Mumpreneurship: a new concept for an old phenomenon?

While mumpreneurship – entrepreneurship by mothers, is not a new phenomenon, it represents a new concept that is still in its infancy in need of a theoretical definition backed up by empirical validation. We review the emerging mumpreneurship literature, frame it with literature on women entrepreneurship, and define mumpreneurship as the creation of a new business venture by a woman who identifies as both a mother and a business woman, is motivated primarily by achieving work-life balance, and picks an opportunity linked to the particular experience of having children. By way of a quantitative study, we first validate that mother entrepreneurs present characteristics that are significantly different, and therefore constitute a sub-group of entrepreneurs. Additionally, in-depth interviews of mumpreneurs support the definition in terms of identity, motivation and opportunity recognition. We conclude that mumpreneurship constitutes a strong affirmative action in terms of her identity and dual role in society.