Attachment, Entrepreneurial Role Stress and Quality of Life in Metal Shop Owners

Attachment is a deep and enduring bond that is emotional and it connects one person to another (Anisworth, 1973). Entrepreneurs are rational decision makers who assume risk and provide management for the firm (Kilby, 1971). Role stress can be defined as a discrepancy between expectations and behaviour, when such discrepancies exist, the entrepreneur will be exposed to role stress (Wincent & rtqvist, 2009). Quality of Life is defined by as appraisal of and satisfaction with their current level of functioning as compared to what they perceive to be possible or ideal (Lehto, Ojanen & Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, 2005). The objective of this study was to find the relationship between attachment, entrepreneurial role stress, and quality of life among father and son metal shop owners and to observe whether fathers and sons differ with respect to these variables. A non-probability purposive sampling method was employed to collect data from 120 small scale entrepreneurs of metal supplying stockiest (60 fathers and 60 sons). The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden, 1987), Entrepreneurial Role Stress Scale (Pareek, 1997), and WHO Quality of life-BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF, WHO, 1997) were administered to the participants. Results showed that sons experience a higher financial and health satisfaction than the fathers. Significant correlations were found between attachment, entrepreneurial role stress and quality of life in fathers and sons. These findings illuminate the role of family business succession and communication among fathers and sons in enhancing the level of satisfaction in the coming generations.