Comparing sense-making of identities of mompreneurs in Malta and Finland

The purpose of the study was to study a research gap in the current mompreneurship literature, which provides very little information on how mompreneurs view their identity and make sense of who they are: How do mompreneurs in Finland and Malta make sense of themselves in the roles of both mother and entrepreneur? Furthermore, a comparison between two such polar opposite yet similarly European countries, Finland and Malta was not done before. The above gap was studied through the use of narrative interviews from six mompreneurs in which the mompreneurs were able to freely tell the stories regarding their lives, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and anything else they felt needed to be revealed. The interpretation of their narratives was conducted in line with verstehen or understanding, a tradition that allows for an open interpretation of the narratives and actions of the mompreneurs. This study on mompreneurship offers a new dimension to the previous studies on mompreneurs. Unique traits that make up key themes of mompreneurial identity of six mompreneurs (3 from Finland and 3 from Malta) have been studied. The self-narratives provided a resource to extract key themes that in turn make sense of mompreneurial identity. A qualitative approach was used to gain intimate knowledge of the mompreneurs and to ensure rich data throughout the research process. Through analysis of these narratives the following themes were revealed that represent their sense-making and identity perception: Liberty/Freedom, Pride, Work-Life Balance, (mother's) Guilt, and mompreneurial identity. Results revealed that Finnish mompreneurs identified with both roles of mother and of entrepreneur, however further examination revealed that the role of entrepreneur was seen and believed to be more significant. In comparison, Maltese mompreneurs self-identified proudly and openly as mothers first with the role of entrepreneur being a significant one, however not one that supersedes that of mother. We have contributed to previous research by providing a window into these mompreneurs' personal identities, and shared how they legitimize their choices and identify their experiences