Category
entrepreneurship
1125 entries tagged entrepreneurship.
Articles — 1082
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If we can grow them here it just makes sense: Disrupting higher education narratives through Country University Centres in regional and rural Australia
Studies Australia's Country Universities Centres (CUCs) under the Regional University Study Hub program, showing how locally-grounded study hubs disrupt the 'go to a city' model and improve access for regional, rural, and remote students.
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Designing and Orchestrating Embedded Innovation Networks: An Inquiry into Microfranchising in Bangladesh
Longitudinal case study of an emerging microfranchise network in Bangladesh facilitated by CARE, used to examine how innovation networks are designed and orchestrated in resource-scarce settings to deliver agricultural inputs to small-scale poor farmers.
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Engaging Community Colleges in Rural Development: A Meta-Synthesis of Doctoral Dissertations
Meta-synthesis of 20 doctoral dissertations (2009-2020) on the role of community colleges in rural community, economic, and workforce development, surfacing recurring themes and a research agenda for rural-serving institutions.
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Innovation and Networking in Peripheral Areas — a Case Study of Emergence and Change in Rural Manufacturing
Case study of rural manufacturing in a peripheral region, tracing how innovation and networking emerge and change. Foundational reference for thinking about innovation systems beyond core regions.
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Management of innovation networks: a case study of different approaches
Empirical case study of two software-business SMEs with contrasting approaches to managing innovation networks. Surfaces six dimensions for mapping innovation network management: duration, rewards, fundamental meaning, organisational nature, planning/control/trust, and hierarchy.
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Campus in the Country: Community College Involvement in Rural Community Development
Examines community-college involvement in rural community development in Canada, drawing on field research to characterise the roles colleges play as innovation and education anchors in rural areas.
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Role of Networks of Rural Innovation in Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals: A Quadruple Helix Case Study
Quadruple helix (academia, government, industry, community) case study of a Chinese rural revitalisation program, finding that multi-actor collaboration around agricultural science, entrepreneurship, and tourism advanced 11 of the 17 SDGs.
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Tech hubs, innovation and development
Examines tech hubs in developing-country contexts, asking what 'innovation' and 'development' mean in their practice and to what extent the rhetoric matches the reality of who benefits.
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Unpacking the multiple spaces of innovation hubs
Conceptualizes innovation hubs as constituted by multiple overlapping spaces (physical, social, virtual, symbolic) and argues that attending to all of them gives a richer reading of how hubs do or do not foster development.
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Creating value in ecosystems: Crossing the chasm between knowledge and business ecosystems
Studies 138 innovative start-ups in Flanders to compare their knowledge ecosystem and business ecosystem. Finds the knowledge ecosystem well-structured but the business ecosystem nearly absent locally — implications for ecosystem policy.
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Regional Innovation Systems in the Periphery: The Case of the Beauce in Québec (Canada)
Survey-based study of 45 SMEs in the Beauce region of Quebec asking how innovation actually happens in a peripheral regional innovation system, where actors are less diversified than in oft-cited core regions like Silicon Valley or Emilia-Romagna.
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Rural entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship in the rural – between place and space
This paper distinguishes two ideal types of entrepreneurship in rural areas. The first type—entrepreneurship in the rural—pursues profit-driven, mobile ventures with weak local ties. The second type—rural entrepreneurship—leverages local resources and maintains deep place-based connections, showing greater commitment to staying and optimizing local development. Both contribute to rural economies, but place-embedded ventures demonstrate superior potential for sustainable local growth.
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Rural entrepreneurship in Europe
Rural entrepreneurship in Europe operates within a distinct territorial context shaped by physical geography, social capital, networks, and governance structures. The authors argue that rurality itself functions as a dynamic entrepreneurial resource, creating both opportunities and constraints. They present entrepreneurship as a three-stage sequential process influenced by specific territorial characteristics and propose a research agenda addressing both theoretical understanding and policy development for supporting rural entrepreneurs.
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Resources and bridging: the role of spatial context in rural entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurs succeed by leveraging local resources and building connections beyond their immediate area. This study of 28 ventures identifies two key strategies: using place-specific assets and bridging to external networks. The research reveals that rural entrepreneurs are more diverse than previously recognized, and that spatial context significantly shapes how they operate and create value for their communities.
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Twenty Years of Rural Entrepreneurship: A Bibliometric Survey
This bibliometric analysis of 181 articles on rural entrepreneurship reveals the field remains underdeveloped theoretically despite growing research interest. Rural entrepreneurship research concentrates in Europe, particularly the UK and Spain, and focuses on organizational characteristics, policy, and governance. Empirical work emphasizes developed nations like the UK, USA, and Finland. The authors argue that weak theoretical foundations limit the field's progress and call for expanded research in less developed countries where rural entrepreneurship holds significant potential.
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Has Digital Financial Inclusion Narrowed the Urban-Rural Income Gap: The Role of Entrepreneurship in China
Digital financial inclusion significantly narrows China's urban-rural income gap, primarily through expanding access to financing. The effect operates mainly by enabling rural residents to start businesses and create jobs. Coverage breadth matters most; depth of use and digitalization show weaker effects. The impact is strongest in economically disadvantaged regions with lower education levels. The paper recommends policies leveraging digital finance to promote rural entrepreneurship.
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Non-farm entrepreneurship in rural sub-Saharan Africa: New empirical evidence
Rural households in six sub-Saharan African countries operate non-farm enterprises driven by both necessity and opportunity, concentrating in low-barrier activities like trade rather than transport or professional services. Rural, female-headed, and remote enterprises show significantly lower labor productivity than urban and male-owned counterparts. Most rural enterprises fail due to insufficient profitability, lack of financing, or unexpected shocks.
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Rural entrepreneurship in place: an integrated framework
Rural entrepreneurship requires a different analytical approach than agglomeration-based theories used in urban contexts. The authors develop a place-sensitive framework that identifies the specific conditions enabling entrepreneurship in rural communities. This meso-level framework helps policymakers and researchers understand rural entrepreneurial places holistically, moving beyond generic ecosystem models to address the distinct characteristics of rural contexts.
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In-migrant entrepreneurship in rural England: beyond local embeddedness
In-migrant entrepreneurs in rural England rely less on local networks and resources than locally-born business owners. Instead, they draw on national and international connections for materials, capital, and markets. This enables them to integrate rural economies into broader markets but weakens local community ties and may undermine rural localities as cohesive entities.
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Developing entrepreneurship and enterprise in Europe's peripheral rural areas: Some issues facing policy-makers
This paper examines policies supporting rural entrepreneurship across ten European peripheral areas. It categorizes existing policies, identifies lessons from their implementation, and highlights barriers to enterprise development. The authors argue that peripheral rural regions need more strategic, coordinated policy approaches to build entrepreneurial capacity and clarify enterprise's role in future rural development.
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Networks, Technology, and Entrepreneurship: A Field Quasi-experiment among Women in Rural India
A seven-year field experiment in 20 rural Indian villages tested how women's social networks and ICT use affect entrepreneurship. Family and community ties boosted business creation and profits, while ties to powerful men hindered them. ICT access dramatically increased new ventures—160 in intervention villages versus 40 in controls. The strongest results emerged when women had strong community networks combined with ICT access, effects that strengthened over time.
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Local Embeddedness and Rural Entrepreneurship: Case-Study Evidence from Cumbria, England
Rural entrepreneurs in Cumbria, England operate within complex local contexts that extend beyond simple geographic boundaries. The paper challenges the assumption that economic activity depends primarily on territorial embeddedness. Instead, it shows that locality functions through multiple dimensions of social connection and context. The research demonstrates how entrepreneurs navigate between local place-based factors and broader networks, requiring policymakers to move beyond territorial approaches to understanding rural economic development.
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Fitting in and Multi‐tasking: Dutch Farm Women's Strategies in Rural Entrepreneurship
Dutch farmwomen starting new income-generating activities adopt a distinctive entrepreneurial approach characterized by fitting new work into existing family and farm responsibilities rather than expanding operations aggressively. Research from 1995–2001 shows women deliberately multi-task and prioritize family stability over business growth. However, when women experience successful work-life balance and financial rewards, they expand their enterprises. Current rural development policies fail farmwomen because they promote male-typical entrepreneurial models rather than supporting women's actual strategies.
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Self-employment and entrepreneurship in urban and rural labour markets
Self-employment, business creation, and innovation correlate strongly in urban areas but not in rural areas. Rural workers become self-employed more often in weak labour markets, yet this doesn't translate to entrepreneurship. When accounting for local labour market conditions, the rural gap disappears. The findings suggest self-employment in rural areas reflects necessity rather than genuine entrepreneurship, unlike in cities where these measures align.
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Enterprise across the digital divide: information systems and rural microenterprise in Botswana
Rural microenterprises in Botswana lack ICT access and rely on informal, social, and local information systems. While these systems work well in many respects, they limit entrepreneurs' connections and opportunities. The paper argues that shared telephone services should be the priority for breaking this isolation, with ICTs playing a supporting role through intermediary organizations that provide finance, skills, and knowledge alongside technology.
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The Rural Creative Class: Counterurbanisation and Entrepreneurship in the Danish Countryside
Well-educated urban professionals move to rural Denmark to start small businesses, seeking less stressful lives while maintaining careers. Initially, most businesses serve metropolitan markets in media and business services. Over time, these enterprises evolve into regional lifestyle businesses that blend urban-sector work with local market adaptation, reducing travel to cities. While their local impact remains limited, they extend regional networks and provide organizational energy across broader areas.
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Enterprising expatriates: lifestyle migration and entrepreneurship in rural southern Europe
Northern European expatriates who migrated to rural France and Spain for lifestyle reasons started businesses at higher rates than expected, despite lacking entrepreneurial experience. Self-employment emerged as their primary mechanism for sustaining their desired lifestyle. French expatriates established more sophisticated businesses than Spanish counterparts, partly due to better language skills enabling stronger local networks. The study reveals that migration motivations and location-specific factors shape entrepreneurial outcomes more than individual business experience.
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Micro-entrepreneurship and subjective well-being: Evidence from rural Bangladesh
Microcredit-enabled entrepreneurship in rural Bangladesh reduces overall life satisfaction indirectly by increasing worry, despite having no direct negative effects. Female micro-borrowers report higher satisfaction with financial security and life achievement. Borrowers with more assets also experience greater satisfaction with financial security. The findings suggest microcredit's well-being impacts are complex and vary by gender and asset levels.
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Romancing the rural: Reconceptualizing rural entrepreneurship as engagement with context(s)
Rural entrepreneurship research often romanticizes rural contexts in misleading ways. This paper argues that understanding rural entrepreneurship requires examining how entrepreneurs actually engage with the specific contexts that define rural areas, rather than relying on idealized notions of rurality. The authors propose new methods to better understand rural entrepreneurial processes through context-focused analysis.
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Understanding place-based entrepreneurship in rural Central Europe: A comparative institutional analysis
This study examines how local institutions shape entrepreneurial behavior in rural Central Europe across five countries. The researchers find that normative and cognitive institutions—like social norms and shared beliefs—matter more than formal regulations in driving entrepreneurship. The fit between different institutional types determines whether entrepreneurial practices emerge in specific locations. Entrepreneurs in rural transition and non-transition contexts adopt different strategies based on place-specific institutional conditions.
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Creative Outposts: Tourism's Place in Rural Innovation
Tourism drives innovation in rural communities by fostering social capital and enabling local entrepreneurs to diversify their economies. A case study of Jokkmokk, an Arctic village, reveals that tourism firms and local institutions co-evolve through loose, project-based networks. Tourism acts as a catalyst for institutional change and strengthens community leisure spaces, helping rural communities survive and thrive as complementary coping strategies.
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Implications of the digital divide on rural SME resilience
Rural SMEs in Wales face reduced resilience during economic crises due to the digital divide. While broadband infrastructure investments improved connectivity, many rural businesses still lack reliable digital connections. Distance from urban areas significantly predicts poor connectivity, limiting businesses' ability to diversify activities and develop resilience. The pandemic accelerated digital-dependent business operations, leaving poorly connected rural SMEs more vulnerable.
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Broadband Internet and New Firm Location Decisions in Rural Areas
Broadband deployment significantly increases where new firms choose to locate in rural areas. Using a difference-in-differences approach that controls for location-specific factors, the researchers found that broadband availability positively influences new firm entry decisions. The effect is strongest in more densely populated rural areas and those near metropolitan regions, indicating that broadband's impact on firm location grows stronger where agglomeration economies are present.
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‘Recession push’ and ‘prosperity pull’ entrepreneurship in a rural developing context
This study examines how access to non-farm wage employment affects rural entrepreneurship in central Vietnam. Using household survey data from 110 communes, the authors distinguish between opportunity entrepreneurs (those pursuing business ventures) and necessity entrepreneurs (those driven by lack of alternatives). They find that better access to non-farm jobs increases opportunity entrepreneurship but does not reduce necessity entrepreneurship. This supports the 'prosperity pull' hypothesis: economic growth attracts entrepreneurs, while poverty-driven entrepreneurship persists regardless of job availability.
