Intertwinement of entrepreneurial stress and eudaimonic well-being: a phenomenographic approach

Abstract

Entrepreneurship creates a unique environment which can contribute to or enhance an entrepreneur’s well-being while simultaneously imposing a high level of stress on the entrepreneur. This study explores this curious coexistence of entrepreneurial well-being and stress by examining how entrepreneurs understand stressful events and how this understanding intertwines with their well-being. By applying phenomenography as a qualitative method orientated to investigate the variance in the understanding and experience of a particular phenomenon, the findings presented in this paper reveal five different ways in which entrepreneurs can understand stressful events. Furthermore, this study demonstrates how entrepreneurial stress and well-being are intertwined by illustrating how each identified pattern of stress understanding relates to six dimensions of eudaimonic well-being. Moreover, the study reveals how the juxtaposition of well-being and stress can both reinforce or hinder entrepreneurial well-being. By illuminating intricate interrelationships between entrepreneurial well-being and stress, this study enriches our understanding of entrepreneurial well-being and stress, which is crucial for developing better stress coping techniques, and generates new avenues for future research.