Family businesses are often described as supportive, close-knit workplaces where relatives can build careers with greater flexibility. Yet the same family structures that create trust and continuity can also make leadership decisions less transparent. Successors are frequently selected through informal conversations, family expectations and long-established traditions rather than through open recruitment or clearly defined performance criteria. In that environment, women may find it harder to be identified as future leaders, particularly when caring responsibilities limit the amount of time they spend in the workplace.

The study, published in Strategy & Leadership, focuses on the intersection of women’s entrepreneurship, family-business succession and digital workplace innovation. Its authors, Ozlem Ozdemir and Kirk Chang, draw together existing research to develop a framework explaining how technology may support women’s progression into senior roles. Rather than presenting digital tools as a complete solution, the paper describes them as mechanisms that can alter communication, participation and the way leadership performance is observed.

One of the most important changes involves the meaning of workplace visibility. In traditional organisations, employees who are regularly seen in the office may be perceived as more committed, available or influential. This “presence bias” can disadvantage people who work remotely or divide their time between professional and family duties. Digital platforms can provide alternative evidence of involvement through project records, decision logs, documented deliverables, online meetings and real-time collaboration. These digital traces can make contributions more visible even when a leader is not physically present.

Platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Workspace allow employees to participate in meetings, exchange information and coordinate projects from different locations. Cloud-based enterprise systems can also give authorised users access to financial data, customer information, operational reports and strategic planning tools. For women in family firms, this access could create more opportunities to contribute to high-level decisions without requiring constant attendance at a central office. In technical terms, digital systems can reduce the relationship between location and participation by separating work activity from a single physical site.

The researchers propose that these changes may influence women’s leadership through four connected pathways. Greater participation in important discussions can build confidence and professional credibility. Regular exposure to financial, operational and strategic information can increase business knowledge, while involvement in visible projects can help women demonstrate decision-making ability. Over time, these experiences may challenge assumptions about who is prepared to lead and encourage family members to view women as credible successors rather than as supporters of the business.

Digital working may also improve work-life balance by allowing tasks to be completed asynchronously. Instead of requiring every decision to happen in a face-to-face meeting at a fixed time, teams can use shared documents, recorded briefings, workflow systems and written updates. This flexibility may be particularly significant for women managing childcare or eldercare. However, remote access does not automatically reduce workloads. Without clear expectations, digital connectivity can extend the working day, create pressure to respond constantly and reproduce the same inequalities in a different format.

For that reason, the authors emphasise that technology alone cannot transform family-business leadership. Digital tools operate within organisational cultures, and a family firm may still favour male successors, informal networks or leaders who are visibly present in the office. The benefits of flexible working depend on whether performance is assessed through outcomes, quality of decisions and contribution to business goals rather than hours spent on-site. Firms may also need transparent succession processes, equal access to information, mentoring and deliberate support for women seeking senior roles.

The study arrives as family businesses face growing pressure to modernise their management practices while competing for talent across increasingly digital markets. Its framework suggests that the same technologies used to improve efficiency could also influence who is seen as capable of leading the next generation. The researchers caution, however, that lasting change requires cultural as well as technical innovation. If family firms combine digital access with fair evaluation and inclusive succession planning, women may gain a stronger platform from which to shape strategy, influence growth and take the helm of businesses that have traditionally passed leadership through male-dominated lines.

Subject of Research: Digital workplace innovation and women’s leadership in family businesses.

Article Title: Women entrepreneurs and their leadership in family business: insights from digital workplace innovation

News Publication Date: 27-Jul-2026

Web References: https://www.emerald.com/sl/article-abstract/doi/10.1108/SL-04-2026-0200/1389347/Women-entrepreneurs-and-their-leadership-in-family?redirectedFrom=fulltext; https://www.uel.ac.uk/about/our-schools/royal-docks-school-business-law/business-advice-centre

References: Ozlem Ozdemir and Kirk Chang, “Women entrepreneurs and their leadership in family business: insights from digital workplace innovation,” Strategy & Leadership, Emerald Publishing. DOI: 10.1108/SL-04-2026-0200.

