Blending, credit, context: Doing business, family and gender in Czech and US copreneurships
通过访谈捷克和美国各12对及13对夫妻创业者,研究他们如何构建经营与家庭责任,发现性别角色在两国存在差异,且受国家政策与规范影响。
Utilising a comparative/doing gender approach and thematic narrative methodology, we examine how copreneurs – romantic business partners – construct business and caring responsibilities. We interviewed male-female partners separately from 12 couples in the Czech Republic (CR) and 13 in the United States (US), countries with diverse entrepreneurial histories, norms and family policies. We ask: (1) How do copreneurs construct/‘do’ business and family? (2) How do copreneurs credit contributions of partners? (3) How are constructions of business, caring and credit embedded in country contexts? Results show that business tasks did not align with strict gender stereotypes. Task characterisations of CR respondents shifted according to doer’s sex category. CR men claimed business leadership; US men gave women equal credit. In both countries, domestic responsibilities were attributed to women. Women’s narratives addressed blending business and care; men’s narratives concentrated on business. We document how these gendering practices referenced country employment opportunities, gender norms and family-leave policies.