Effects of instability in the professional lives of female entrepreneurs and corporate employees: A case study of Hopa

The purpose of this research is to comparatively examine how the uncertainty and precariousness experienced by women engaged in entrepreneurship in rural areas and those working as corporate employees in urban settings impact their organizational and life arrangements. The goal of this planned study is to contribute to the field and be a resource for future research. The potential to highlight both intergenerational differences (in the context of entrepreneurship and corporate employment) and the differences between business ownership and employees through female individuals makes the research unique. Considering the limited dataset in the literature and the comparative data gap enabling contemporary readings, this uniqueness also shapes the contribution of the research. Therefore, the research is designed as a qualitative study with the aim of investigating and interpreting how women entrepreneurs and employees manage workplace instability by considering their qualities, common features, routine activities, and how they construct work-life balance, examining and interpreting its effects on their lives. The research is designed based on an interpretive social science perspective and the methodological preference it requires. The interpretive perspective aims to explore how individuals experience social events and what meanings they attribute to these experiences, evaluating social life and social action. Thus, the research is designed based on qualitative research methodology and a phenomenological pattern. In this context, in-depth data acquisition required by qualitative research will be conducted through semi-structured interviews. A semi-structured questionnaire will be used as the data collection tool within the scope of the study. For the rural sample in the Black Sea Region, at least 15 female entrepreneurs from the Hopa district of Artvin province will be interviewed, and for the urban sample, at least 15 corporate female employees from the same province will be interviewed. Data saturation will be taken as a criterion within the context of the main study group (sample). The collected data will be analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques until the required data saturation is achieved. The data obtained from interviews and observations will be interpreted, leading to a comparative discussion based on the precariat and entrepreneur class.