual prioritizes their personal and
professional responsibilities in their life and the presence of work-related activities in their
home. Stress is a typical symptom of an unhealthy work-life balance. Because of the
perception that employees need to accomplish more in less time, mental stress has been
identified as a serious economic and health hazard in the information economy.

A family's financial situation is not only based on the income of the men. Women are also
responsible for the family's improved financial situation. Women defy social and culturally-
created stereotype boundaries and demonstrate the push and pull forces necessary to gain
acceptance and identity in society. They started their own business to hone their economic
acumen. Women develop motivational impulses as a result of push and pull influences
(Brush, 1992). Recognition, self-worth, the ability to be one's own boss and set one's own
rules and regulations, the ability to make more money, and independence are all pull factors.
The family's financial situation, the child's education and care, the husband's illness or death,
and work discontent are all push factors. As a result, they overcome family economic crises
and create a better life for their children through their business skills. Women are emerging as
a significant force in the age of high technology, and policymakers cannot afford to ignore
them. Women entrepreneurs are acknowledged as wealth builders, job producers, and
providers of answers to societal problems.

Work life balance means handling personal life and work life successfully .To lead with
happy life there must be a great balance between both personal life and professional life. An
effective balance between personal life and work life can motivate women to work generally
hard in the organization and increase profits and sales and one thing more is loyalty. Proper
balance can really help the women to segregate time to their family, friends,health and
vacations etc. which give satisfaction to women entrepreneurs. Women have been
contributing and participating in all the field of business. They have literally strong desires to
achieve their goals. They put all efforts to run an organization successfully with economic
benefits. Women have great willingness to basically bring a balance between personal life
and professional life. Despite being fact that the role of women has been upgraded from all
intents and purposes from past years in terms of education, employment, empowerment and
financial independence, which is literally quite significant. Although women literally have
succeeded in facing all the hurdles, her role and position in terms of household activities
actually remain same. With globalization and rapid technological advances, boundaries
between work and home basically are blurring and demands on people and firms form of
have in no way been pretty higher in a refined way. This structure is mainly supposed for
developing challenges for human beings to be in fact capable to correctly reconcile the
conflicting needs of paid work and their definitely non-public lives, which particularly is
fairly significant. Work life does not imply a 50-50 split between your work life and personal
life. Work life balance refers to a condition of equilibrium in which one’s work or career
responsibilities are appropriately balanced with those of their personal life. A person who
doesn’t have a good work life balance has more job and home duties, works longer hours, and
doesn’t have enough personal time.

REASONS WHY WORKLIFE BALANCE IS IMPORTANT:

Work Life Balance Means Less Stress:

Workplace stress is estimated to be the fifth biggest motive of dying in the United States.
Additionally, a quarter of Americans identify their jobs as their source of stress. The largest
problem is that most human beings assume they have no choice. But that’s now not in reality
true. Remember that work existence balance is finally created thru your choices. That’s also
what’s causing much of your stress. By agreeing to take on greater work when you don’t
have the potential or not delegating work that could be delegated, you’re creating extra stress
for yourself. Here are the selections that you may want to start making for yourself to relieve
a lot of your stress and anxiety:

: Saying no to things that aren’t priorities.

: Delegating as plenty as can be delegated.
: Choosing to do things that are priorities (and letting go of non-priorities).
: Prioritizing your personal wellbeing.

The give up result is a greater manageable workload and more time doing the matters that are
necessary to you. That’s going to noticeably reduce your stress and nervousness levels.

Work Life Balance Will Improve Your Mental Health:

One of the biggest motives why work lifestyles balance is necessary relates to your mental
health. When you experience balanced you’re extra capable of dealing with terrible emotions
and thoughts. The human talent isn’t supposed to experience stressed-out and beneath
pressure all the time. Creating more stability in your life gives you respiratory space to think,
which allows your unconscious ideas to bubble up to the surface. And that’s true for your
intellectual health because it lets in you to end up extra self-aware (around your beliefs and
ideas behind charged emotions) so that you can deal with them in a wholesome way.

Having Balance Means Better Physical Health:

Part of creating stability for yourself consists of taking care of your bodily health. And yes,
that consists of things like:

: Eating healthful meals,

: Reducing sugar and alcohol intake,
: Healthy sleep habits,
: Regular exercise.
But there’s clearly greater to it than that. How you stay and work is making matters a lot
worse for your body (it’s absolutely a societal problem, no longer a personal thing).