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A Multivariate Model of Micro Credit and Rural Women Entrepreneurship Development in Bangladesh
Microcredit programs in Bangladesh help rural women survive but don't automatically build entrepreneurial skills. This study identifies key factors driving entrepreneurship among women borrowers using statistical modeling. Financial management skills and group identity strongly predict entrepreneurial development, while family business experience and access to credit options also matter. The findings show microcredit's impact depends on developing specific capabilities beyond basic lending.
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Social-Capital Mobilization and Income Returns to Entrepreneurship: The Case of Return Migration in Rural China
Return migrants in rural China who acquire skills during urban labor migration mobilize local social capital more effectively to start businesses. Social capital generates income returns comparable to investment capital and acquired skills. The study demonstrates that temporary migration serves as a rural development strategy by enabling families to accumulate both human capital and social networks that support entrepreneurship upon return.
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Entrepreneurship Within Urban and Rural Areas: Creative People and Social Networks
Creativity drives entrepreneurship in urban areas but not rural areas, despite urban environments being more competitive and supportive. Social networks prove especially critical for rural entrepreneurs, likely because rural areas have stronger personal ties but fewer institutional support systems. Creativity itself does not improve survival rates for new businesses in either setting.
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Entrepreneurship and rural economic development: a scenario analysis approach
This paper demonstrates how scenario analysis helps rural policymakers and entrepreneurs understand barriers to small business growth and economic development. Researchers in Mid Wales used structured scenario development with stakeholders to build shared understanding of uncertainties affecting rural entrepreneurship. The findings show that effective rural enterprise support must be tailored to local context and account for diverse external factors.
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Marketing and innovation: Useful tools for competitiveness in rural and peripheral areas
Rural entrepreneurship drives competitiveness in peripheral areas, but low population density creates obstacles. The paper argues that innovative rural firms succeed by adopting niche marketing strategies tailored to their organizational context. This approach lets rural businesses capitalize on emerging social trends. The author offers policy recommendations to support this model.
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Exploring business models for open innovation in rural living labs
Living Labs are user-centered innovation environments where rural communities collaborate with stakeholders to develop solutions through rapid prototyping. The paper identifies critical business model design elements needed to sustain these partnerships while protecting intellectual property. It provides practical guidance on structuring open innovation initiatives that balance collaborative development with commercial interests, enabling rural regions to benefit from participatory innovation.
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Advancing Rural Entrepreneurship in Rwanda Through Informal Training – Insights From Paulo Freire’s <i>Pedagogy of the Oppressed</i>
Informal entrepreneurship training through village savings and loan associations in rural Rwanda empowers participants to make better decisions and improve their livelihoods. Using Paulo Freire's pedagogy framework, the study shows how CARE International's train-the-trainer approach and peer dialogue at weekly meetings create both economic and socio-cultural value. This qualitative research reveals how VSLAs emancipate rural entrepreneurs beyond just financial outcomes.
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Rural Poverty Alleviation Strategies and Social Capital Link: The Mediation Role of Women Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation
Women entrepreneurs in rural Ghana's agribusiness sector leverage social capital from formal and informal networks to reduce poverty. The study of 333 women entrepreneurs found that women's entrepreneurial growth directly alleviates rural poverty, while social innovation and relational social capital strengthen this effect. Policymakers should expand women's entrepreneurial opportunities in agribusiness to combat rural poverty in developing countries.
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Can broadband access rescue the rural economy?
Broadband access alone cannot rescue rural economies. While governments promote broadband rollout for rural competitiveness, current technologies are unsuitable for remote areas. More fundamentally, rural businesses lack growth propensity and entrepreneurial drive, making technology access secondary to deeper enterprise challenges. Technology deployment without addressing these underlying limitations will fail to deliver expected economic benefits.
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Does farmer entrepreneurship alleviate rural poverty in China? Evidence from Guangxi Province
Farmer entrepreneurship significantly reduces rural poverty in China's Guangxi Province. The study surveyed 309 farm business employees and found that socio-cultural capabilities most strongly drive entrepreneurship growth, which in turn substantially decreases poverty. The research recommends equipping rural farmers with entrepreneurial skills as a sustainable, bottom-up poverty reduction strategy that other developing countries can adopt.
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Culture as a barrier to rural women's entrepreneurship: Experience from Zimbabwe
Cultural barriers significantly prevent rural women in Zimbabwe from achieving economic self-confidence and autonomy through entrepreneurship. The paper identifies key issues that development programmes must address to promote women's equality via business activities and recommends future priorities for gender-focused training initiatives.
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Barriers to the development and progress of entrepreneurship in rural Pakistan
Religious, socioeconomic, and structural forces suppress social and cultural capital in rural Pakistan, explaining why entrepreneurship remains extremely low in agricultural regions. The study interviewed 84 families in interior Sindh and found that entrepreneurship requires specific socioeconomic conditions to flourish. The authors recommend policy interventions to promote entrepreneurship in agro-based rural economies.
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Economic and Social Sustainable Synergies to Promote Innovations in Rural Tourism and Local Development
A rural tourism network in southern Italy demonstrates how territorial collaboration strengthens local development. The initiative connected local producers with quality-conscious consumers, reduced transaction costs, and increased competitiveness in tourism and production chains. The case reveals that rebuilding trust and social capital through traditional and hybrid institutions—supported by research organizations—is essential for rural areas to develop sustainable tourism and achieve broader socio-economic growth.
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How does energy matter? Rural electrification, entrepreneurship, and community development in Kenya
Rural electrification in Kenya increases household income and entrepreneurial activity. Communities with electricity access formed more new micro-enterprises than control sites. Access to power enhances individuals' future expectations and business opportunities. Women-led households benefit more from electrification than men-led ones, though income gaps persist. The findings support resource-based entrepreneurship theory and suggest electrification should be central to development policy in areas with limited electricity access.
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Determinant factors for the development of rural entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurship in Spain depends on market opportunities rather than unemployment rates. R&D investment and available credit encourage rural business creation. Surprisingly, highly educated professionals are less likely to start rural ventures than those with secondary education. The findings suggest policymakers should focus on innovation funding, credit access, and employment policies to revitalize rural economies and combat depopulation.
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Challenges of rural women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh to survive their family entrepreneurship: a narrative inquiry through storytelling
Rural women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh face three major obstacles to sustaining family businesses: social and cultural barriers rooted in societal attitudes toward women's roles, severe financial constraints, and inadequate business skills. The study reveals that these challenges disproportionately affect rural women's ability to maintain viable family enterprises, despite entrepreneurship's importance for socio-economic development in developing countries.
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Provoking identities: entrepreneurship and emerging identity positions in rural development
This ethnographic study of a declining rural community over six years reveals how entrepreneurship reshapes local identity and agency. Entrepreneurs challenged dominant narratives by repositioning their community's assets—locality, history, and place—as resources rather than liabilities. Four key tensions (change versus tradition, rational versus irrational, spectacular versus mundane, individual versus collective) shaped how local actors negotiated new identity positions and opportunities through entrepreneurial action.
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Rural broadband speeds and business startup rates
Using county-level data from 2014, this study examines how broadband speeds affect rural business startup rates across different industries. The researchers find that broadband coverage significantly influences startup activity, with download speeds mattering more than upload speeds. Mobile broadband also plays a role. Importantly, the impact varies by industry type—what drives startups in one sector may not apply to another. The findings confirm that broadband access is increasingly critical for rural entrepreneurship.
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The impact of entrepreneurship of farmers on agriculture and rural economic growth: Innovation-driven perspective
Farmers' innovative entrepreneurship significantly drives agricultural and rural economic growth in China, with spatial analysis of 30 provinces from 2015–2020 revealing positive spillover effects across regions. The impact varies by urbanization level, grain production patterns, and household income. The research demonstrates that rural innovation clusters in low-income areas and recommends tailored incentive policies to support farmer entrepreneurs.
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A new approach to stimulate rural entrepreneurship through village-owned enterprises in Indonesia
Village-owned enterprises (BUMDes) in Indonesia successfully encourage rural entrepreneurship by leveraging local resources and involving community stakeholders in exploration, empowerment, and capacity building. However, implementation faces significant obstacles: misalignment between regulations and practice, insufficient skilled managers, and weak coordination between village governments and enterprises.
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Rural tourism and the development of Internet-based accommodation booking platforms: a study in the advantages, dangers and implications of innovation
Internet-based accommodation booking platforms like Booking.com have grown rapidly and now dominate rural tourism markets. While small rural businesses benefit from cheap global reach, these platforms concentrate market power and divert revenue from local and regional booking organizations that provide training, marketing, and destination promotion. The paper studies rural Norwegian accommodation providers to show how platform adoption reshapes competition, pricing, and business operations, then proposes new roles for regional organizations.
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The relation between entrepreneurship and rural poverty alleviation in China
Farmer entrepreneurship significantly reduces rural poverty in China, with quality of entrepreneurship mattering more than quantity. Socio-cultural capabilities—such as social networks and cultural values—drive entrepreneurial growth more effectively than education or economic resources alone. The study surveyed 363 households across four communities in two Chinese provinces and found strong positive links between entrepreneurial development and poverty alleviation.
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Entrepreneurship in rural hospitality and tourism. A systematic literature review of past achievements and future promises
This systematic review of 101 articles from 2000–2020 examines entrepreneurship in rural hospitality and tourism. The authors identify six key research themes: barriers and enablers, entrepreneur roles, women entrepreneurs, firm performance drivers, innovation, and value creation. They find that entrepreneurship journals have given limited attention to rural hospitality, most studies are qualitative, and research concentrates heavily in Europe. The review proposes an ecosystem framework and outlines six future research directions.
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Tourism and Community Leadership in Rural Regions: Linking Mobility, Entrepreneurship, Tourism Development and Community Well-Being
Analysis of 47 rural tourism case studies reveals that community entrepreneurs—not simply local or outsider status—drive positive tourism outcomes. Social and human capital matter more than financial investment. Governance structures prove critical for long-term success. The local-outsider distinction fails to explain tourism development effectiveness. Community entrepreneurs best support both tourism growth and destination well-being.
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Rural women entrepreneurship within co‐operatives: training support
Rural women running cooperatives in Greece participated in a training program that improved their entrepreneurial skills, business opportunity identification, and decision-making flexibility. The training also strengthened their attitudes toward entrepreneurship, enhanced cooperative growth prospects, and improved work-family balance. Training programs are most effective when designed to address specific organizational needs through prior needs analysis.
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Rural tourism entrepreneurship success factors for sustainable tourism village: Evidence from Indonesia
This study identifies ten success factors for sustainable rural tourism villages in Indonesia through interviews with key actors in six award-winning tourism villages. The factors—including income management, business development, collaboration, innovation, and environmental awareness—cluster into economic, social, and environmental sustainability dimensions. The research produces a framework for rural tourism entrepreneurship that can guide strategy and decision-making in other villages.
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Quantifying entrepreneurship and its impact on local economic performance: A spatial assessment in rural Switzerland
This study measures entrepreneurship in 1,706 Swiss rural municipalities and tests whether it drives local economic growth. Results show entrepreneurship correlates with higher business tax revenues and lower welfare dependency, but has weak effects on employment. The researchers conclude that while entrepreneurship helps rural economies, policymakers should temper expectations about its short-term impact on endogenous rural development.
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Effects and mechanisms of rural E‐commerce clusters on households' entrepreneurship behavior in China
Rural e-commerce clusters in China's Taobao Villages significantly boost household entrepreneurship. The study identifies four key mechanisms: local resource endowment, entrepreneurial atmosphere and culture, low entrepreneurship thresholds, and demonstrative leadership all positively influence entrepreneurial behavior. External support from government and business environments further strengthens e-commerce development. These clusters effectively stimulate entrepreneurial enthusiasm and increase entrepreneurial activity among rural households.
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Does Digital Inclusive Finance Promote Coastal Rural Entrepreneurship?
Digital inclusive finance significantly promotes rural entrepreneurship in China, particularly in central inland regions. The study analyzes payment services and monetary fund indices using national panel data, finding that digital finance reduces financial exclusion and improves access to capital. However, the effect varies by region—coastal and western areas show weaker impacts than inland central regions.
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The potential of management networks in the innovation and competitiveness of rural tourism: a case study on the<i>Valle del Jerte</i>(Spain)
Rural tourism businesses in Valle del Jerte, Spain form management networks that boost competitiveness and innovation. Through social network analysis, the study shows that these cooperative structures create cohesive destinations where businesses share resources and develop innovative local responses to global market pressures. Networking enables rural tourism enterprises to overcome traditional obstacles and strengthen their competitiveness as tourism products.
