The short or long end of the stick? Mothers’ social position and self‐employment status from a comparative perspective

Dissolving contradictory demands: A systematic review of alcohol use of working mothers

BACKGROUND

Working mothers perform 'double shifts' of paid and domestic labour. Increased rates of employment among mothers in high income countries, and the impact of the alcohol industry actively promoting alcohol to working mothers, makes it crucial for preventative efforts to understand the factors driving alcohol use among this population. This systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies provides an overview of the drinking patterns of working mothers and their predictors.

METHODS

Four databases were systematically searched in August 2024. The population of interest were adult women in high income countries, who were both mothers of at least one dependent child and employed in any capacity. The methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Following a convergent integrated approach, narrative synthesis was conducted for all studies.

RESULTS

Of the 4623 records maintained for screening, 22 articles (15 quantitative and 7 qualitative) were included. Working mothers were more often drinkers and consumed a higher quantity per occasion (including binge and risky drinking) in comparison to mid-life women and non-working mothers. Alcohol use was also linked to managing emotional states, as a commodity to 'cope' with gendered norms. Living in a society with increased gender equity and being partnered or married had a protective effect on heavy drinking and consumed quantity.

CONCLUSIONS

Working mother's drinking is governed by gender norms and expectations, and countries who advance policies to improve the acceptability and compatibility of motherhood and employment may reduce working mother's alcohol use.

What is important to know about mumpreneurship? A bibliometric analysis

Purpose

The past decade has seen growth in the number of businesswomen/mothers, known in the literature as mumpreneurs. As this is a recent, fragmented topic, no systematic literature review (SLR) has been carried out, justifying the objective defined here: scientific and bibliometric mapping of mumpreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

To fulfil this aim, this SLR was supported by bibliometrics (performance analysis and scientific mapping) and the use of VosViewer software. A survey was conducted in Web of Science, and several documents were obtained dated between 2011 and 2021.

Findings

The results of this study show the existence of two clusters: Dilemma – motherhood and mumpreneurs, and the rise of the mumpreneur concept. The evidence obtained showed it is very important to address entrepreneurship from the perspective of entrepreneur-mothers, as at this stage of their lives, these women often find it difficult to reach a harmonious balance between work and family.

Practical implications

This study contributes to developing research in the area of entrepreneurship in general, and mumpreneurship in particular, through mapping the research done on the latter topic, as well as identifying its main contributions to theory and practice.

Originality/value

This study is innovative in underlining the relevance of mumpreneurship in the context of research in the area of entrepreneurship, and how this topic can be crucial to release women’s entrepreneurial potential.