Work Life Balance Enhances Your Ability to Be Present:

One of the biggest complaints I hear from new consumers is their incapability to be current
(both at domestic and at work). What that looks like is this:

: Your thought feels like it’s continually “on”, racing and cluttered with thoughts that can
every so often be difficult to decipher.

: Always thinking about work when with household and friends (which then leads you to
continuously test email).

: Worrying about what’s going on in your non-public lifestyles when trying to work (such as
your overflowing laundry, the fight you had with your partner that morning or how guilty you
feel about no longer making it to your child’s piano recital the other night).

Being Balanced Improves Your Relationships:

Working too much capacity less time with these you love. It’s rather difficult to be current
and give others your full interest when exhausted and overwhelmed.

A balanced life-style capacity more time with family and friends that’s of high-quality.
Imagine what that will do for your relationships. Additionally, suppose about how that will
affect your outlook (both commonly and within your career).

There’s a ripple impact that will assist you be greater advantageous about your life, your
career and even your work relationships.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE PRACTICES FOLLOWED IN INDIAN COMPANIES:

Despite the fact that the concept of work-life balance has become a critical part of
organizational behaviour and human resource management, not all organizations are putting
their efforts into implementing resolution programs. The debate over whether work-life
balance is a real thing or merely a notion is still going on. Chandra (2012) has offered some
thought-provoking observations in favour of the question. According to the report, businesses
are increasingly focusing on programs and policies that foster a sense of belonging among
employees and enhance relationships between employees and their families.
Furthermore, money remains the most essential motivation in the process; indeed, monetary
or material rewards have been the most effective instruments for changing employees'
discontent with work-life balance.

Work-life balance policies in India can be divided into two categories: statutory policies and
non-statutory policies. Legislative policies are regulatory in nature and are governed by
Indian labour law. The Factories Act of 1948, the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961, and section
509 of the Indian Penal Code of 1869 are the most common examples (amended). Non-
statutory policies, on the other hand, are based on the employer's discretionary power.
Flexible work schedules, child care facilities, child education support, work from home, and
other policies are examples. Shortened work week, work from home, and other policies are
examples. Absenteeism, stress, and individual work-family conflict can all be reduced with
such rules (SaritSambitParida, 2016).

WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR:

"Women Entrepreneurs" are defined as women or groups of women who start, organize, and
run their own businesses. The Government of India defines women entrepreneurs as "an
 enterprise owned and controlled by women with a minimum financial interest of 51% of the
capital and at least 51% of the employment generated in the enterprise."

Essentials OF Female Entrepreneurs:

Female entrepreneurs must meet the following requirements:

1. They must be well-educated and skilled.

2. To become a better entrepreneur, you must have a professional education.
3. She should be capable of implementing new ideas while also being able to deal with risks and
uncertainties.
4. Capable of utilizing various government schemes and assistance.
5. She should be capable of facing male competitors and have the courage to move forward.
6. She should be capable of making her own investment decisions.
7. She must have some ethics and egoism, as well as be an egotist.

CHARACTERSTICS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP:

Ambition: Ambition pushes you to be the best at everything you do. Successful
businesswomen quickly develop the ability to push through the inevitable setback(s) and have
enough self-belief in their influence to effect change.

Positivity: Successful entrepreneurs see the bright side of every situation – a necessary skill
for dealing with the stresses and challenges that come with being an entrepreneur. Positive
thinking has also been shown in studies to improve resilience as well as your capacity for
learning and problem solving.

Mindfulness: Successful entrepreneurs aren't only concerned with creating something for
themselves. Women thrive on knowing that what they're doing has a real impact outside of
their business. Increasing Peripheral Blue's profile has provided us with an important
platform from which to advocate for change, which we will never take for granted.

Gratitude: It's easy to lose sight of all you've accomplished and have when you're busy
building a business and honing your craft. Women have made great strides! Gratitude should
be practiced every day because it changes your perspective and brings you happiness. Be
prepared to express your gratitude to others for their positive influence on your journey.
 A commitment to growth: Commit to a life of continuous learning and personal and
professional development. Continue to assess your progress and be willing to make the
necessary changes to succeed. Utilize networking opportunities and continue your education.
Travel the world while volunteering your time. Take care of yourself and set a good example
for your team.

Self-awareness: Recognize and celebrate your strengths, and be open to identifying areas
outside of your skill set that are limiting you.

Risk tolerance: To be successful, you must be willing to take calculated risks. Everyone's
risk tolerance is different – in our firm, it's one of the first things we look for in a new client –
but making a well-considered decision is usually preferable to not making one at all!