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Inclusive Finance, Farm Households Entrepreneurship, and Inclusive Rural Transformation in Rural Poverty-stricken Areas in China
Financial inclusion drives rural entrepreneurship and poverty reduction in China's impoverished counties. Using survey data from 988 farm households, the study shows that actually using credit—not merely accessing it—encourages entrepreneurial activities. Formal and informal credit operate through separate channels but both support entrepreneurship. Farm household entrepreneurship directly increases household income, making financial inclusion critical for inclusive rural transformation.
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Challenges hindering women entrepreneurship sustainability in rural livelihoods: Case of Manicaland province
Women entrepreneurs in rural Zimbabwe face significant barriers to business sustainability, including lack of collateral for loans, poor access to market information, and insufficient government support. The study of 30 women in vegetable vending, clothing markets, and cross-border trading identifies patriarchal social structures and role conflicts between family and business as major obstacles. Recommendations include entrepreneurship training, government schemes, and community networks to support women's economic activities.
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Rural Entrepreneurship: An Analysis of Current and Emerging Issues from the Sustainable Livelihood Framework
Rural entrepreneurship differs fundamentally from urban entrepreneurship because it operates under resource constraints. This literature review examines rural entrepreneurship through a sustainable livelihood framework, identifying key themes: women entrepreneurs, poverty reduction, youth engagement, social entrepreneurship, and institutional support. Social and human capital emerge as critical resources. The authors highlight research gaps in social entrepreneurship, governance, institutional development, livelihood growth, and eco-entrepreneurship.
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Rurality and social innovation processes and outcomes: A realist evaluation of rural social enterprise activities
Rural social enterprises drive social innovation through both push and pull factors. The paper finds that rural context shapes how innovation happens—not the outcomes themselves. Different rural areas deploy distinct mechanisms to address similar challenges based on local resources. Rural social innovation policies should remain flexible rather than prescriptive, since context determines both the problems and the solutions available.
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Local development through rural entrepreneurship, from the Triple Helix perspective
University-industry-government collaboration programs effectively support rural entrepreneurs by creating knowledge-rich environments that benefit both individual businesses and local communities. Nascent rural entrepreneurs value this Triple Helix partnership and recognize their own contributions to economic, social, and cultural development. The study reveals how low-tech rural entrepreneurs experience and benefit from multi-stakeholder collaboration at the micro level.
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The role and characteristics of social entrepreneurs in contemporary rural cooperative development in China: case studies of rural social entrepreneurship
Village leaders and entrepreneurs in rural China are driving cooperative development through social entrepreneurship, responding to government modernization policies. Research based on interviews in Yunnan and Zhejiang provinces identifies key characteristics of these social entrepreneurs and their leadership roles in building rural cooperatives. The findings show how social entrepreneurship capabilities strengthen rural community development in transitional economies.
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Innovation for sustainability through co-creation by small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs): Socio-cultural sustainability benefits to rural destinations
Tourism SMEs in rural Norwegian destinations co-create sustainable innovations with local stakeholders, generating socio-cultural benefits for their communities. Through practices like local sourcing, education, and resource sharing, these businesses strengthen rural sustainability. The study shows that rurality's defining features—local embeddedness, personal relationships, and trust—enable SMEs to collaborate effectively and improve quality of life in their destinations.
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Microcredit and Rural Women Entrepreneurship Development in Bangladesh: A Multivariate Model
Microcredit programs in Bangladesh develop rural women's entrepreneurship through multiple pathways. Financial management skills emerge as the strongest factor enabling entrepreneurial capability. Group identity among borrowers and prior family business experience also significantly support entrepreneurship development. The study challenges the view that microcredit merely enables survival, showing instead that it builds genuine entrepreneurial capacity when combined with skill development and social networks.
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Fostering entrepreneurship as a means to overcome barriers to development of rural peripheral areas in Europe
Rural areas in Europe face development barriers as traditional agriculture and forestry decline. The paper argues that fostering entrepreneurship can overcome these challenges. Success requires understanding rural areas through sociospatial characteristics and social representation rather than outdated definitions. Entrepreneurship thrives when supported by institutional contexts that encourage cooperation, social networks, and learning capacity within firms embedded in their broader social and political environments.
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Supporting rural entrepreneurship
This paper examines approaches to supporting entrepreneurship in rural areas. It addresses how rural development strategies can foster business creation and growth in rural communities, identifying key support mechanisms and policy frameworks that enable rural entrepreneurs to succeed.
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Social Innovation to Sustain Rural Communities: Overcoming Institutional Challenges in Serbia
Social innovations in rural Serbia address poverty, inequality, and migration despite institutional obstacles like weak law enforcement, poor infrastructure, and low trust. The study of nine rural initiatives reveals that social innovators operate through subsistence, idealistic, or lifestyle goals, creating new social values. Solutions to institutional gaps include developing context-specific organizations, strengthening legal frameworks, and designing innovative financing mechanisms.
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Innovation as a booster of rural artisan entrepreneurship: a case study of black pottery
Young artisan entrepreneurs in northern Portugal have revitalized black pottery production by introducing design and process innovations while preserving traditional knowledge and local culture. These innovators built networks with other young artisans, generating commercial growth and contributing to rural development. The study shows that innovation, entrepreneurial behavior, and artisan networks are essential drivers of rural artisan business success.
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The entrepreneur–opportunity nexus: discovering the forces that promote product innovations in rural micro-tourism firms
This study examines what drives product innovation in small rural tourism businesses by analyzing 40 new tourism products created by micro-firm owners in rural Sweden. The research identifies three types of forces that trigger innovation: internal factors within the firm, supply chain dynamics, and reactions to external changes. The findings show that entrepreneurial opportunities emerge through a specific nexus between entrepreneurs and opportunities, with triggering forces playing a critical role in initiating the innovation process.
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Return Migration, Entrepreneurship and Local State Corporatism in Rural China: The experience of two counties in south Jiangxi
Returned migrants in rural Jiangxi, China introduce capitalist enterprise and market knowledge to their home communities, reshaping local governance. Local officials leverage resources from returnees to fund rural industries and town development. Simultaneously, returnees use their urban experience to negotiate policy changes and infrastructure improvements that support business growth. This two-way dynamic breaks rural isolation and accelerates local economic transformation.
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Factors Influencing Returning Migrants’ Entrepreneurship Intentions for Rural E-Commerce: An Empirical Investigation in China
Returning migrants in rural China show stronger intentions to start e-commerce businesses when they face urban employment barriers, receive government policy support, and have access to good infrastructure. High startup costs discourage rural e-commerce entrepreneurship. Government policies significantly mediate the relationship between startup costs and entrepreneurial intentions. The study recommends strengthening policy support, improving rural infrastructure, and reducing startup costs to encourage returning migrants to launch e-commerce ventures.
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Community Matters: Successful Entrepreneurship in Remote Rural US Locations
Rural entrepreneurs in remote US towns succeed more when motivated by family income and flexibility rather than wealth or personal challenge. Entrepreneurs in communities with strong bridging social capital—networks connecting diverse groups—perform better because these connections help retain skilled workers, reduce costs, access capital, and build customer loyalty. Community characteristics matter more than general rural disadvantages in explaining entrepreneurial success.
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Impact of Small Entrepreneurship on Sustainable Livelihood Assets of Rural Poor Women in Bangladesh
Small-scale agricultural entrepreneurship significantly improves livelihood assets for rural poor women in Bangladesh. Livestock and poultry enterprises boost financial, physical, and social capital; vegetable farming strengthens natural and physical capital; fisheries enhance human capital. NGO support through microcredit and institutional assistance proves critical to success. Resource scarcity, vulnerability, and weak institutional frameworks remain major barriers to long-term sustainability.
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Rural entrepreneurship: the tale of a rare event
Most new ventures in rural Portuguese areas are simply businesses located in rural settings, not true rural entrepreneurship. The study of 142 rural ventures in business incubators and science parks found they tend to be smaller, serve mainly local markets, and underperform compared to urban counterparts. Only a small fraction represent genuine rural entrepreneurship that leverages rural-specific advantages.
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‘Stuck Out Here’: The Critical Role of Broadband for Remote Rural Places
Broadband connectivity is essential for economic and social sustainability in remote rural Scotland. Research with small rural business owners shows that internet access directly enables business development and sustainability while supporting education, leisure, and social participation. Without broadband, remote rural communities face significant disadvantages in maintaining viable livelihoods and quality of life.
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Female entrepreneurship in rural Vietnam: an exploratory study
Government pro-entrepreneurship policies and private sector interventions have boosted rural entrepreneurship in Vietnam, but women still face significant barriers. Female entrepreneurs in rural and remote areas struggle against societal prejudices, lack of financing, and limited access to entrepreneurship education. The study reveals that environmental factors—both supportive policies and cultural constraints—shape women's entrepreneurial outcomes in rural Vietnam.
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Women's Entrepreneurship and Rural Tourism in Greece: Private Enterprises and Cooperatives
Women entrepreneurs in rural Greece pursue agro-tourism through two distinct models: private enterprises and cooperatives. A survey of 199 women reveals significant differences between the two groups. Women choosing private enterprises tend to be younger, better educated, and more self-confident, while cooperative members are typically older, less educated, and more hesitant about business decisions.
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Digital Villages Construction Accelerates High-Quality Economic Development in Rural China through Promoting Digital Entrepreneurship
Digital village construction in rural China drives high-quality economic development, with digital entrepreneurship serving as the key mechanism. Using entropy weight TOPSIS and mediation analysis across four regions, the study finds a positive correlation between digital infrastructure investment and rural economic growth. Digital industry entrepreneurship activity directly transmits digitalization benefits to rural economies.
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Evaluating U.S. Rural Entrepreneurship Policy
This paper examines how entrepreneurship drives rural economic growth in the United States, distinguishing between necessity-driven and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship. The authors model knowledge accumulation through scientific investment and patents, review existing evaluations of U.S. entrepreneurship promotion programs, and identify significant data limitations that hinder rigorous assessment. They outline methodological standards for conducting ideal evaluations of rural entrepreneurship policies.
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Barriers to Business Model Innovation in Swedish Agriculture
Swedish small farms face multiple barriers when attempting to innovate their business models to improve competitiveness and profitability. The study identifies three types of obstacles: human factors like attitudes and traditions, contextual barriers related to industry and company settings, and abstract barriers including government regulations, value chain position, and weather. Agricultural consultants and farmers confirmed these barriers significantly impede business model innovation efforts.
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Rural resilience through continued learning and innovation
Rural businesses in England build resilience through continuous learning and incremental innovation. When facing economic adversity, small rural enterprises adapt by leveraging available resources and developing new practices to survive. The study shows that learning from challenges creates a resilient organizational culture, with innovation becoming essential for business continuity during difficult economic periods.
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Entrepreneurship, the informal economy and rural communities
Rural entrepreneurs and self-employed workers in England operate substantially in the informal economy, trading off-the-books at higher rates in deprived communities than affluent ones. The study of 350 households reveals a hidden enterprise culture beneath legitimate businesses. Deprived rural areas show greater entrepreneurial activity than recognized, suggesting that legitimizing informal enterprises could unlock economic development potential.
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DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOLUTION TO RURAL POVERTY: THEORY, PRACTICE AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Digital entrepreneurship can reduce rural poverty by addressing structural barriers and improving rural entrepreneurs' financial outcomes. The paper develops a framework linking digital ecosystems to poverty reduction, examining how local government policies enable or hinder this process. Case studies reveal tensions between market forces, technology adoption, business viability, and government support in developing economies, with implications for rural development policy.
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Determinates of Women Micro-entrepreneurship Development: An Empirical Investigation in Rural Bangladesh
This study examines factors driving women's micro-entrepreneurship in rural Bangladesh by surveying 248 women micro-entrepreneurs and 132 non-entrepreneurs. Personal attributes like work freedom and desire for social status, combined with family hardship, increase women's participation in micro-entrepreneurship. Access to credit, training, development organization membership, information, and infrastructure emerge as critical external enablers. The research identifies barriers to women's entrepreneurial development and recommends policy improvements.
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A land of cheese: from food innovation to tourism development in rural Catalonia
Artisanal cheese production in rural Catalonia drives economic innovation and community development through food tourism. Small producers diversify income by attracting visitors to cheese-making operations, which preserves cultural heritage and local landscapes. The research shows how cheese tourism enables rural agri-food companies to survive economically while strengthening regional identity and entrepreneurship in the Catalan Pyrenees.
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User innovation and entrepreneurship: case studies from rural India
Rural innovators in India develop low-cost solutions to local problems driven by necessity rather than profit. Five case studies reveal that these user-innovators lack resources to commercialize their inventions. External actors can bridge this gap by providing support. The research proposes a framework for enabling rural innovation and entrepreneurship in developing countries, showing that successful innovations reduce poverty and create positive social impacts for entrepreneurs and their communities.
