Entrepreneurial Well-Being in Crisis: How Gender Roles Shaped Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

What is it about?

This study explores how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the psychological well-being of entrepreneurs, focusing on gender differences in their experiences. Drawing on social role theory, the authors propose that women entrepreneurs suffered lower well-being than men, largely because they faced greater work–family conflict while juggling business and household responsibilities during the pandemic. Using data from 5,754 entrepreneurs across 27 European countries, the study finds clear support for these predictions. Women entrepreneurs reported significantly lower well-being than men, and this difference was explained by their higher levels of work–family conflict. However, the results also show that in more gender-egalitarian contexts—where women are socioeconomically, institutionally, and culturally more equal to men—the negative effects of work–family conflict on well-being were reduced, highlighting the moderating role of equality across these domains. These findings point to the importance of broader social contexts in shaping entrepreneurs’ well-being. When socioeconomic, institutional, and cultural systems support gender equality, women entrepreneurs experience fewer strains from competing work and family demands. Such environments allow them to sustain better psychological health and remain productive, even under the pressures created by large-scale disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Photo by Shane Ryan on Unsplash

Photo by Shane Ryan on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research advances understanding of entrepreneurial well-being by integrating social role and gender egalitarianism theories to explain how gendered experiences shape responses to crisis. It demonstrates that women’s reduced well-being during the pandemic is not merely an individual outcome but one rooted in broader socioeconomic, institutional, and cultural inequalities. By linking personal outcomes to these structural contexts, the study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding gendered resilience in entrepreneurship. In a world still coping with the social and economic aftershocks of COVID-19, this work offers valuable insights for fostering inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems. By reducing disparities and addressing the socioeconomic, institutional, and cultural sources of work–family conflict, societies can better support entrepreneurs’ mental health and ensure a more equitable and sustainable recovery from global crises.