Lean into failure: Making decisions does not always lead to success. You will fail – over
and over again. Even minor failures, however, can be converted into learning and, ultimately,
into better operating or behavioral patterns. How well or quickly do you overcome obstacles
in your life?

Flexibility: One of a woman's greatest assets is her ability to quickly adapt to change. As a
business leader, it is critical that you remain open-minded and flexible in your thinking, as
this will benefit both of your employees and clients, as well as your company in the long run.

Vision: The vital force that propels the entrepreneur is vision. I founded my company with
the intention of disrupting the legal and professional services industries by providing clients
with flexible and affordable access to top-tier, responsive legal and advisory services. So,
while I and the company have evolved significantly since then, our dedication to the
overarching vision has never wavered.

TYPES OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR:

There are about or mostly 5 types of women entrepreneurs in India-

1. Affluent Entrepreneurs
2. Pull Entrepreneurs
3. Push Entrepreneurs
4. Self-employed Entrepreneurs
5. Rural Entrepreneurs

Affluent Entrepreneurs:
Affluent women entrepreneurs are those women entrepreneurs who hail from rich business
families. They are the little girls, girl parents in law, sisters, sister-parents in law, and spouses
of affluent individuals in the general public.

A significant number of them are occupied with salons, inside design, book distribution, film
dissemination, and such. The family upholds the above kind of business idea person in
completing their duties.

Pull entrepreneurs :

Women in towns and cities see entrepreneurship as an opportunity to try new things and gain
financial independence. The term "pull factors" is used to describe this. They have a place
with educated women who, for the most part, set up small and medium-sized companies with
low risk.

Women who fall into this category are more likely to open administrative centres, food
cooking centres, cafés, and grocery stores, among other things. These urban women may or
may not have previous employment experience.

They are risk-takers with the bravery to start a business with the assistance of financial
institutions and commercial banks. They are willing to take risks in order to build profitable
businesses and achieve financial independence. The elements that encourage women to
become entrepreneurs are referred to as pull factors. They include the desire to try new things
in everyday life, the demand for autonomy, financial accessibility, concessions, and
endowments.

Push entrepreneurs :

There are a few female entrepreneurs who recognize pioneering exercises to overcome
financial difficulties. The family situation forces them to either expand the current privately-
owned business or embark on new ventures to improve the family's financial situation. Such
business classifications are known as push factors.

Push factors are those that encourage women to pursue careers in business. They include
financial difficulties. Duty in the family, terrible family conditions such as the death of a
spouse or father, separation, and so on the impact of this factor on women becoming business
owners is lower than that of the previous factor.

Self employed entrepreneurs:

Poor and helpless ladies in towns and towns depend vigorously on their own endeavours for
food. They start little and small ventures like brushes making, wax candle making, giving tea
and espresso to workplaces, pressing of garments sewing work, fitting firm and so forth such
ladies are called independently employed business people.

This type of women entrepreneurs is basically from rural areas and they opt for the business
that suits their knowledge and skills. This business does not require any special skills and also
doesn’t require good capital investment with a low degree of risk.

Rural entrepreneurs:

In this type of women entrepreneurs mostly women are below the poverty line. They opt for
tiny and small investment enterprises which they are able to manage and control and enough
for the survival of their family.

Women in provincial regions/towns start endeavors that need least getting sorted out ability
and less danger. Dairy items, pickles, organic product juices, pappads, and jaggery making
are going under this class of rural entrepreneurs.

CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS:

Social expectations: In a society where women are stereotyped as the ones who should stay
at home and devote their entire attention to their families, it is often frowned upon for them to
leave the house and pursue a career. Not only that, but even after establishing their business,
they frequently take longer than their male counterparts to gain public trust and recognition.

Lack of capital: It is frequently stated that "money is to a business what food is to the human
body, and it is essential for any business, big or small." Unfortunately, even after women
have proven themselves time and again that they are more than capable, people still find it
difficult to believe and hesitate to invest in a business venture founded by women
entrepreneurs. It is also disheartening to see that banks do not regard women as creditworthy
because they believe they can abandon their businesses at any time. As a result, women
entrepreneurs have no choice but to rely on their savings or seek financial assistance from
family members.

Lack of mentors and advisors: Another major setback for female entrepreneurs is a lack of
mentors and advisors. According to a survey, 48 percent of female entrepreneurs say a lack of
mentors and advisors limits their professional development. In a world dominated by men at
the highest levels of business, it is difficult for women to excel without someone pointing
them in the right direction.

No business networks: According to a survey, women were not a part of business networks
that would help them build a network to help them grow their business, find customers,
partners, suppliers, build connections, and other things that male entrepreneurs do naturally,
but women do not belong to these networks.