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Rural Entrepreneurship in an Emerging Economy: Reading Institutional Perspectives from Entrepreneur Stories
Rural entrepreneurs in China adapt their strategies to navigate weak institutional environments. They avoid external collaboration due to poor intellectual property protection, instead relying on family networks. These entrepreneurs strategically use guanxi (personal relationships) to overcome institutional constraints and build legitimacy through alliances with established firms or approval from authority figures.
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Rural women entrepreneurship: a systematic literature review and beyond
This systematic literature review examines 192 academic papers on rural women entrepreneurship published over 20 years. Research interest surged in the last decade, with India leading in publication volume and the United Kingdom in citation impact. Studies focus on factors influencing entrepreneurship, gender effects, and government support schemes. The review identifies underexplored areas including entrepreneurial education, microcredit, and information technology's impact on rural women entrepreneurs.
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Rural entrepreneurship: towards collaborative participative models for economic sustainability
Rural entrepreneurship through village-owned enterprises (BUMDes) in West Java, Indonesia creates local economic activity and reduces poverty. The study examined three BUMDes using qualitative case research and identified three sustainability dimensions: economic, social, and market sustainability. The authors propose a collaborative stakeholder model that optimizes BUMDes performance by strengthening coordination among local actors to achieve rural entrepreneurship sustainability.
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Money or Management? A Field Experiment on Constraints to Entrepreneurship in Rural Pakistan
A field experiment in rural Pakistan tested whether microfinance clients benefit more from business training or larger loans. Training significantly improved business knowledge, reduced failures, enhanced practices, and increased household spending by $82 annually, with stronger effects for men. Larger loans had minimal impact, suggesting existing loan sizes already meet demand. Training proved effective but not cost-effective for lenders.
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Women empowerment through entrepreneurship: case study of a social entrepreneurial intervention in rural India
A social entrepreneurial initiative called Pahal in rural India enabled women to start a food delivery business, increasing their economic independence, household decision-making power, and social status. Men's attitudes shifted positively when women generated income. However, when the initiative stopped after one year, women's economic activities and social gains reversed, demonstrating that sustained institutional support is critical for lasting women's empowerment in patriarchal contexts.
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Rural Entrepreneurship Success Factors: An Empirical Investigation in an Emerging Market
This study identifies key factors distinguishing successful from failed small businesses in rural emerging markets. Using logistic regression on 230 rural businesses, the researchers found that capital, industry experience, staffing, and marketing skills most significantly predict success. The Lussier prediction model achieved 71% accuracy, validating its use across both advanced and developing economies and providing practical guidance for rural entrepreneurs, policymakers, and financial institutions.
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Incentives for Developing Resilient Agritourism Entrepreneurship in Rural Communities in Romania in a European Context
Economic factors like regional GDP and road infrastructure positively influence agritourism business creation in Romanian counties. Tourism-related factors—including employment, tourist numbers, and tourism sector turnover—also drive agritourism entrepreneurship. The study demonstrates that agritourism development directly supports sustainable regional development and resilient rural communities.
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Entrepreneurship, Broadband, and Gender: Evidence from Establishment Births in Rural America
Broadband access significantly increases business formation rates in rural America, with the strongest effects on nonemployer businesses, women-led enterprises, and remote establishments. The study uses instrumental variable methods to show that broadband enables rural entrepreneurs—particularly women—to reach nontraditional markets without physical storefronts, overcoming the constraints of thin local markets.
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Tourism entrepreneurship in rural destinations: measuring the effects of capital configurations using the fsQCA approach
This study examines how different types of capital combine to enable tourism entrepreneurship in rural China. Analyzing 140 rural enterprise owners, the researchers identified four distinct capital configurations that promote tourism entrepreneurship. Human and physical capital emerged as most critical. The findings show multiple pathways to success exist, and entrepreneurs must strategically combine various capital forms—human, physical, venture, and social—rather than relying on single factors alone.
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Capital factors and rural women entrepreneurship development
Human, social, institutional, and financial capital all significantly influence rural women's entrepreneurship decisions and success. A study of seven handloom entrepreneurs in Manipur, India found these capital factors are interconnected; integrating them strengthens entrepreneurial outcomes. The importance of each capital type varies depending on whether women had prior entrepreneurial experience.
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Unpacking the Personal Initiative–Performance Relationship: A Multi‐Group Analysis of Innovation by Ugandan Rural and Urban Entrepreneurs
Personal initiative drives innovation differently in rural versus urban Uganda. The study identifies two mechanisms: business planning works better in dynamic environments, while social network development matters more in individualistic settings. In static, collectivistic rural contexts, personal initiative has less impact on innovation. The findings come from surveying 573 Ugandan entrepreneurs across rural and urban areas.
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Entrepreneurial Origin and the Configuration of Innovation in Rural Areas: The Case of Cumbria, North West England
Rural entrepreneurs in Cumbria, England access innovation knowledge from beyond their region, creating innovation systems that cross regional and national boundaries. New arrivals and immigrants innovate most frequently, while locally born and returnee entrepreneurs show lower innovation rates. The study reveals that rural areas possess weaker local knowledge systems but entrepreneurs overcome this by tapping nonlocal infrastructure, suggesting innovation systems are constructed by individual actors rather than confined to regional boundaries.
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Entrepreneurial Intention among Rural Youth in Moroccan Agricultural Cooperatives: The Future of Rural Entrepreneurship
Rural youth in Moroccan agricultural cooperatives face significant barriers to entrepreneurship. Using planned behavior theory, researchers surveyed 130 young cooperative members and found that financing constraints and agribusiness risks discourage entrepreneurial intentions, particularly among women. Socio-demographic factors, personal perceptions, prior experience, and cooperative activities all influence whether youth pursue self-employment or remain cooperative members.
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In Search of Rural Entrepreneurship: Non‐farm Household Enterprises (NFEs) as Instruments of Rural Transformation in Ethiopia
Non-farm household enterprises in rural Ethiopia significantly improve livelihoods and are driven by education, cooperative membership, socioeconomic factors, transport access, communication, credit availability, and extension services. The study of 415 households shows that policies strengthening infrastructure, credit systems, extension services, and rural cooperatives can accelerate enterprise development and rural transformation across sub-Saharan Africa.
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Determinants of Rural Industrial Entrepreneurship of Farmers in West Bengal: A Structural Equations Approach
Farmers in West Bengal's Bardhaman district are more likely to start rural industrial enterprises when they have higher education, financial family support, innovativeness, and wealth. Age, marital status, number of children, crops grown, and occupational status also influence entrepreneurship decisions. The study recommends targeted education and training programs, plus development of rural capital markets, to encourage farmers to diversify into industrial enterprises while preventing inefficient ventures.
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Entrepreneurship for social impact: encouraging market access in rural Bangladesh
This case study examines how an entrepreneur in rural Bangladesh created new institutional arrangements to enable poor people to access markets and participate in the economy. By combining available resources and institutions creatively, the entrepreneur built platforms that addressed the institutional gaps preventing the poorest from engaging in economic activity. The findings offer practical strategies for development agencies and policymakers seeking to reduce poverty and corruption.
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Development of Entrepreneurship among Rural Women
Rural entrepreneurship offers employment solutions for rural youth and women. Rural women can leverage farm and livestock resources to start production and processing enterprises, generating family income while managing household duties. Success requires fundamental entrepreneurial qualities plus family and government support. Entrepreneurship development enhances women's capabilities and decision-making status within families and communities.
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The rural creative class: An analysis of in‐migration tourism entrepreneurship
In-migrants with creative skills have established tourism businesses in two Chinese rural townships, driving organizational innovation and competitive advantage. These entrepreneurs, fleeing urban life, bring entrepreneurial practices that reshape local tourism industries. Their ventures demonstrate how creative in-migration strengthens rural economies through innovation and sustainability.
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Innovation – A Useful Tool in the Rural Tourism in Romania
Romanian rural tourism companies, predominantly small and medium enterprises, implement product, service, and marketing innovations to compete in global markets. The study examines innovativeness across the rural tourism sector using Eurostat's Community Innovation Survey definitions. Small tourism firms must adopt innovation as an ongoing, comprehensive strategy to differentiate themselves and survive in competitive environments.
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Social Innovation in Rural Areas of the European Union Learnings from Neo-Endogenous Development Projects in Italy and Spain
Social innovation in rural EU areas, particularly in Spain and Italy, succeeds through public-private partnerships and the LEADER approach. Local leaders, social enterprises, and Local Action Groups drive participation by overcoming community resistance. Effective projects require collective learning, sustained long-term commitment, and integration of both external and internal knowledge. Network complexity influences outcomes, and intangible contributions often go undervalued in rural development practice.
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Entrepreneurship and Innovation Towards Rural Development Evidence from a Peripheral Area in Portugal
Rural entrepreneurship and innovation in Portugal's Montemuro region demonstrate how endogenous, community-driven initiatives reverse depopulation and economic decline. Over thirty years, local entrepreneurs developed innovative projects that increased population, revitalized socio-economic activity, and created jobs. The study shows that leveraging internal resources and community energy proves essential for rural development in peripheral, mountainous areas facing crisis.
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Human Poverty Alleviation through Rural Women’s Tourism Entrepreneurship
Rural women in China who start tourism businesses reduce poverty across multiple dimensions beyond income alone. The study identifies five pathways: improved physical and mental health, increased cultural literacy, greater participation in public affairs, better living environments, and enhanced self-worth. Tourism entrepreneurship provides rural women with feasible routes to alleviate knowledge poverty, rights poverty, and overall human poverty while promoting sustainable rural development.
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Innovation and learning in agriculture
Farmers innovate through interactive learning networks and trial-and-error processes, relying on external knowledge infrastructures. The entrepreneur acts as the central learner driving innovation. The paper examines how farmers learn and innovate in modern agriculture and identifies effective government policies to support innovation without protectionism. Innovation requires balancing uncertainty with experience—a core competence of entrepreneurial success.
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Service-Learning for Sustainability Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas: What Is Its Global Impact on Business University Students?
Service-learning in sustainability entrepreneurship improves business students' outcomes in Spain. Students working with rural entrepreneurs to develop business plans reported gains in social responsibility, sustainability commitment, and professional skills. Service-learning participants achieved significantly higher academic performance than non-participating peers, demonstrating the method's effectiveness for holistic business education.
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Access to finance and rural youth entrepreneurship in Benin: Is there a gender gap?
Rural youth in Benin face significant barriers to entrepreneurship, particularly access to finance. Using survey data from over 900 youths, the study finds that access to finance increases the probability of youth entrepreneurship by 15.2%. However, a substantial gender gap exists: young women with access to finance are 5.24% less likely to start ventures than young men. Age, education, poverty status, agricultural experience, and bank branch proximity all influence finance access. The authors recommend policymakers reduce collateral requirements to expand financing for youth, especially women.
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A gender- and class-sensitive explanatory model for rural women entrepreneurship in Turkey
Rural women's agricultural cooperatives in Turkey have declined despite government promotion as vehicles for economic integration. This paper develops a gender- and class-sensitive framework combining macro, meso, and micro-level factors to explain why. Using intersectional theory, it identifies how policymaking, implementation, and everyday experiences create disadvantages for rural women entrepreneurs. The research calls for holistic policy reform at state and cooperative levels to address structural inequalities.
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Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development as a Rural Development Strategy
Small business development and entrepreneurship support can combat rural poverty and strengthen local economies. The authors examine the USDA 1890 Entrepreneurial Outreach Initiative as a community-based strategy to spur economic growth in rural Southern communities. They argue that locally-controlled enterprises are critical for determining whether rural communities prosper or decline, and that microenterprise programs represent an important development approach.
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Barriers to Sustainable Business Model Innovation in Swedish Agriculture
Swedish agriculture faces declining farm numbers and employment while regulatory demands and sustainability expectations increase. This qualitative study of six family farms identifies barriers preventing farmers from adopting sustainable business model innovation. The research finds that barriers are external, internal, and contextual in nature, explaining why Swedish farmers rarely pursue sustainable business model innovation despite its proven benefits for creating sustainable businesses and societies.
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Rural Entrepreneurship in a Time of Recession
Rural Americans shifted from opportunity-driven to necessity-driven entrepreneurship during the 2008–2010 recession. Before the downturn, rural residents started businesses at higher rates than urban counterparts, particularly when employment grew. The recession reversed this pattern, with rural entrepreneurs increasingly driven by economic need rather than opportunity. College education predicted opportunity entrepreneurship, while low income and part-time work predicted necessity entrepreneurship across rural counties.
