Flexibility vs. Complexity: How Mompreneurs in Makassar Manage Digital Human Resources Amid Dual Identity Dilemmas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59971/meta-journal.v3i4.439Keywords:
Mompreneurs, Digital HRM, Work-Life Balance, Women's Entrepreneurship, Makassar, Eastern Indonesia, PhenomenologyAbstract
This study explores the lived experiences of mompreneurs, mothers who simultaneously manage households and run businesses in Makassar, Eastern Indonesia, with particular focus on how they manage digital human resources (HRM) while navigating the dilemmas of dual identity. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15–20 participants representing a range of digital and hybrid business models. Grounded in five theoretical frameworks women's entrepreneurship theory, work-life balance theory, digital HRM, employee engagement, and adaptive leadership the study reveals that mompreneurs develop creative, resource-constrained HRM practices driven by adaptive intelligence rather than formal systems. Two major themes emerge: (1) divergent HRM strategies across fully digital versus hybrid business models, and (2) persistent emotional tensions arising from dual identity as mothers and business leaders. The findings contribute empirically to debates on gender-responsive digital entrepreneurship in the Southeast Asian context and offer practical implications for local government policy, digital platform design, and peer community development in Eastern Indonesia.
Downloads
References
Ahl, H., Marlow, S., & Parkinson, C. (2023). Gender differences in entrepreneurs' work–family conflict and well-being. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(3), 112–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2023.2235755
APJII (Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia). (2022). Profil internet Indonesia 2022. APJII.
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2019). Kontribusi UMKM terhadap PDB Indonesia tahun 2018. BPS.
Bondarouk, T., & Ruël, H. (2009). Electronic human resource management: Challenges in the digital era. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(3), 505–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190802707235
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Clark, S. C. (2000). Work/family border theory: A new theory of work/family balance. Human Relations, 53(6), 747–770. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726700536001
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Danes, S. M., & Olson, P. D. (2003). Women's role involvement in family businesses, business tensions, and business success. Family Business Review, 16(1), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6248.2003.00053.x
Dinas Koperasi dan UMKM Sulawesi Selatan. (2022). Data UMKM digital Sulawesi Selatan 2022. Dinas Koperasi dan UMKM Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan.
Ekinsmyth, C. (2011). Challenging the boundaries of entrepreneurship: The spatialities and practices of UK 'mumpreneurs.' Environment and Planning A, 43(7), 1552–1570. https://doi.org/10.1068/a43570
Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1985.4277352
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903
Hays, S. (1996). The cultural contradictions of motherhood. Yale University Press.
Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership. Harvard Business Press.
Jennings, J. E., & Brush, C. G. (2013). Research on women entrepreneurs: Challenges to (and from) the broader entrepreneurship literature? Academy of Management Annals, 7(1), 663–715. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520.2013.782190
Kelliher, C., & Anderson, D. (2010). Doing more with less? Flexible working practices and the intensification of work. Human Relations, 63(1), 83–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726709349199
Kementerian Koperasi dan UKM. (2023). Program UMKM GO DIGITAL: Laporan pelaksanaan. Kemenkop UKM.
Kovach, K. A., Hughes, A. A., Fagan, P., & Maggitti, P. G. (2002). Administrative and strategic advantages of HRIS. Employment Relations Today, 29(2), 43–48. https://doi.org/10.1002/ert.10039
Krasniqi, B., Shala, A., & Podvorica, I. (2022). HRM strategies in small and medium-sized enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Kosovo. International Journal of Accounting & Business Administration, 9(1), 60–75.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2015). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Lewis, P. (2015). Enacting entrepreneurship and leadership: A longitudinal exploration of gendered identity construction. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(3), 788–804. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12175
Lim, J., Kim, T., & Yang, S. (2022). A dark side of humane entrepreneurship? Unveiling the side effects of care-oriented leadership on entrepreneurs' work-life conflict. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 14(2), 285–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/09713557211069304
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Luthans, F., Youssef, C. M., & Avolio, B. J. (2007). Psychological capital: Developing the human competitive edge. Oxford University Press.
OECD. (2021). The digital transformation of SMEs. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/bdb9256a-en
OECD. (2023). OECD SME and entrepreneurship outlook 2023. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/342b8564-en
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Richomme-Huet, K., & d'Andria, A. (2013). New insights into the mompreneurship phenomenon. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 19(3), 251–274. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2013.054906
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248
Shagvaliyeva, S., & Yazdanifard, R. (2014). Impact of flexible working hours on work-life balance. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 4(1), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2014.41004
Shuck, B., & Wollard, K. (2010). Employee engagement and HRD: A seminal review of the foundations. Human Resource Development Review, 9(1), 89–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484309353560
Strohmeier, S. (2020). Digital human resource management: A conceptual clarification. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(3), 345–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002220921200
Welsh, D. H. B., Kaciak, E., & Minialai, C. (2022). The mompreneurship phenomenon: Exploring the motivations, challenges, and strategies of women entrepreneurs. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 17, e00321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2022.e00321
Welter, F., Baker, T., Audretsch, D. B., & Gartner, W. B. (2017). Everyday entrepreneurship: A call for entrepreneurship research to embrace entrepreneurial diversity. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(3), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12258
Wibowo, A., Slamet, F., & Ningsih, E. S. (2023). Digitalisasi UMKM adalah strategi untuk meningkatkan daya saing di era ekonomi digital. Jurnal Manajemen dan Kewirausahaan, 11(2), 45–57.
Wirawan, H., Abdi, M. N., & Nasution, R. A. (2024). Digital HRM practices and MSME organizational growth in Indonesia: A moderating analysis. Heliyon, 10(4), e24312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24312
ZTE Corporation. (2023). ZTE and Telkomsel drive Hyper 5G expansion in Makassar, accelerating high-performance connectivity to Eastern Indonesia. ZTE Corporation Press Release. https://www.zte.com.cn/id/about/news/ZTE-and-Telkomsel-drive-Hyper-5G-expansion-in-Makassar