Lack of confidence: Many women lack confidence and require assistance in understanding
their skills and the value they bring to businesses and organizations. Women frequently
underestimate their abilities, necessitating a great deal of assistance in order for them to gain
confidence and recognize the value that they possess.

Personal and professional life balance: It's an unspoken rule that women all over the world
are expected to care for their homes while also running a successful business. Finding the
right balance between them is critical, but unfortunately, in our society, a woman is expected
to prioritize her family over her career.
 CHAPTER-2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

K. SUCHITRA (2023), examined that for establishing self-esteem and recognition in

society, women are attracted towards entrepreneurship. To sustain in the competitive market,
businesses carried out by women are mainly dependent on internal resources and their
capabilities based on which they try to compete with the external environment. To achieve
success, enterprise makes full utilisation of the internal and external factors. They managed to
survive and succeed in this cut throat competition with their hard work, diligence and
perseverance.

Bala & Saxena (2023), Entrepreneurs are critical to any economy's vitality. These
individuals possess the necessary abilities and passion to promote new products or services
and are committed to ensuring their ideas succeed financially. Because of the strongly
ingrained traditions in India. In a culture that values sociological studies, educated Indian
women face challenges in achieving equal rights and positions. There are other psychological
aspects that benefit guys. Despite social restrictions, Indian women have excelled and are
recognized for their achievements in several fields. Indian culture is modernizing, with
women receiving more education.

Ashwani K, Swapna H. R, Garud (2023) , has studied that the fight of Indian women to
carve out a niche for themselves has virtually come to an end. The Indian government has
recognized the need to empower women entrepreneurs and has launched a number of plans
that would not only benefit them financially but also promote their contribution to the
country's financial inclusion. If these schemes are implemented, they will undoubtedly result
in positive change and have a greater impact on the businesses run by these women. The
government is attempting to improve the economic and social position of women in general
through these projects. This article evaluates the Government of India's plans and policies for
promoting women entrepreneurs using the 6 A's (Availability, Accessibility, Affordability,
Awareness, Adequacy, and Approach).
Kaur & Singh (2022), reviewed that women entrepreneurs become the part of rural
marketing in India. Women entrepreneurs are sometimes labelled "survivalists" since they
dominate low-capital-intensive, informal, and micro-businesses. Currently, women work in a
wide range of areas, as opposed to the past. maximum of women entrepreneurs in India work
for themselves in various capacities.

K. SUCHITRA (2022), has studied that educated Indian women have to go a long way to
achieve equal rights and position because traditions are deep rooted in Indian society where
the sociological set up has been a male dominated one. Despite all the social hurdles, Indian
women stand tall from the rest of the crowd and are applauded for their achievements in their
respective field. The transformation of social fabric of the Indian society, in terms of
increased educational status of women and varied aspirations for better living, necessitated a
change in the lifestyle of Indian women. She has competed with man and successfully stood
up with him in every walk of life and business is no exception for this. These women leaders
are assertive, persuasive and willing to take risks. They managed to survive and succeed in
this cut -throat competition with their hard work, diligence and perseverance.

Jain & Singh (2022), researched that today's competitive world, countries prioritize
entrepreneurship in their growth and development strategies. Women's entrepreneurship
plays a crucial role in accomplishing development goals such as equitable growth. In
developing nations like India, where women make up the majority of the population's
participation in business is dissatisfied. Women entrepreneurs face numerous hurdles when
starting and running their businesses. Women entrepreneurs face significant challenges due to
limited access to vital resources like credit, land, marketing knowledge, legal, and socio-
cultural environments. The government has implemented measures to promote women's self-
employment and economic independence.

Jain (2020), examined that educated Indian women face significant challenges in achieving
equal rights and positions due to well ingrained cultural practices. The sociological setup has
been dominated by men. Despite social barriers, Indian women excel in numerous fields and
receive recognition for their efforts. As women's educational level and aspirations improved,
their lifestyles had to adapt to the changing social fabric of India. She has proven herself
capable of competing and standing up to men in various fields, including business.

Saraswat & Lathabahvan (2020), A study on Women Entrepreneurship in India

Entrepreneurs are critical to the success of any economy. These individuals possess the
abilities and drive to bring new ideas to market or deliver a service, and make informed
decisions to ensure profitability. Educated Indian women have challenges in achieving equal
rights and positions due to cultural and societal norms and psychological variables have been
male-dominated. Despite social barriers, Indian women have made significant contributions
in numerous disciplines and are recognized for their achievements. These female leaders are
forceful, persuasive, and open to taking risks. Their hard work, diligence, and tenacity let
them survive and prosper in this competitive environment.