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Opportunity Recognition in Rural Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries
Rural entrepreneurship can reduce poverty in developing countries, but success depends on opportunity recognition. The authors present a model showing that intellectual, human, environmental, and socio-cultural resources influence how rural entrepreneurs identify opportunities, mediated by national framework conditions. Understanding these factors helps developing countries design better policies to support rural entrepreneurship and economic growth.
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Enabling rural innovation in Africa: An approach for integrating farmer participatory research and market orientation for building the assets of rural poor
The Enabling Rural Innovation approach integrates farmer participatory research with market orientation to help small-scale farmers in Africa develop profitable agroenterprises. Testing in Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania shows farmers select crops based on mixed economic and non-economic criteria. Success requires building human and social capital, strengthening partnerships between research organizations and communities, and connecting local innovations to national and regional market institutions.
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Does Digital Financial Inclusion Reduce China’s Rural Household Vulnerability to Poverty: An Empirical Analysis From the Perspective of Household Entrepreneurship
Digital financial inclusion reduces rural poverty vulnerability in China by enabling household entrepreneurship. The study finds that digital financial services are particularly effective for low-income households in regions with limited financial development and human capital. The research recommends that China develop digital financial inclusion infrastructure and coordinate it with other poverty-reduction policies to prevent households from returning to poverty.
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Social Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, a Sustainable Practice for Social and Economic Cohesion in Rural Areas: The Case of the Czech Republic
Social farming in the Czech Republic uses agricultural enterprises to address rural social exclusion and service gaps through therapeutic activities, sheltered employment, and educational programs. The study examines fifteen Czech social farms to determine whether they meet social entrepreneurship criteria and assesses their contribution to rural development. Social farms successfully integrate vulnerable populations while supporting economic sustainability and social cohesion in countryside communities.
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Enterprise and entrepreneurship on islands and remote rural environments
Island and remote rural entrepreneurs face distinct challenges beyond typical rural business obstacles, shaped by isolation and peripheralization. The paper compares SME experiences across developing countries and Northern Europe, finding that social capital, cultural values, and local norms drive success. It argues policymakers must account for geographic differences and recognize how remoteness can become a competitive advantage as place-based distinctiveness gains market value.
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Non-farm entrepreneurship, caste, and energy poverty in rural India
Non-farm entrepreneurship significantly reduces energy poverty in rural Indian households, with effects varying by caste. The study analyzed panel data from 2015 and 2018 using quasi-experimental methods. Scheduled Tribe members experienced the largest poverty reduction. The mechanism works through increased financial savings and durable asset accumulation, enabling access to cleaner energy for lighting and cooking. Governments should promote non-farm entrepreneurship to reduce rural energy poverty.
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Empowerment or employment? Uncovering the paradoxes of social entrepreneurship for women via Husk Power Systems in rural North India
Social enterprises deploying off-grid solar systems in rural India face significant challenges beyond market imperfections. The study reveals that successful deployment requires managing community engagement, stakeholder coordination, and organizational capacity building. Mini-grid sustainability depends on integrating social and technical design aspects. Multi-criteria decision tools help planners avoid unintended consequences when scaling off-grid energy solutions in low-income markets.
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Understanding social innovation processes in rural areas: empirical evidence from social enterprises in Germany
German rural communities increasingly rely on social enterprises called community cooperatives to address infrastructure loss and provide public goods. This study examines how these cooperatives drive social innovation through formalized collective action. The research finds that macro-level policy financing matters, but local public actors rarely initiate innovation alone—they need private incentives. Actor networks and resource patterns differ between establishing new infrastructure versus maintaining existing services, yet all successful innovations require legitimizing formal processes.
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Supporting rural entrepreneurship in the UK microbrewery sector
The UK microbrewery sector has grown rapidly, but declining pub numbers threaten sustainability. This study finds that rural microbreweries generate value beyond economics—including job creation, heritage preservation, and tourism benefits. Funding boosted entrepreneurial activity but risked distorting competition. As the market intensifies, microbrewers must innovate to survive, and policymakers need better tools to assess how grant funding affects local economies and entrepreneurship.
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Finance, technology, and values: A configurational approach to the analysis of rural entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurship requires understanding how multiple factors interact, not in isolation. This study examines religious tourism development in rural areas, analyzing how combinations of financial resources, technology, and cultural values shape entrepreneurship levels. The research finds that successful rural ventures depend on interdependent relationships between these factors rather than single conditions, challenging oversimplified policy approaches.
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Social Capital, Financial Literacy, and Rural Household Entrepreneurship: A Mediating Effect Analysis
Social capital promotes rural entrepreneurship in China by improving financial literacy among household members. The study uses survey data to show that bridging social capital—connections across different groups—increases entrepreneurial activity. Information and communication technologies amplify this effect by facilitating knowledge sharing. The findings support policies encouraging entrepreneurship through social networks and digital infrastructure in rural areas.
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Innovation and Rural Development: Some Lessons from Britain and Western Europe
Rural innovation in Britain and Western Europe requires integrating economic, social, and environmental objectives rather than pursuing growth alone. Successful rural development combines local entrepreneurship with strategic infrastructure investment, particularly in broadband and services. The paper argues that innovation thrives when communities engage in planning processes that balance modernization with preserving rural character and quality of life.
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Rural entrepreneurship and transformation: the role of learnerships
A learnership program in rural South Africa significantly empowered unemployed women and youth by providing skills training and business access. The study found the program enhanced social transformation through rural entrepreneurship, though success required sustained implementation of recommended measures. The research identifies both enabling factors and barriers to rural business development in disadvantaged communities.
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The “digital divide” for rural small businesses
Rural small businesses in North Carolina lag behind non-rural counterparts in adopting digital marketing practices, despite having improved broadband access. The digital divide for rural businesses stems not from lack of internet connectivity but from failure to use web and social media marketing tools effectively. Policymakers must address both infrastructure and business capacity to use it.
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Intermediation for technology diffusion and user innovation in a developing rural economy: a social learning perspective
Academic research centers can effectively transfer technology to rural small businesses by acting as intermediaries that broker, facilitate, and configure technology for end-users. A study of fish farming businesses in rural Colombia shows that intermediation activities help users adopt and adapt technology through social learning. The research identifies specific design components that optimize technology transfer from universities to rural industries in developing economies.
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Micro-entrepreneurship, new media technologies, and the reproduction and reconfiguration of gender in rural China
Rural Chinese micro-entrepreneurs use new media technologies like mobile phones and the internet to start businesses, but gender inequalities persist. Women and men face unequal access to capital and social networks despite technology's potential. While some women gain economic opportunities and challenge traditional gender norms through technology use, deeply entrenched power differentials mean technology often reproduces rather than overcomes existing gender hierarchies.
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Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas
Rural entrepreneurship reduces poverty, migration, and creates employment in rural areas. This study identifies barriers to rural entrepreneurship—including lack of capital, poor supply chains, economic dependence, and weak institutional support—and proposes a model for sustainable rural entrepreneurship. The research concludes that comprehensive rural development requires creating conditions for sustainable entrepreneurship, which enables communities to identify local resources and opportunities while solving problems and improving village conditions.
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Rural entrepreneurs behaviors towards green innovation: Empirical evidence from Bangladesh
Rural entrepreneurs in Bangladesh adopt green innovation when they have environmental concern and perceive the technology as easy to use. The intention to use green energy technology, particularly solar energy, mediates the relationship between environmental concern and adoption, and between attitude and adoption. However, perceived ease of use directly influences adoption without requiring intention as a mediator. The study identifies environmental concern and usability as key drivers for sustainable green SMEs in rural Bangladesh.
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Entrepreneurship in rural regions: the role of industry experience and home advantage for newly founded firms
Industry experience improves survival rates for new firms across all regions, but home advantage—where local entrepreneurs outperform outsiders—only benefits firms in rural areas. Native rural entrepreneurs create substantially more jobs than non-local founders, suggesting that local knowledge and networks matter most in rural contexts.
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Rural Entrepreneurship Strategies: Empirical Experience in the Northern Sub-Plateau of Spain
Rural entrepreneurship strategies in Spain's depopulated Northern Sub-Plateau work best when designed and evaluated by local beneficiaries from the start. The authors implemented a participatory entrepreneurship strategy in Ávila province using an adapted 'Working With People' model, finding that community-led approaches significantly strengthen rural entrepreneurship initiatives in aging, depopulated regions.
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The impact of social grant-dependency on agricultural entrepreneurship among rural households in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Social grant dependency negatively affects agricultural entrepreneurship among rural farming households in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study of 513 households found that grants create disincentive effects that inhibit entrepreneurial development. Conversely, asset ownership, government support services like extension and credit, and infrastructure access like tenure security and market access all strengthen agricultural entrepreneurship. The findings suggest policymakers should enhance household risk-bearing capacity and government support to boost smallholder farmer entrepreneurship.
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Assessment of the Enabling Rural Innovation (ERI) approach: Case studies from Malawi and Uganda
The Enabling Rural Innovation approach strengthens rural communities in Malawi and Uganda by linking smallholder farmers to markets and building entrepreneurial capacity. Results show households increased incomes and assets, farmers gained market analysis and negotiation skills, and gender decision-making became more shared at household and community levels. Women acquired skills at lower rates than men. Participatory research boosted farmer investments in soil fertility technologies.
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The contingent nature of broadband as an engine for business startups in rural areas
Ultrafast broadband deployment in rural France increased business startups, but only in municipalities with strong existing conditions like good economic climate, natural amenities, and favorable demographics. Broadband alone cannot revitalize structurally weak rural areas; it requires complementary local assets to be effective.
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Qualitative exploration of cultural practices inhibiting rural women entrepreneurship development in selected communities in Nigeria
Cultural practices in Nigeria significantly restrict rural women's entrepreneurship opportunities and inhibit the success of government initiatives. The study, conducted in Southeast and Southwest Nigeria using focus groups and case studies, found that traditional beliefs and customs limit which businesses women can pursue. The researchers conclude that policymakers must consider cultural factors and work toward community reorientation to effectively develop women's entrepreneurship in rural areas.
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Rural Women Entrepreneurship in India:- Opportunities and challenges
Rural women in India represent an untapped economic resource, comprising over half the population in villages where 70% of Indians live. The paper argues that mobilizing rural women as entrepreneurs and agents of innovation can drive national development and economic growth. Currently excluded from mainstream economic participation, rural women possess capabilities to solve problems and create change across households, communities, and the broader economy.
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Roles of ‘small- and medium-sized enterprises’ in service industry innovation: a case study on leisure agriculture service in tourism regional innovation
Small and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan's leisure agriculture sector boost competitiveness through cooperation that engages customers in value creation. The study identifies four evolutionary stages of leisure agriculture services and shows that SME collaboration overcomes resource constraints while shifting the tourism industry from product-focused to service-focused business models.
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Reconstructive Social Innovation Cycles in Women-Led Initiatives in Rural Areas
Women-led social innovations in rural Canada, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, and Serbia address gender equity challenges by reconstructing discriminatory practices, institutions, and beliefs. The study identifies a reconstructive social innovation cycle—cyclical processes where women engage through civil society initiatives to question and transform marginalizing norms. These innovations operate across everyday practices, institutional structures, and cognitive frames, offering concrete pathways for rural women to overcome patriarchal barriers and create opportunities for education and employment.
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Exploring potential climate-related entrepreneurship opportunities and challenges for rural Nigerian women
Rural women in southwest Nigeria recognize climate change impacts on their livelihoods and show strong interest in entrepreneurship as adaptation. Crop farmers demonstrate the highest climate awareness. Women report soil fertility loss, unpredictable rainfall, and extended dry seasons severely affecting their activities. The study identifies technological, institutional, and infrastructural innovations as opportunities to build adaptive capacity and entrepreneurship, emphasizing the need for government support and collaboration between local authorities, community organizations, and public-private actors.
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Gendered processes of agricultural innovation in the Northern uplands of Vietnam
Ethnic minority women in Vietnam's Northern uplands develop agricultural innovations through informal networks and family structures rather than formal institutions. Their innovations are incremental, small-scale, and linked to entrepreneurship, strengthening their household position and economy. Understanding these gendered innovation processes reveals that women's approaches differ fundamentally from men's, requiring policymakers to redesign agricultural support programs to fit women's actual practices and preferences rather than imposing standardized packages.
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Rural entrepreneurship and rural development in Nigeria
Rural entrepreneurs in Nigeria can drive development by leveraging local resources, increasing output, and creating employment while reducing urban migration. However, they face significant barriers including insufficient funding and lack of government support. The study surveyed 200 rural entrepreneurs and recommends that governments create enabling policies and assistance to make rural areas more attractive for entrepreneurial activity.
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Microfinance and the business of poverty reduction: Critical perspectives from rural Bangladesh
An ethnographic study of three Bangladeshi villages reveals that microfinance programs, despite promises to reduce poverty and empower women, actually increased indebtedness and worsened economic, social, and environmental vulnerabilities. The research shows that market-based poverty reduction approaches can undermine social capital rather than strengthen entrepreneurial capabilities in poor communities.