Keywords: women entrepreneurs, family businesses, digital workplace innovation, women in leadership, succession planning, remote work, work-life balance, flexible working, business technology, organisational culture

The investigation, published in the prestigious journal Menopause, draws from a robust dataset encompassing nearly 1,400 women who experienced various menopause trajectories, including natural early menopause, surgical menopause through bilateral oophorectomy, and hysterectomy. Utilizing advanced sequence analysis methodologies, researchers mapped out employment histories over a ten-year span, meticulously aligning these employment trajectories with the timing and type of menopausal transition. The application of regression analyses enabled the team to uncover nuanced associations between menopause status and labor market participation.

One of the study’s pivotal revelations is that women undergoing early natural menopause exhibited measurable challenges related to flexible work arrangements during a sensitive period surrounding their menopausal transition. While early natural menopause did not statistically predict an outright premature departure from the workforce, it undermined women’s capacity to secure adaptable employment conditions. This lack of adaptability can exacerbate stress and exacerbate the burden of menopausal symptoms, highlighting an intersection between biological change and workplace demands.

The consequences of surgical menopause proved to be even more profound. Women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy, particularly those aged 45 years or older at the time of surgery, were found to face significantly heightened risk of exiting the labor market prematurely. Surgical menopause induces an abrupt cessation of ovarian hormone production, which intensifies menopausal symptoms—such as severe hot flashes, night sweats, and depressive episodes—much more suddenly than natural menopause. This precipitous endocrine disruption appears to influence not only health outcomes but also socioeconomic factors, catalyzing a premature disengagement from professional roles.

Importantly, the research also illuminates a potentially mitigative pathway through hormone therapy. Hormone replacement, administered within the early years following menopause or surgical intervention, was shown to play a protective role in maintaining women’s labor market engagement. By alleviating debilitating symptoms and stabilizing hormonal fluctuations, hormone therapy may empower women to better navigate the challenges posed by menopause, preserving both their health and their vocational stability. This finding adds new urgency to the debate on optimal timing and personalized strategies for hormone therapy administration.

The implications of these findings resonate far beyond individual health, urging policymakers, healthcare providers, and employers to reconsider the workplace environment and occupational health frameworks for midlife women. The research advocates for tailored workplace accommodations recognizing the diversity and complexity of menopausal experiences, emphasizing the necessity for organizational policies that foster inclusivity and support for women confronting early or surgical menopause.

This study further reinforces the growing recognition of menopause as a critical modulator of women’s overall well-being, extending its influence from clinical health parameters to socio-economic dimensions such as career sustainability. It underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach that integrates endocrinology, occupational health, and psychosocial support structures, facilitating holistic interventions for women during their menopausal transition.

Moreover, the employment trajectories mapped in this study emphasize temporal dynamics—that is, how menopause-related changes unfold over a critical decade straddling final menstruation or surgical intervention. This longitudinal perspective enables a granular understanding of how health disruptions translate into altered labor market outcomes, highlighting points of vulnerability as well as opportunities for targeted intervention.

The research echoes an imperative for expanding educational initiatives aimed at healthcare professionals and employers alike, ensuring awareness of menopause’s multifaceted impact on work ability. It encourages intensified dialogue between medical experts and workplace stakeholders to mitigate stigma, reduce occupational barriers, and promote strategies that sustain women’s career engagement amid hormonal transitions.

Fundamentally, these insights catalyze a paradigm shift in how early and surgical menopause are perceived within the societal context—transforming the narrative from one solely focused on disease risk to one that acknowledges the profound ripple effects on women’s economic empowerment and quality of life. By integrating hormone therapy as a viable tool for intervention, the study offers hope for enhanced workplace longevity and improved health outcomes.

In conclusion, as women comprise an ever-growing segment of the labor force globally, understanding the physiological and psychosocial impacts of early and surgical menopause on employment is not merely a medical concern but a socioeconomic priority. This study paves the way for future research to further delineate the biological mechanisms underpinning these associations and to develop more nuanced, individualized treatment regimens that promote both health and career resilience.

For clinicians, researchers, and policymakers, this study signals a call to action: to recognize and address the employment challenges posed by menopause with evidence-based, compassionate strategies. Supporting women through this transition is critical to bolstering not only their personal health but also their contributions to the workforce and society at large.

Subject of Research: People

Article Title: The associations of early and surgical menopause with 10-year employment trajectories bracketing final menstruation or surgery

News Publication Date: 8-Oct-2025

Web References: https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/press-release/MENO-D-25-00238.pdf

DOI link

Keywords: Health care