Work-family conflict, organizational ambidexterity and new venture legitimacy in emerging economies

For entrepreneurs, work and family are inextricably intertwined. Entrepreneurship literature provides inadequate accounts on the relationship between entrepreneurs' work-family conflict (WFC) and new venture legitimacy, and the underlying mechanism. We categorize WFC into work interference with family (WIF) and family interference with work (FIW), and develop a conceptual framework to explore the mediating effects of organizational ambidexterity, the simultaneous execution of effectuation and causation, between WFC and new venture legitimacy. Also, we explore gender difference in the relationship between FIW, organizational ambidexterity and new venture legitimacy. The research is conducted in an emerging economy. In alignment with our expectations, we find that: (1) effectuation and causation strategy mediate the positive relationship between WIF and new venture legitimacy, and the negative relationship between FIW and new venture legitimacy, and (2) female entrepreneurs are less likely to choose effectuation strategy when faced with high level of FIW. Interestingly, there are no differences between female and male entrepreneurs in the likelihood of choosing causation strategy when they are confronted with high level of FIW. Theoretical and practical implications for future research on WFC in entrepreneurship research field are discussed.