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Social entrepreneurship and innovation: Self-organization in an indigenous context
This paper examines social entrepreneurship in Māori communities through complexity theory and self-organization. Innovation emerges from interaction between young opportunity-seeking entrepreneurs (potiki) and elder statespeople (rangatira) within tribal structures. The research shows that tradition and cultural heritage enable innovation pathways, while entrepreneurial risk-takers advance along those paths. Historical and cultural context fundamentally shapes how social and economic entrepreneurship develop.
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Impact of Microfinance on Rural Households in the Philippines
A microfinance program in the Philippines targeting rural poor households showed mixed results. While loan availability modestly increased per capita income and expenditure, benefits concentrated among wealthier households and bypassed the poorest. The program successfully reduced reliance on informal loans and boosted savings, but failed to improve assets or human capital. The authors conclude that microfinance needs better targeting mechanisms and project selection support to effectively reduce poverty.
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The role of SMEs in rural development: Access of SMEs to finance as a mediator
Small and medium enterprises drive rural development in Pakistan, but financing access is critical. This study surveyed 338 rural entrepreneurs across three districts and found that SME growth directly improves rural development outcomes. Access to finance significantly strengthens this relationship, acting as a key mediator between SME evolution and rural development gains. The findings highlight the importance of improving credit availability for rural SMEs.
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Entrepreneurial orientation, strategic flexibilities and indigenous firm innovation in transitional China
This paper examines how entrepreneurial orientation influences innovation in Chinese firms during economic transition, mediated by strategic flexibility. The researchers developed a conceptual model and tested it empirically, revealing how firms' willingness to take risks and pursue opportunities translates into innovation through their ability to adapt strategies flexibly.
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Are Women Better Bankers to the Poor? Evidence from Rural Microfinance Institutions
Microfinance institutions with female CEOs achieve significantly higher outreach efficiency in serving poor populations while maintaining financial sustainability compared to those led by men. Using stochastic frontier analysis on panel data from over 250 MFIs, the researchers found that female leadership correlates with better performance across both social and financial goals. Promoting women to top management positions in microfinance yields measurable benefits for both poverty alleviation and institutional viability.
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Microfinance Intervention in Poverty Reduction: A Study of Women Farmer-Entrepreneurs in Rural Ghana
Microfinance programs combining credit provision with social intermediation successfully reduce poverty among rural women farmer-entrepreneurs in Ghana. Strong social networks and group relationships drive the scheme's effectiveness, improving credit access, business performance, and living standards. Poverty reduction programs in developing countries should integrate social and human development components into microfinancing policies.
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Impact of microfinance of IBBL on the rural poor's livelihood in Bangladesh: an empirical study
Microfinance provided by IBBL to rural poor in Bangladesh significantly increased household income, crop and livestock productivity, employment, and expenditure. Clients' age, family farming members, land size, and ethical values positively influenced income gains. Beneficiaries reported improved economic organization, quality of life, and awareness of health and sanitation. The study recommends expanding the program with larger investments and demand-driven training.
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Design of a solar energy centre for providing lighting and income-generating activities for off-grid rural communities in Kenya
Off-grid solar systems in rural Kenya often fail because users cannot afford ongoing costs. This paper designs a solar energy centre that combines basic lighting and phone charging with income-generating activities. The authors demonstrate that this integrated approach makes the system economically viable and sustainable, allowing communities to generate revenue that supports continued operation and maintenance of the power supply.
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Benefits and challenges to productive use of off-grid rural electrification: The case of mini-hydropower in Bulongwa-Tanzania
A mini-hydropower minigrid in southern Tanzania enabled productive uses including barber shops, welding, phone charging, and salons. However, the system faces sustainability challenges: poor initial planning, lack of technicians and spare parts, inadequate tariffs that don't reflect market prices, and insufficient power capacity requiring load shedding. Subsidized electricity alone cannot drive rural business growth without addressing technical resources, planning, and pricing structures.
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Associations Between Women’s Economic and Social Empowerment and Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From a Microfinance Plus Program in Rural North West Province, South Africa
A microfinance program in rural South Africa shows that women's economic empowerment reduces physical and sexual intimate partner violence, but the relationship between specific economic indicators and different abuse types remains inconsistent. Economic stress and traditional gender roles within marriages influence violence risk. The study finds that complementary programming addressing multiple empowerment dimensions is needed, as different aspects of women's economic situation affect different forms of abuse differently.
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Women empowerment through social innovation in indigenous social enterprises
A Zapotec indigenous social enterprise in Mexico empowers women through job stability, low-interest microcredits, and gender-equality policies. These mechanisms enable economic empowerment despite male-dominated cultural norms, allowing women to start micro-enterprises and participate in decision-making. The organization improves community wellbeing and shifts cultural attitudes toward greater equality.
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Process evaluation of the Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity (IMAGE) in rural South Africa
The IMAGE program combines microfinance with gender and HIV training in rural South Africa. While the intervention reduced intimate partner violence among clients, it showed limited effects on sexual behavior in households and communities. Process evaluation found microfinance and training were feasible and acceptable, but community mobilization faced barriers to collective action. Neither delivery model proved sustainable long-term, suggesting partnerships between microfinance institutions and non-academic agencies warrant further investigation.
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Microfinance and Women Empowerment: A Panel Data Analysis Using Evidence from Rural Bangladesh
Microfinance programs in rural Bangladesh serve over 90% women clients. This study uses panel data to measure whether microfinance participation genuinely empowers women by comparing outcomes like labor supply, asset accumulation, family planning, children's education, and household spending against outcomes from non-program borrowing sources. The analysis determines whether observed benefits actually constitute meaningful women's empowerment.
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A Spiral of Innovation Framework for Social Entrepreneurship: Social Innovation at the Generational Divide in an Indigenous Context
This paper examines social innovation in indigenous Māori communities through a complex adaptive systems lens. It argues that innovation emerges from intergenerational collaboration between young opportunity-seeking entrepreneurs (potiki) and elder statespeople (rangatira), combining social and economic entrepreneurial activity. The authors propose a 'Spiral of Innovation' framework that integrates opportunity-seeking with cultural heritage, illustrated through the example of Māori Maps, positioning innovation as self-organization within specific cultural contexts.
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Role of Islamic microfinance in women’s empowerment: evidence from Rural Development Scheme of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
Islamic microfinance services provided by Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited significantly empowered rural women in Bangladesh. The services shifted families from agriculture to retail businesses, increased household income and savings, improved living standards, and enhanced economic and socio-cultural empowerment. However, increased familial authority showed no significant effect on overall empowerment, suggesting potential tensions between different dimensions of women's empowerment.
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Mindfulness, indigenous knowledge, indigenous innovations and entrepreneurship
Mindfulness enables indigenous communities to develop and value their own knowledge systems, fostering indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship. The paper argues that when researchers and societies practice mindfulness—appreciating non-Western forms of knowledge—they recognize indigenous communities' accumulated experiences and accumulated knowledge as valuable resources for economic development and sustainability. This recognition facilitates indigenous-led business ventures and innovations rooted in local understanding.
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Perspectives on indigenous entrepreneurship, innovation and enterprise
This paper examines indigenous entrepreneurship, innovation, and enterprise development. The authors explore how indigenous peoples create and sustain businesses while maintaining cultural values and practices. The work highlights the unique characteristics of indigenous-led ventures and their contributions to economic development within indigenous communities.
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Microfinance and Rural Household Development
A study of 139 rural households in Ghana's Upper West Region finds that microfinance borrowers divert significant loan portions toward household consumption rather than productive investment. While this generates moderate improvements in household productivity and welfare, microfinance's overall impact on rural community development remains modest. The findings suggest microfinance alone does not reliably reduce poverty or drive rural economic growth.
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Microfinance, Financial Literacy, and Household Power Configuration in Rural Bangladesh: An Empirical Study on Some Credit Borrowers
Microfinance alone does not empower rural women in Bangladesh; financial literacy is essential. The study examined women borrowers' perceptions of economic and socio-cultural changes in their households. Microfinance combined with financial literacy improved women's economic position and household power dynamics. Financial literacy proved more critical than credit access for meaningful empowerment, suggesting future microfinance programs should prioritize education alongside lending.
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Indigenous Technologies and Innovation in Nigeria: Opportunities for SMEs
Nigeria's indigenous technologies offer substantial opportunities for small and medium enterprises to drive local economic growth and compete globally. The study examined three major indigenous technology clusters in Nigeria and reviewed successful cases from other countries to identify structural and policy directions. The findings highlight the need for systematic mapping of indigenous knowledge and technology systems to unlock their economic potential.
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Emancipatory Indigenous social innovation: Shifting power through culture and technology
This paper examines how Indigenous Māori social innovators address social disparities through entrepreneurship and cultural approaches. Using a case study of a healthcare entrepreneur in New Zealand's Far North, the authors argue that meaningful social change requires power shifts rather than simply wielding power. They demonstrate how Indigenous social enterprise can overcome market and policy failures to serve underserved populations and transform healthcare provision.
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Rural tourism development and financing in Romania: A supply-side analysis
Rural tourism businesses in Romania can drive sustainable development by leveraging natural and cultural resources, but they struggle to secure bank financing. Banks identify these ventures as risky due to poor management, seasonality, and small scale, yet recognize their resilience. Rural tourism firms must diversify income, form associations, and maintain healthy debt levels to attract funding. Private domestic banks prove more willing to finance rural tourism than other bank types, and EU co-financing programs offer promising pathways for growth.
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The Role and Sustainability of Microfinance Banks in Reducing Poverty and Development of Entrepreneurship in Urban and Rural Areas in Nigeria
Microfinance banks in Nigeria's Lagos State struggle to reduce poverty and support entrepreneurship due to significant operational challenges. The study found high loan default rates among small enterprises and identified major obstacles including poor credit documentation, applicant identity verification issues, and economic instability. These problems undermine the sustainability of microfinance institutions attempting to empower rural and urban entrepreneurs through credit access.
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Understanding the Antecedents of Entrepreneurship and Renewable Energies to Promote the Development of Community Renewable Energy in Rural Areas
Community renewable energy projects in rural areas depend on entrepreneurship and renewable energy technology adoption. This systematic review identifies five interconnected capital factors—economic, human, social, physical, and natural—that enable or constrain these projects in developed countries. Northern Europe leads in community renewable energy development while Southern Europe lags. The study maps causal relationships between these factors to guide policymakers in designing strategies that strengthen rural renewable energy initiatives.
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Finding the context indigenous innovation in village enterprise knowledge structure: a topic modeling
Indigenous communities possess deep knowledge of environmental sustainability and natural resource use that drives rural economic growth. This study analyzed 1,440 research articles on village enterprises using topic modeling to map their knowledge structure. The analysis identified key topics including local ownership, land use, services, economy, microfinance, environmental management, and social entrepreneurship. Four natural resource-based sectors emerged: traditional food production, bio-energy, agriculture, and tourism. The resulting knowledge structure provides a foundation for evaluating village enterprises and guiding future research.
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Access to Microfinance by Rural Women: Implications for Poverty Reduction in Rural Households in Ghana
Microfinance access reduces poverty among rural households in Ghana's Upper East Region, though modestly. Using treatment effect estimation on 500 rural participants, the study finds that receiving microfinance credit decreases poverty by 0.12 percent, measured through consumption expenditure. The authors conclude microfinance works even in extremely poor areas and recommend expanding programs while tailoring delivery to local conditions.
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SUSTAINABILITY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN RURAL GHANA: THE ROLE OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS
Microfinance institutions in rural Ghana improve small and medium enterprise performance, helping recipients enhance business activities, increase outputs, and manage finances better than non-recipients. However, challenges like delayed loan disbursement and repayment difficulties persist. The paper recommends timely credit delivery, flexible repayment terms, and awareness programs to sustain rural enterprise growth.
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Transforming rural women’s lives in India: the impact of microfinance and entrepreneurship on empowerment in Self-Help Groups
Microfinance and entrepreneurship programs in rural Indian Self-Help Groups significantly empower women across social, economic, and psychological dimensions. The study found that these interventions increase financial independence, enhance decision-making participation, strengthen social networks, and boost self-confidence. Mixed-methods research combining surveys, interviews, and case studies demonstrates microfinance's transformative potential for advancing gender equality in rural communities.
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Microfinance Facility for Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis
Microfinance programs targeting rural women entrepreneurs in Pakistan increase borrowers' income and consumption, creating financial stability and community-wide benefits. However, the programs fail to reach the extremely poor, limiting their effectiveness as a poverty reduction tool. The study uses difference-in-difference methods to isolate microfinance effects on female borrowers' welfare.