Deka & Doley (2020), Entrepreneurship has been at the forefront of economic and societal
developments. Entrepreneurs supply essential services while simultaneously driving
innovation. According to Peter F Drucker, an entrepreneur is someone who actively seeks out
and capitalizes on change as an opportunity. Entrepreneurs rely heavily on innovation as their
primary tool.They use change as an opportunity to launch a new business or service."
Entrepreneurs possess qualities such as innovation, risk-taking, finding possibilities,
mobilizing resources, striving for perfection, and perseverance in attaining their goals.

Sharma & Bagga (2019), This study outlines the pilot testing procedure and modifications
made to the study design and research process before conducting the major descriptive study
on the motivation, growth, performance, and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in
Punjab. A pilot test was undertaken to check the feasibility of the survey questionnaire and
data collection techniques, as well as the study's validity. Research articles on the challenges,
growth, motivation, and performance of female entrepreneurs were analysed to identify and
organize the elements influencing their decision to establish their own business.
Kaur & Atwal (2018), Work-life balance refers to maintaining a balance between personal
and professional responsibilities. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for
working women, especially in today's world where both family and career have become
increasingly important. Women face various hurdles an d problems. Working women have
significant challenges in balancing two full-time jobs: one at work and one at home.

Manasha & Dilasha (2018), reviewed that Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru correctly stated, "To
awaken the people, the women must be awakened first." "When she moves, the family and
the nation follow suit." To ensure equal rights as outlined in the constitution, it is necessary to
shift attitudes towards women. In the globalized world, women entrepreneurs are playing a
significant role and have become crucial. Part of the global search for sustainable
development. Women's business potential in India has been underutilized due to their lesser
social position, despite their significant contributions to society. The Indian government has
implemented policies to promote women's entrepreneurship. Women's entrepreneurship in
India is a relatively recent phenomenon. Women's socio-economic background strongly
influences their decision to establish a business. Indian women continue to excel despite
social barriers.

Pathak & Munjal (2017), reviewed that culture has a new paradigm, as women have moved
from having to working. While society has accepted women working in offices from 9 to 5,
there is still a lack of respect for self-employed women. Earlier women have proven
themselves that they are successful at multitasking both at home and at work. Today's women
are actively involved in corporate ownership and governance, rather than simply serving as
back-office employees. Globalization has altered women's patterns in the workplace. Women
participate in entrepreneurial activity. Social views have traditionally made women labour.
Women are a valuable resource for our country in all areas. Conventions regarding women's
abilities and positions have altered. Women should have the right to make their own life
choices and decisions.

Madhukar (2016) , reviewed that women entrepreneurship is associated with innovation and
creating something that did not previously exist, it is often treated as equivalent to new
venture creation and, as a consequence, business ownership. Nevertheless, women
entrepreneurship can also be present within large organizations or outside the business
environment1. Entrepreneurial behaviour in its broader sense has become more important in
our society where people face a more uncertain work environment, with multiple job shifts
during a career, greater prospects of becoming self-employed, and where tasks increasingly
require qualities such as independence, initiative and creativity. These entrepreneurial
qualities enable individuals to cope with and contribute to rapid social and economic change.

Jagwan & Rawat (2015), researched that entrepreneurship has always been a topic of
discussion because of its dynamic attitude. It is now considered as a multidimensional skill.
But earlier it has always been a gender specific activity. It has been considered that
entrepreneurs are born and not made and the men were considered to be entrepreneurs who
can run and handle business properly and the women were only home makers. Women had
been never considered to be bread winners. With urbanization the scenario is changing but
still in rural areas, it is a distant reality. No doubt rural women are breaking the shackles
which have always tied them to the four walls of their home but this is still in a nascent stage.
More and more rural women are now taking up entrepreneurial activities. With this in mind
the researchers intended to study what motivates a rural woman to take up entrepreneurship,
is it because they have an inner urge or is the situation which compels them to.
 CHAPTER-3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Objectives:

● To study factors affecting work life balance among women entrepreneurs.

● To analyse problems faced by women entrepreneur in maintaining work life balance.

● Impact of government initiatives responsible of promoting entrepreneurship.

Research Design: It is the arrangement of collection and analysis of data in a manner that
aims to combine relevant to the research purpose and constitute blueprint for the collection,
measurement and analysis of data. The proposed study will employ a mixed method research
design,combining quantitative and qualitative data to achieve its objective. The quantitative
component of the study will involve a survey of diverse women entrepreneur to collect data
on knowledge about work life balance of women. The qualitative component of the study will
involve in depth interviews with a selected group of participants to gain deeper understanding
of work life balance and their behaviours.

