With the help of the family! Using Sri Lankan informal sector women entrepreneurs' family resources to develop their creative self-efficacy

This study explores how family-to-business enrichment (FBE: instrumental and affective) can develop creative self-efficacy (CSE), and thereby creativity and innovation in women entrepreneurs in the informal sector in an emerging country context. In doing so, we integrate perspectives of the work-family interface with Social Cognitive Theory. Survey data were collected from a sample of 470 informal sector women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to test the hypothesized relationships between FBE, CSE, creativity and innovation. Findings show that both the affective and instrumental dimensions of FBE positively influence women entrepreneurs' CSE, which in turn leads to higher levels of creativity and innovation. Recommendations are made on how best to help informal sector women entrepreneurs to utilize their family resources for their creativity and innovation.