Reinventing Work: Work-Life Balance and Entrepreneurship in the Age of Change

Abstract

This study, based on a systematic review of the literature and regulatory analysis, explores how entrepreneurship is configured as a possible way to reconcile work and personal life. The research reveals that, although entrepreneurship offers advantages, such as autonomy, flexibility, and a sense of purpose, in practice, many entrepreneurs face intense workloads, economic insecurity, uncertainty, and lack of structural support that limit this work-life balance. The results show a marked difference between those who undertake entrepreneurship as an opportunity and those who do it out of necessity, with the former more likely to experience well-being and success and the latter more likely to be exposed to precariousness and stress. In addition, a gender gap persists in co-responsibility, even in self-employment models. For entrepreneurship to truly be a way of reconciling work-life balance, public policies of support, emotional training, and networks of co-responsibility must be integrated to guarantee the well-being of the entrepreneur and their sustainability over time.