Sampling Method: In view of the objectives of this report which are listed above, a
sample random sample as research design has been adopted to study the work life balance of
women entrepreneur, a structured questionnaire covering different aspects of women
entrepreneurs was shaped and sent to the women entrepreneurs.

Data sources: I have collected the data through both the primary and secondary sources.

Primary data:

Primary data has been collected by conducting a survey among the sample women
entrepreneur with the help of well structure questionnaire.

Secondary data:

The secondary data has been collected from various research reports, journals, websites,

newspapers, research project, research papers, articles.

Data Collection method:

The data has been collected through a personal survey. The disadvantage of this method is

that information may not even reliable.

Research tool:

Questionnaires usually offer respondents confidentially and anonymity to dispel any

reluctance about self-closure.

Sample size:

Sample size has been taken 150.

Tool and Techniques:

The data collected for this report has been analysed to arrive at meaningful conclusion. The

statistical like simple percentage, likert scale have been used to prepare various graphs and

pie chart.

1. Table

2. Pie chart

3. Bar graph
 CHAPTER-4

ANALYSIS AND INTREPRETATION

AGE OF RESPONDENTS:

AGE NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

20-25 60 40
26-30 41 27.33
31-35 33 22
36-40 13 8.67
41+ 3 2
TOTAL 150 100

Age of the Respondent

9% 2% 20-25
26-30
40% 31-35
22% 36-40
41+

27%

Interpretation: Above pie -chart shows demographic profile of the respondents 40% of the
respondents fall under the age of 20-25 years, 27% of the respondents fall under the age of
26-30 years, 22% of the respondents fall under the age of 31-35 years, 9% of the respondents
fall under the age of 36-40 years and remaining 2% of the respondents fall under the age of
above 41 years.

MARITAL STATUS:

STATUS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Single 73 48.67
Married 62 41.33
Divorced/Seperated 15 10
TOTAL 150 100

Marital Status

10%

Single
Married
49% Divorced/ Seperated

41%

Interpretation: The above table shows that 49% of the respondents are single, 41% of the
respondents are married and remaining 10% of the respondents are divorced.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN:

CHILDREN NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

None 76 50.66
1 37 24.67
2 37 24.67
TOTAL 150 100
 Number of Children

24%
None
1
2
52%

24%

Interpretation: The above pie chart shows the number of children that women entrepreneur
have, 52% of the respondents have no child, rest of the respondents have either 1 or 2
children.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

BACKGROUND NO.OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Graduate 35 23.33
Post graduate 41 27.33
Professional degree 74 49.34
TOTAL 150 100
 Education Background

23%
Graduate
Post Graduate
49% Professional Degree

27%

Interpretation: the above pie chart shows the education background of the respondents
which shows that 50% of the respondents have professional degree, 27% of the respondents
have done post-graduation and only 23% of the respondents have done graduation.

YEARS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EXPERIENCE:

EXPERIENCE NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Less than 1 year 28 18.66
1-5 53 35.33
6-10 49 32.66
11+ 20 13.35
TOTAL 150 100
 Years of Entrepreneurship Experience

13% 19%
Less than 1 year
1-5 years
6-19 years
33% 11+ years
35%

Interpretation: The above pie chart shows the year of experience that women entrepreneur
have while working. It shows that 35% of the respondents have 1 to 5 years of experience
with good knowledge, 33% of the respondents are highly experienced, 13% of the
respondents have experience of above 11 years and 19% of the respondents have less than 1
year of experience.

INDUSTRY OF BUSINESS:

INDUSTRY NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Manufacturing 20 13.33
Service 45 30
Retail 27 18
Technology 44 29.33
Others(specify) 14 9.34
TOTAL 150 100
 Industry of Business

9% 13%
Manufacturing
Service
29% Retail
30% Technology
Others(specify)

18%

Interpretation: the above pie chart shows that about 30% of the respondents are into the
service sector, 29% of the respondents are in the technology sector, 18% of the respondents
are in retail sector.

SIZE OF YOUR BUSINESS:

SIZE NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

1-5 40 26.66
6-10 50 33.33
11-25 49 32.66
26+ 11 7.35
TOTAL 150 100
 Size of The Business

7%

27%
1-5 Employees
6-10 Employees
33% 11-25 Employees
26+ Employees

33%

Interpretation: the above pie chart shows that 33% of the respondents have 6-10 employees or
11-25 employees, 27% of the respondents have 1-5 employees and only 7% of the
respondents have employees above 26.

