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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to offer a new perspective on entrepreneurial identity as a narrative construction, emerging in stories about entering the family business.Design/methodology/approach: The qualitative methodological approach involves an interpretative analysis of transcribed interviews, conducted in narrative style with 12 women from Swedish family businesses.Findings: By presenting entrepreneurial identity as a combination of two distinct narratives, the "passive" entrance into the family business is highlighted. The 'Pippi Longstocking' narrative illustrates conscious choices, drive and motivation based on an entrepreneurial identification; the proactive plot. The 'Alice in Wonderland' narrative on the other hand, illustrates women who happen to become entrepreneurs or business persons because the family business was there: the reactive plot. The contrasting and complementing narratives illustrates ambiguities in the identity process. Practical implications:We identified the following opportunities for women in family business; (1) the family business can offer easy access to a career and on-the-job learning opportunities, (2) education in other areas can be useful when learning how to manage and develop the family business, and (3) the family business offers a generous arena for pursuing a career at different life stages. We also present implications for education as well as for policy makers. Originality/value:The narratives presented are given metaphorical names with the intention to evoke the reader's reflection and reasoning by analogy, which can lead to new insights. The use of metaphors illustrates multiple layers and ambiguities in identity construction. Metaphors can also create awareness of the researcher as a co-creator of knowledge.

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The gene for carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type I (CDG1) has previously been localised by us close to marker D16S406 in chromosome region 16p13.2-3. We also presented data indicating a strong founder mutation associated with a specific haplotype in CDG I patients from western Scandinavia. The phosphomannomutase 2 (PMM2) gene was recently put forward as a likely CDG1 candidate gene. We have now shown that the specific haplotype is associated with the PMM2 mutation 357C > A. Using data from radiation hybrid panel we have refined the position of the PMM2 gene to very close to marker D16S3020 in the interval between D16S406 and AFM282ze1 on the distal side and D16S3087 on the proximal side. Due to the severity of the disease many families request prenatal diagnostic services for CDG I. In the meantime, until the mutation spectrum is fully examined, we propose the combined use of mutation analysis and linkage analysis with polymorphic markers as diagnostic tools for Scandinavian CDG I families requesting prenatal diagnosis. Using this strategy we have to date successfully performed 15 prenatal diagnoses for CDG I.

Attitudes and behavior according to a prolonged work life could be summarized as dependent on good health, a financial gain in combination with flexible alternative working conditions.