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The impact of microfinance on rural poor households’ income and vulnerability to poverty: Case Study Of Makueni District, Kenya
Microfinance programs in Kenya's Makueni District significantly improved household incomes and reduced poverty vulnerability among rural participants compared to non-participants. The study confirms that access to credit enables poor households to start micro-enterprises and increase earnings. However, the research warns that microfinance alone cannot guarantee poverty escape without complementary policies supporting broader rural economic growth, agricultural productivity, and employment creation through public-private partnerships.
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Microfinance towards micro-enterprises development in rural Malaysia through digital finance
Microfinance significantly boosts rural micro-enterprise development in Malaysia, with digital finance playing a partial mediating role. The study surveyed 563 rural micro-enterprises and found that microfinance institutions adopting digital finance can reduce transaction costs and improve productivity. Policymakers should encourage this integration to support sustainable micro-enterprise growth and poverty alleviation.
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Impact of Microfinance on Rural Transformation in Nigeria
Microfinance banks in Nigeria fill a critical gap left by traditional deposit money banks, providing financial services to rural poor communities. The study finds that microfinance positively impacts rural transformation through agricultural loans, investment opportunities, savings mobilization, and community development financing. However, challenges including loan repayment problems, borrower illiteracy, and weak monitoring of enterprises limit effectiveness. The authors recommend better product-customer alignment, improved cash flow analysis, expanded service offerings, and stronger regulatory oversight.
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ROLE OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Microfinance institutions provide poor rural populations with access to credit when formal banking systems exclude them. The paper evaluates successful and failed microfinance models worldwide and proposes an institutional framework tailored for India. This approach addresses poverty by offering alternatives to exploitative moneylenders and enabling economic participation without requiring traditional collateral.
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How Far is Microfinance Relevant for Empowering Rural Women? An Empirical Investigation
Microfinance institutions significantly improve economic, social, and psychological empowerment for rural women borrowers in West Bengal, India. The study analyzed primary data from backward districts using statistical regression methods and found that microfinance programs meaningfully enhance women's standard of living and overall empowerment. The research identifies key determinants driving these positive outcomes.
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Does a joint United Nations microfinance ‘plus’ program empower female farmers in rural Ethiopia? Evidence using the pro-WEAI
A UN microfinance program in rural Ethiopia using women-run savings cooperatives increased intrinsic agency and spousal trust among women farmers who maintained credit access. However, some beneficiaries dropped out or lost access early, suggesting implementation challenges or community resistance. The study demonstrates that standardized empowerment metrics can effectively measure development program impacts on rural women in smallholder agriculture.
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Financial Inclusion in Rural India: The role of Microfinance as a Tool
India's formal banking sector has systematically excluded rural poor and women from credit access despite nationalization efforts. Microfinance institutions fill this gap by operating locally, understanding rural needs, and offering flexible services that reach excluded populations. The paper argues microfinance mechanisms enable financial inclusion of rural poor and women into formal financial systems where traditional banks have failed.
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The Decolonized Quadruple Bottom Line: A Framework for Developing Indigenous Innovation
This paper proposes a decolonized quadruple bottom line framework for indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship. Rather than the standard triple bottom line (people, planet, profit), the authors add spirituality and culture as essential factors. The framework combines community, spirituality, sustainability, and entrepreneurship to create indigenous innovation that supports sustainable economic development for American Indian nations and communities.
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Microfinance Interventions and Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs Rural Constituencies in Kenya
Microfinance institutions in rural Kenya provide credit, savings, and training services to women entrepreneurs. This study examined 80 microfinance members in Mogotio Constituency and found that microcredit and training significantly improved women's empowerment, while savings programs showed no significant effect. The findings support targeted microfinance interventions designed to strengthen women entrepreneurs in rural areas.
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Does Microfinance Impact on Rural Empowerment in Bangladesh? Differences Between Governmental and Non‐Governmental Microfinance Programs
Microfinance programs in Bangladesh increase recipient empowerment across economic, family, social, and political dimensions. Governmental microfinance providers produce larger gains in family, social, and political empowerment, while non-governmental microfinance organizations deliver greater economic empowerment improvements. The study compared 300 beneficiaries against 200 controls using multiple statistical methods.
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Microfinance and micropreneurship in rural South-East Nigeria: an exploration of the effects of institutions
This study examines 30 women micropreneurs in rural South-East Nigeria to understand how institutions affect their entrepreneurial activities. While microfinance is widely promoted as a solution to institutional gaps in poor regions, the research finds that socio-cultural barriers and patriarchal traditions significantly limit women's trust and engagement with microfinance services. The authors conclude that effective enterprise support in developing nations must address local socio-cultural institutions and lived realities rather than relying solely on financial interventions.
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How Effective is a Self-Help Group Led Microfinance Programme in Empowering Women? Evidence from Rural India
Self-Help Group microfinance programs in rural India show limited effectiveness at empowering women. Only 13.2% of participating women achieve empowerment overall. While longer membership increases economic and political empowerment, social empowerment remains unaffected. Economic gains alone do not translate into social or political advancement. The programs have potential but cannot drive broader social transformation.
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Public Good Provision in Indian Rural Areas: The Returns to Collective Action by Microfinance Groups
Self-help groups of women in rural India collectively contribute to public goods provision, which incentivizes local officials to expand their efforts across more issues. The study combines theoretical modeling with field data to show that when citizens coordinate voluntary contributions, elected officials increase their public goods provision to improve re-election prospects. This demonstrates how grassroots collective action shapes rural governance outcomes.
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Impact of Microfinance Services on Rural Women Empowerment: An Empirical Study
Microfinance services significantly empower rural women in Gujarat, India. The study surveyed 205 rural women and found that four key factors drive empowerment: improved socio-economic status, greater autonomy in life choices, enhanced family and social position, and positive attitudes toward child development. These findings help microfinance institutions, government agencies, and NGOs design policies that strengthen economic and social support for rural women.
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Entrepreneurial activities and women empowerment in rural India between microfinance and social capital
Microfinance alone does not empower rural women in India. The study finds that social capital—the networks and relationships within peer-lending groups—enables women to access loans and repay them. However, genuine empowerment occurs only when women use these financial resources to start their own businesses and pursue self-determined goals, not simply to fulfill household obligations.
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Islamic Microfinance in Indonesia: A Comparative Analysis between Islamic Financial Cooperative (BMT) and<i>Shari'ah</i>Rural Bank (BPRS) on Experiences, Challenges, Prospects, and Roles in Developing Microenterprises
Islamic microfinance institutions in Indonesia—BMT cooperatives and BPRS rural banks—significantly improve microenterprise performance in sales, income, and employment. Both institutions face challenges including limited capital, staff skills, and regulatory support. The study recommends enhanced training, better customer education on Islamic finance products, and innovation in financial offerings to strengthen their development impact.
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Effects of intellectual capital and university knowledge in indigenous innovation: evidence from Indian SMEs
Intellectual capital and university partnerships both strengthen indigenous innovation in Indian SMEs, with their combined effect exceeding individual contributions. Dysfunctional competition amplifies intellectual capital's impact on innovation, while environmental uncertainty weakens university knowledge's effect. Indigenous innovation directly improves business performance, with competitive intensity enhancing this relationship but uncertainty reducing it.
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Design of an off-grid energy kiosk in rural Zambia
Researchers designed an off-grid solar energy kiosk for rural Zambia that charges mobile phones and rents portable battery kits with LED lights to households. The 1.8 kW photovoltaic system operates on a fee-based retail model, with revenue funding sustainable operation and expansion. Community surveys and simulations informed the technical and business design, ensuring reliability and local appropriateness.
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Indigenous women as entrepreneurs in global front line innovation systems
This paper examines entrepreneurship among Sámi indigenous women, analyzing their unique business practices and decision-making logics at micro and mezo levels. The research reveals how indigenous women operate as entrepreneurs within global innovation systems, highlighting entrepreneurial approaches that differ from mainstream models and demonstrating their role as innovators on the global front line.
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Microfinance for Wives: Fresh Insights Obtained from a Study of Poor Rural Women in Pakistan
Social networking enables poor rural women in Pakistan to access and effectively use microloans for business ventures. The study finds that successful microfinance use encourages further entrepreneurship and strengthens social networks. However, some rural women cannot escape poverty through microloans alone. The research highlights demand-side credit barriers and calls for holistic microfinance assessment that considers economic, social, and psychological impacts on families and gender relationships.
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Determinants of women's participation in microfinance services: empirical evidence from Rural Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
This study identifies factors that determine whether rural women in Ethiopia use microfinance services. Researchers surveyed 203 women in Dire Dawa, comparing users and non-users. Monthly savings, family size, and land ownership significantly influenced participation decisions. The findings suggest that improving women's access to land and capital assets are essential strategies for expanding microfinance uptake in rural areas.
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Labour Market Participation of Women in Rural Bangladesh: The Role of Microfinance
Microfinance in rural Bangladesh increases labour market participation differently for men and women. While microfinance access helps smooth seasonal employment through self-employment activities, men's off-farm participation rises significantly more than women's, despite credit programmes targeting women. The benefits of microfinance for labour supply prove asymmetrical by gender and occupation type.
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Microfinance Banks and Rural Development
Microfinance banks launched by Nigeria's Central Bank in 2005 have positively impacted rural development by extending credit and mobilizing deposits, though their full potential remains unrealized. The study found positive regression coefficients across key performance indicators, but effects were not statistically significant. The authors recommend government investment in infrastructure and macroeconomic stability to strengthen microfinance institutions' capacity to support rural enterprises.
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A Symposium on Savings-Led Microfinance and the Rural Poor
Microfinance institutions have successfully reached only a small fraction of the world's poorest rural families, with significant geographic and capacity limitations. The paper examines savings-led microfinance models, particularly community-based rotating savings and credit groups, as a scalable alternative to traditional microfinance institutions for serving rural poor populations in developing countries.
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Borrowers characteristics, credit terms and loan repayment performance among clients of microfinance institutions (MFIs): Evidence from rural Uganda
This study examined how borrower characteristics and credit terms affect loan repayment performance at microfinance institutions in rural Uganda. Researchers surveyed 51 MFIs and found that credit terms significantly predict repayment performance, while borrower characteristics do not. The findings suggest MFI managers should adjust credit terms flexibly to improve repayment rates and reduce poverty in rural areas.
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Training and integrating rural women into technology: a study of Renewable Energy Technology in Bangladesh
A USAID-funded training program in Bangladesh taught nearly 2,800 rural women to install and maintain solar home systems, but failed to integrate most into the renewable energy sector. Grameen Shakti employed fewer than 3% of trainees, relegating them to assembly work that ignored their acquired skills. Cultural barriers, weak project management, and competition from mass production undermined the initiative, though some women found income opportunities elsewhere.
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Informing Canadian Innovation Policy Through a Decolonizing Lens on Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Indigenous entrepreneurship remains invisible in Canadian policy despite its economic potential. This paper examines how government frames Indigenous entrepreneurial activities and argues such framing risks exploiting Indigenous lands and knowledge. Drawing on interviews with 13 Manitoba Indigenous entrepreneurs and an ecosystem approach, the author identifies three core concerns: land and community relationships, education relevance, and cultural survival. The paper calls for systemic decolonizing change in how Canadian government policy and higher education institutions approach Indigenous innovation.
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Does microfinance redefine identity, income and insecurity among rural women? A model of women’s empowerment
JEEViKA, a World Bank-supported microfinance project in Bihar, empowers rural women by creating identity, generating income, and reducing insecurity through community resource persons. The program builds women's social networks and norms, which increase their capacity, choices, and cohesion. The study demonstrates that microfinance effectively redefines women's identity and economic security in rural contexts.
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From Rural to Microfinance Banking: Contributions of Micro Credits to Nigeria’s Economic Growth – An ARDL Approach
This study examines how microfinance credit affects Nigeria's economic growth from 1982 to 2011. Using econometric analysis, the researchers find a significant long-term relationship between microfinance disbursements and economic growth, with causality flowing from growth to credit rather than the reverse. The study recommends expanding microfinance volume and developing longer-term credit products to strengthen microfinance's contribution to Nigeria's economy.
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Relationship between socio-economic factors and participation in decision making in microfinance scheme among rural farmers in Kano, Nigeria
This study examined how socio-economic factors influence rural farmers' participation in decision-making within microfinance schemes in Kano, Nigeria. Researchers surveyed 364 farmers and found high overall participation levels. Education showed a negative relationship with participation—educated farmers left agriculture for better jobs elsewhere. Farm product type had a weak positive relationship with participation. The authors recommend governments increase microloans and provide targeted support to educated farmers to reduce rural-urban migration and boost agricultural production.