BUSINESS OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE:

STRUCTURE NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Sole proprietorship 50 33.33
Partnership 50 33.33
Private limited company 41 27.33
Others 9 6.01
TOTAL 150 100
 Business Ownership Structure

6%

33% Sole Proprietoship

27% Partnership
Private Limited Company
Others

33%

Interpretation: The above pie chart shows majority of the respondents either have sole
proprietorship or partnership as their business organisation, 27% of the respondents have
private limited company.

WEEKELY WORKING HOURS:

HOURS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Less than 30 25 16.66
30-40 61 40.66
41-50 56 37.33
50+ 8 5.35
TOTAL 150 100
 Weekly Working Hours

5%
17%

Less than 30 hrs

30-40 hrs
41-50 hrs
37%
50+ hrs

41%

Interpretation: The above pie chart shows that 41% of the respondents spend 30-40 hours
on weekly basis at their work, 37% of the respondents spend 41-50 hours on weekly basis

Career as an entrepreneur

PARTICULARS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Passionate about learning 40
Embracing opportunities 50
Seek freedom and control 25
Want to change the world 18
Give back to community 17

TOTAL 150 100

 Reason to Start Career

Give Back to Community

Want to Changeb the world

Seek freedom and control

Embracing ooprtunities

Passionate about Learning

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Series 1

Interpretation: The above bar graph shows that the main reason why respondents started
career in embracing opportunities, another reason they started their career was their passion
to learn. This shows that majority of the respondents are trying to find out new opportunities
to grasp as an entrepreneur.

Strategies to manage and maintain work-life balance

PARTICULARS NO.OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Delegation 64 42.66

Scheduling 51 34

Setting boundaries 31 20.67

Saying no 4 2.67

TOTAL 150 100

 Strategies to Manage Time and Work

64

51

31

4
Delegation Scheduling Setting Boundaries Saying No

Series 1

Interpretation: The above bar graph shows that most of the respondents use
delegation strategy to manage time and work, another strategy used by the
respondents is scheduling and least used strategy by the respondents is saying
no.

Challenges faced
PARTICULARS NO.OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE
Long working hours 64 42.68

Family responsibilities 37 24.66

Societal expectations 34 22.66

 Lack of support systems 15 10

TOTAL 150 100

Challenge fore Maintaing Healthy work -Life

Balance

64

37
34

15

Long Working Hours Family Responsibities Societal Expectations Lack os Support Systems

Challenges

Interpretation: The above bar graph shows the challenges which respondents
face for maintaining healthy work-life balance where majority of the
respondents face long working hour as their biggest challenge, others find
family responsibilities and social expectation as another biggest challenge due
to which they are unable to maintain healthy life balance.
Ratings for work life balance

PARTICULARS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

1(highly imbalanced) 113 75.35

5(highly balanced) 37 24.66

TOTAL 150 100

 Ratings of Current Wok-Life Balance

25%

1 (Highly Imbalanced
5 (Highly Balanced)

75%

Interpretation: The above pie chart shows the ratings of current work life balance, 75% of the
respondents are highly imbalanced whereas 25% of the respondents are highly balanced i.e. only few
of the respondents are able to balance their personal and professional life at same time.

Scope to be an entrepreneur
PARTICULARS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE
Beauty parlour/Fashion 47 31.35
Finance 41 27.33

Ready made clothes 33 22

Food processing 16 10.66

 Education 13 8.66

TOTAL 150 100

Scope of Women as Enterpreneur

47

41

33

16
13

Beauty Parlour/Fash- Finance Readymade Clothes Food Processing Education

ion

Series 1

Interpretation: The above bar graph shows the scope of women entrepreneur.
From the graph it ids clear that majority of the respondents have beauty parlour/
fashion as well as finance as their business opportunity whereas least of the
respondents find their scope in education.

Experienced work-life imbalance

PARTICULARS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Yes 121 80.68
No 29 19.33
TOTAL 150 100
 Experienced Burnout or Stress

19%

Yes
No

81%

Interpretation: The above pie chart shows that 81% of the respondents have
experienced stress which shows that most of them are doing business in some
organisation and handling the stress and pressure while 19% of he respondents
have not experienced stress situations.

