GENDER DYNAMICS BETWEEN INTIMATE-PARTNER BUSINESS OWNERS. A CASE STUDY OF COPRENEUR AND SOLO ENTREPRENEUR SPOUSES IN UGANDA.

Abstract

Despite being a unique category of family businesses, intimate-partner business owners, such as copreneurs and solo entrepreneurs are under-investigated - especially in the Global south. This thesis looks how gender relations influence access and control of resources and decision making between copreneurs and solo entrepreneurs with supporting spouses. Using in-depth interviews with male and female business owners in Uganda in 2017, the research highlights the motivations for business venturing, the gender division of labor in the business and household, financial resources allocation, challenges faced by intimate partner business owners and decision-making processes between the spouses. The research shows that a range of inter-sectional factors such as level of education, social class, number of children and most importantly gender influence access to and control of resources and decision-making in an Intimate-partner business venture.