THE INTERSECTION OF MARRIAGE AND ENTERPRENEURSHIP: INSIGHTS FROM MUMPRENEURS IN MALAYSIA

The socio-economic changes in the world have brought many changes to human civilization and impacted the function of women. The phenomenon shows that women are so committed to their careers that they are trusted to hold positions in various job sectors. However, despite these women's abilities, issues have begun to arise when most of them fail to balance their responsibilities towards family and career. The surge in social cases and divorces in Malaysia has begun to stem from working women, becoming a hot topic as an element contributing to the collapse of the family institution. However, this phenomenon is still under-discussed. Using qualitative methods, the researchers used in-depth interviews with 15 mumprenuers. The findings of this study showed that most mumpreneurs understand the concept of work-life balance. However, most of them suffered work-life imbalance due to a lack of family support. The long working hours have a negative impact, and the problem is more complicated if the woman is a young or single mother or has disabled children. This is because the care and methods for small or disabled children are complicated and require high patience. These difficulties are the main reason their business performance is stagnant and developing to a higher market. The contribution of this study opens the need for guidance and support for women entrepreneurs through business incubators, networking, coaching, mentoring, family counseling, and management.