Quality time with family and friends

PARTICULARS NO. OF PERCENTAGE

RESPONDENTS
Once in a week 65 43.33

Once in month 46 30.68

Once in quarter 34 22.66

Once in six month 5 3.33

TOTAL 150 100

 Quality Time with Freinds and Family
70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Once in a Week Once in a Month Once in Quarter Once in Six Months

Series 1

Interpretation: The above graph shows that 43% of the respondents

Factors affecting

PARTICULARS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Unable to work and family 57 38

simultaneous

Overload of work 47 31.35

Lack of support from family 32 21.33

towards profession

Uncooperative professional 14 9.33

members and colleagues
TOTAL 150 100

Factors that Lead to Worry

9%
Unable to work and Family Simul-
taneous
21% 38% Overload of Work
Lack of Support from family
towards Profession
Ouncooperative Professional
Members and Collegeues

31%

Company policy

PARTICULARS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Yes 113 75.33
No 37 24.68
TOTAL 150 100
 Seperate Company Policy

25%

Yes
No

75%

Factors that contribute to parity

PARTICULARS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

By enhancing mental 62 41.35

outlook
By seeking family support 38 25.33

Support of business 37 24.66

associates

By having friendly/healthy 13 8.66

working environment

TOTAL 150 100

Factors That Contribute To Parity

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
ok rt te
s
en
t
tlo po
u p cia nm
lO Su so iro
ta ily as v
en m es
s En
M Fa is n or
k
g ek
nc
in Se Bu yW
ha of lth
En ort ea
pp l yH
Su nd
ie
Fr
ve
Ha

Series 1

Challenges

PARTICULARS STRONGLY AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STONGLY

AGREE DISAGREE
 Funding

Fear of failure

Social
responsibility

Confidence

Access to capital

Legal constraints

Gender bias

Limited business
network

Market access

Stereotype

Lack of education
& training

Access to
technology &
recourses

Impact of government initiatives

PARTICULARS STRONGL AGREE NEUTRA DISAGRE STRONGL

R AGREE L E Y
 DISAGREE

Mudra Yojana

Stand up India

Micro Credit

Mudra loan for

Women

Shishu Loan

Udhyam Shakti
Portal

Factors
PARTICULARS STONGLY AGREE NEUTAL DISAGRE STONGLY
AGREE E DISAGREE

Time management

Finance

Societal support

Family support

Work pressure

Flexible working
hours

Government
policies
&programms

Organisational
policies

Discrimination

Access to
technology

CHAPTER-5

FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION & CONCLUSION

SUGGESTIONS:
The following suggestions are being provided in order to avoid the dual role conflicts and
maintaining the work life balance-

 The family members of the women entrepreneurs should encourage them by sharing
the household responsibilities, moral support, making suitable adjustment etc for
smooth running of their firms. Required assistance and help should be provided to
them whenever required in both monetary and emotional terms.

• For maintaining work balance it is very essential that the efforts should be
done by both the partners so that they get enough time to spend with each
other as well as with their family. So in order to avoid role conflicts co-
partnership is very essential.

• The women entrepreneurs are required to set their priority in terms of their
work and domestic chores which in turn will save their lot of time and will
avoid the situation of chaos and they can focus on other relevant areas.

• The professional life of the women entrepreneurs should not affect their
personal life so they should devote their timings accordingly like business
work should not be done after working hours and vice versa.

• The personal satisfaction is one of the important ingredient for maintaining a

stable and balanced ingredient for maintaining a stable and balanced life. If the
person is not satisfied in her personal or professional life then he/she cannot
maintain work life balance.

FINDINGS:
Majority of the Women Entrepreneur are found to be financial problem.

1. Most of the women run small enterprise.

2. Women have almost equal response for reasons to start an enterprise i.e. - to make use of
their knowledge and skills, make money and to create a separate identity.

3. All women entrepreneurs interviewed have shown expansion in their business, those who
are just self-employed are presently providing employment to many.

4. Women’s businesses that do interact with business associations which are on outside
networks.

CONCLUSIONS:

Imperative lessons have been drawn from these entrepreneurial women for those who wish to
set to up their own business. There is no denying from the fact that aspects of the
 entrepreneurial experiences prove to be extremely worthwhile given their propensity to fulfill
the majority of caring and household roles and connected duties. It is necessary that the
women entrepreneur should understand the advantages and disadvantages of setting and
controlling their own venture. Various aspects such as guilt of not spending enough time with
family and relatives, Child care arrangement and the ordinary challenge of becoming the
entrepreneur and homemaker may prevent women to enter into entrepreneurship business.
Accumulating ground level business women who have to an extent manage to strike a
workable balance between the household and business work and discuss about the pros and
cons of doing entrepreneurial work. If such women are lost to the system then the new and
innovative thinking which women add to this global environment will be lost and the
economy will suffer heavy consequences for this.

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