Professional women are more likely to launch their own businesses after becoming mothers because they experience discriminatory wage reduction known as the motherhood penalty, according to a new study from Wharton management professor Tiantian Yang. Her co-authored paper, which examines the direct relationship between motherhood and entrepreneurship, challenges the narrative that working moms leave their lucrative careers mainly to gain more time with their families. It also shines a spotlight on broader gender inequality in the workplace.
