How do female entrepreneurs experience and cope with role conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa: case study from Ethiopia

This paper presents the experience of role conflict and consequent coping strategies used by women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) context. The data was collected from female business owners in the textile sector of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in multiple case studies. The results indicate that sources of role conflict for women entrepreneurs in the context studied include family, business (work), social role expectations, and personal factors. We therefore argue in this study that sources of role conflict should not be limited to those stemming from family and work, the normative focus in work-family interface literature. The main practical implication is that in cases where there is a shortage of resources, efforts aimed at promoting female entrepreneurship should start by examining the source of conflict.