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Self-Employment, Work–Family Fit and Mental Health Among Female Workers

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Abstract

We used the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce to investigate the effects of work type on women’s lives. Specifically, we hypothesized that self-employed women have better work–family fit than organizationally employed women. We also hypothesized that as a result of better work–family fit, self-employed women would report better mental health than organizationally employed women. The analysis shows limited support for the hypotheses. Of the different dimensions of work–family fit, self-employment directly influenced only job to home facilitation. Work type had no direct influence on mental health. It appears that work type may indirectly influence work–family fit and mental health through higher job satisfaction and increased autonomy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 18766, USA

    Robert Tuttle & Michael Garr

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  1. Robert Tuttle
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  2. Michael Garr
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Correspondence to Robert Tuttle.

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Tuttle, R., Garr, M. Self-Employment, Work–Family Fit and Mental Health Among Female Workers. J Fam Econ Iss 30, 282–292 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-009-9154-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-009-9154-y

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