Search

Living in the blurry zone : a study of the wellbeing and work-life balance of Finnish SME entrepreneurs

QR Code

Living in the blurry zone : a study of the wellbeing and work-life balance of Finnish SME entrepreneurs

Study of the wellbeing and work-life balance of Finnish SME entrepreneurs

Small and medium size business entrepreneurs are a vital part of the Finnish economy. Therefore examining the wellbeing and work-life balance of these entrepreneurs becomes highly important. Traditionally business literature has promoted the view that it is the manager of the business that supports the employees’ work-life balance and wellbeing. However, this view leaves out the entrepreneurs that are acting as managers. What about their wellbeing? How is their work-life balance? These are some of the questions that this research has aimed to answer. For this research a group of twelve Finnish small and medium size enterprise entrepreneurs were selected. These entrepreneurs operate in different fields of business and are located all over Finland. The data was collected by using two methods. Firstly, Firstbeat Lifestyle Assessment measurements were conducted on the study participants. This measurement is based on heart rate variability and provides an objective view on the entrepreneurs’ wellbeing. Secondly, semi-structured phone interviews were conducted in order to draw the subjective view on the work-life balance and wellbeing of the twelve entrepreneurs. The research findings suggest that the overall wellbeing of these entrepreneurs is at a satisfactory state. However, the results also show that the self-evaluated wellbeing does not necessarily correlate with the measured wellbeing. Having and maintaining a work-life balance was often seen quite challenging or even impossible. A majority of the entrepreneurs felt that the boundaries between their work and other aspects of their lives are blurry or non-existent. The entrepreneurs considered physical exercising, sleep, nutrition, investing in their free time and support from their loved ones as some of the key factors in finding a balance in their lives, as well as in improving their overall wellbeing.

Saved in: