Health Psychology Management Organisation Services (HP-MOS) is engaged in a European partnership project for two years with seven EU partners to foster the exchange of practices to empower Mumpreneurs in Europe. This two-year project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union (2017-2019).
A narrative approach was employed to examine the stories told by a group of British Mumpreneurs within the context of UK’s regulatory institutions. The findings support the secondary data and the results in the FEMME project regarding Mumpreneurs from European perspectives. Mumpreneurs increasingly have the dual responsibility of motherhood and business ownership; Mumpreneurs work hard to achieve their aspirations and career objectives. However, their ability to do so is severely constrained by the lack of institutional support, more specifically regarding child-care provisions and training and financial support.
Policy makers in the UK have largely ignored the link between family and work. UK’s policy frameworks have worsened the work-family reconciliation instead of attempting to support it. The transition to motherhood in a woman’s life is seen as a change in her preferences of employment versus business ownership (Ekinsmyth, 2013).
The UK is considered to have the highest cost of childcare and lower care quality reflected in the staff-child ratio and staff qualifications levels (Penn and Llyod, 2013). These inefficiencies in government’s family policies have implications for Mumpreneurs who juggle between their roles of a “good mother” and a successful business owner.
While the trend of Mumpreneurs has been on the rise, there are challenges in managing such businesses. Mumpreneurs face challenges in balancing their dual identities of being a “good mother” and a successful business owner, in the light of the UK government’s family policies. The narrative accounts of Mumpreneurs signify that women have multi-tasking abilities, are naturally talented and can have all occupations. With the necessary support and resources, these women can contribute significantly to a happy family and prospering economy.
Links to visit for further information:
HP-MOS: http://www.hp-mos.org.uk/