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Does Microfinance Empower Rural Women? -a Empirical Study in Udaipur District, Rajasthan
A survey of 100 women in self-help groups across Udaipur district, Rajasthan found that microfinance programs significantly increased women's empowerment on average. However, social backwardness, indebtedness, and competing microcredit programs in nearby villages positively influenced women's participation rates, suggesting that disadvantage and limited alternatives drive enrollment rather than empowerment outcomes alone.
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Micro finance, self help groups (SHGS) and the Socio- Economic development of rural people (A case study with special reference to the Lakhimpur district of Assam)
Microfinance through self-help groups (SHGs) enables poor rural people in India's Lakhimpur district to increase income and improve living standards through independent economic activities. A study of 250 respondents across 50 SHGs found that participation in SHGs, particularly benefiting disadvantaged women, provides essential financial access for rural poverty reduction and socio-economic development.
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Does the digital economy promote “innovation and entrepreneurship” in rural tourism in China?
Digital economy development in rural China drives tourism entrepreneurship by promoting innovation. Using data from 150 counties in the Yangtze River Delta, the authors show that higher rural digitalization correlates with more model villages and increased tourism entrepreneurial activity. Digital tools reduce innovation costs, enabling rural entrepreneurs to develop new tourism products that attract more business creation.
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From Social Entrepreneurship to Social Innovation: The Role of Social Capital. Study Case in Colombian Rural Communities Victim of Armed Conflict
Social enterprises in rural Colombian communities affected by armed conflict generate social capital by integrating into social networks. This social capital enables interactive learning, institutional change, and social innovation. The study demonstrates that social entrepreneurs who build strong network connections develop enhanced capabilities that transform their enterprises into successful social innovations addressing community needs.
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STUDY OF THE PRINCIPLES OF INNOVATION FOR THE BOP CONSUMER — THE CASE OF A RURAL WATER FILTER
This paper examines innovation principles for low-income markets using a rural water filter developed in India. The researchers used quality control methodology to establish realistic bacterial removal specifications, then introduced the filter in a village where it reduced waterborne disease cases significantly. The cost savings from fewer illnesses exceeded filter costs, creating a profitable model for both rural consumers and entrepreneurs.
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Understanding the process of social innovation in rural regions: some Hungarian case studies
This paper examines social innovation processes in rural Hungary through case studies in the Balaton Uplands region. The research identifies key actors—entrepreneurs, scientists, and local action group managers—who drive innovation in this tourism-focused area. The innovations studied include GIS systems, smartphone applications, and entrepreneurial networks that leverage the region's natural, human, and social resources.
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NEET Rural–Urban Ecosystems: The Role of Urban Social Innovation Diffusion in Supporting Sustainable Rural Pathways to Education, Employment, and Training
Rural youth not in education, employment, or training face greater marginalization than urban peers due to poor infrastructure, limited education access, and few job opportunities. This study analyzes 51 social interventions from the EU Youth Guarantee Programme to identify best practices in social innovation. The authors argue that sustainable rural-urban ecosystems enabling social innovation diffusion can create effective pathways for rural youth to access education, employment, and training opportunities.
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Social Entrepreneurship in Marginalised Rural Europe: Towards Evidence-Based Policy for Enhanced Social Innovation
Social entrepreneurs in marginalised rural European regions drive innovation by addressing local social and economic challenges. The paper calls for evidence-based policymaking to support these entrepreneurs, arguing that targeted policies can strengthen social innovation capacity in disadvantaged rural areas and improve outcomes for communities facing decline and limited opportunities.
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Innovations in Community-Based Tourism: Social Responsibility Actions in the Rural Tourism in the Province of Santa Elena–Ecuador
Community-based tourism in rural Ecuador integrates social responsibility practices that enable local participation, protect cultural heritage, and distribute benefits equitably. This qualitative study identifies how social responsibility actions in tourism operations strengthen local organization and sustainable development. The research reveals that informal community tourism practices embody social responsibility dimensions comparable to formal organizations, establishing indicators for measuring sustainable rural tourism outcomes.
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Social Innovations for the Disadvantaged Rural Regions: Hungarian Experiences of the New Type Social Cooperatives
Social cooperatives in disadvantaged Hungarian rural regions have successfully created long-term local employment and met social objectives, but failed to significantly develop local economies or reintegrate workers into broader labor markets. Capital shortages and limited creditworthiness prevent expansion. The study recommends developing marketing strategies targeting county and national markets to enable sustainable growth.
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“Marrying the ‘System of Innovation’ and micro enterprises in real world rural SADC”: an overview of collaborative SMME incubation in the Rural Living Lab of Sekhukhune
This paper examines a rural living lab in Sekhukhune that combines systems of innovation with small and medium enterprise incubation. The authors identify challenges in bridging formal innovation systems with the practical realities of rural small business operators. They advocate for more inclusive, collaborative approaches to rural development that engage real communities in their actual work environments.
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Developing rural communication through digital innovation for village tourism
Digital platforms transformed Pentingsari Village's tourism economy by improving communication and shifting public perception. Social media and online reviews helped the village document development and counter negative views about tourism's impact on indigenous land and culture. The study shows how digital communication tools enable rural communities to promote sustainable tourism, preserve cultural heritage, boost local economies, and attract visitors and investment.
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A lightweight mobile e-procurement solution for rural small scale traders implemented using a living lab approach
Researchers developed a lightweight mobile e-procurement application for small-scale retailers in rural South Africa to improve stock replenishment processes. Using a living lab approach, they designed the system to match local mobile capabilities, user literacy levels, and business needs. The application successfully addressed practical challenges faced by rural traders by leveraging existing mobile connectivity and devices for data communication beyond basic voice and SMS.
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Social innovation in service delivery to youth in remote and rural areas
This paper examines a social innovation program in Finland's Kainuu region that uses art and technology to reintegrate marginalized youth in remote areas facing population decline. Rather than pursuing purely economic goals, the program focuses on helping young people reconnect with their identities and rebuild self-worth. The analysis applies quadruple helix and social living labs frameworks to understand how regional governance institutions support youth art training.
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Empowering rural women crafters in KwaZulu-Natal: The dynamics of intellectual property, traditional cultural expressions, innovation and social entrepreneurship
Rural women bead-makers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa use collaborative innovation and social entrepreneurship to achieve significant economic empowerment. Although the formal intellectual property system offers limited accessible protections for their traditional cultural expressions, inclusive innovation practices and social entrepreneurship models effectively empower these craftspeople and support their livelihoods.
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Empowering Rural Women Entrepreneurs Through Social Innovation Model
A social innovation model equipped rural women entrepreneurs in Malaysia's B40 income group with e-business and digital marketing skills through five training sessions. Participants learned to create and manage Facebook business pages, improving their marketing capabilities and business strategies. The intervention aimed to empower marginalized women entrepreneurs with practical knowledge in information technology and online commerce.
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The Value of Digital Innovation for Tourism Entrepreneurs in Rural Iceland
Rural tourism entrepreneurs in Iceland don't necessarily view digital innovation and digitalization as connected, despite global policy emphasis on smart tourism. Through interviews with 34 entrepreneurs and support system members, the study reveals a gap between policy expectations and ground-level practice. Rural Icelandic tourism businesses show limited engagement with digital innovation, suggesting that policy-driven digital transformation agendas don't automatically translate into meaningful adoption or perceived value among rural entrepreneurs.
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Modes of spread in social innovation: A social topology case in rural Portugal
Social innovation spreads through rural regions via material and discursive configurations that circulate across spatial scales and territorial boundaries. Using a network of young farmers in Portugal (EPAM) as a case study, the research demonstrates that social innovation operates simultaneously as a bounded regional object and as a trans-scalar relational process where objects, subjects, and spaces reconfigure each other. Images and infrastructure prove agential in how social innovation diffuses through peripheral rural territories.
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Digitally Enabled Social Innovation: A Case Study of Community Empowerment in Rural China
This case study examines how rural communities in China achieve digitally enabled social innovation through self-organization. Researchers studied Daiji village, a successful Taobao Village, and identified a four-step bricolage mechanism: Recognition, Preparation, Recombination, and Governance. These steps enable communities to form and enact digital repertoires that generate social benefits and empower residents.
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Entrepreneurial Strategies to Address Rural-Urban Climate-Induced Vulnerabilities: Assessing Adaptation and Innovation Measures in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Climate change drives rural-urban migration to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where the city pursues technology-based innovation for adaptation. The study finds that effective innovations prioritize community ownership over technological sophistication. Misaligned definitions of risk between recipients, corporations, and government undermine projects. Even technical climate measures carry political dimensions. The authors recommend recognizing innovation lifecycles and broadening how cities define innovation to enable more inclusive, effective adaptation.
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Digital factors spur rural industrial integration: mediating roles of rural entrepreneurship and agricultural innovation in China
Digital technology adoption significantly strengthens rural industrial integration in China, with effects varying by region. Rural entrepreneurship and agricultural innovation act as key mechanisms driving this relationship. Entrepreneurship matters more in eastern and non-grain regions, while agricultural innovation dominates in central areas and major grain-producing zones. The study recommends accelerating digital integration, boosting agricultural innovation, and supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems.
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Women economic empowerment leads towards social innovation in rural setting of Saudi Arabia
Women's economic empowerment significantly drives social innovation in rural Saudi Arabia. The study measured five empowerment dimensions: family decision-making, mobility freedom, political participation, progressive attitudes, and parental background. All dimensions showed positive effects on social innovation, with mobility freedom having the strongest impact. The findings demonstrate that supporting women's autonomy, political engagement, and progressive thinking fosters community innovation and sustainable change.
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Knowledge sharing in open social innovation for sustainable development: evidence from rural social enterprises
Rural social enterprises in India use knowledge sharing to drive open social innovation across three stages: collaborating with stakeholders to identify needs and develop ecological solutions, refining market offerings through dynamic knowledge exchange, and expanding opportunities to address complex societal problems. Social enterprises act as orchestrators, evolving as open systems to maximize sustainable development impact in economically marginalized communities.
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Women-Led Social Innovation Initiatives Contribute to Gender Equality in Rural Areas: Grounded Theory on Five Initiatives From Three Continents
Women-led social innovation initiatives in rural Canada, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, and Serbia advance gender equality by strengthening women's collective agency. The study identifies three structural features—gendered identity, women's independence, and control over rules—that enable or constrain these initiatives. Key enabling factors include women's self-confidence, peer networks, and capacity building. These initiatives increase economic independence, reduce cultural skepticism about women's roles, and shift political dynamics, demonstrating that women's collective action effectively overcomes structures that marginalize rural women.
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Investigating the Impact of Social Capital, Cross-Sector Collaboration, and Leadership on Social Innovation in Rural Social Enterprises
Cross-sector collaboration and leadership significantly drive social innovation in Indonesian village social enterprises (BUMDes), according to research surveying 280 enterprise directors and community members in West Java. Surprisingly, social capital showed no significant effect on innovation outcomes. The study also documents declining community trust in rural Indonesia. These findings provide empirical evidence for understanding social innovation drivers in developing-country rural enterprises.
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Social commerce in rural Jordan: analyzing adoption factors through the lens of innovation diffusion and perceived risks
Small businesses in rural Jordan adopt social commerce when they perceive relative advantage, compatibility, and trialability benefits. Complexity and perceived risks—particularly economic and security concerns—block adoption. Visibility of benefits has minimal impact. The study recommends simplified, secure, cost-effective solutions to accelerate digital transformation among rural enterprises.
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Financial technology (Fintech) innovation and financial inclusion: comparative study of urban and rural consumers post-Covid-19 pandemic
This study examines how rural and urban consumers in Indonesia adopted financial technology after Covid-19, using survey data from 654 respondents. The research found that preference for the status quo most strongly drives Fintech adoption, while personal innovativeness has minimal impact. Actual use of Fintech significantly improves financial inclusion. Rural and urban populations differ in how digital literacy and government support influence their adoption decisions, suggesting providers should tailor digital finance strategies by location.
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How does FinTech empower China’s rural revitalization? The role of entrepreneurial activeness, innovation capability and industrial structure advancement
FinTech significantly promotes rural revitalization in China by operating through three mechanisms: entrepreneurial activeness, innovation capability, and industrial structure advancement. The study analyzed 279 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2021 and found that FinTech's effects vary depending on threshold levels in each intermediary factor. Financial technology enhances rural development by making finance more inclusive and accessible.
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Rural–Urban Features of Social Innovation: An Exploratory Study of Work Integration Social Enterprises in Ireland
Work Integration Social Enterprises in Ireland show similar organizational structures across rural and urban settings, but deliver different socioeconomic impacts based on location. Urban enterprises generate significantly more employment and income than rural ones, despite comparable governance models and funding diversification. The study demonstrates that spatial context shapes how social innovations create sustainable opportunities and contribute to local economies.
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Transformative social innovation and rural collaborative workspaces: assembling community economies in Austria and Greece
Rural collaborative workspaces in Austria and Greece demonstrate transformative potential through social innovation processes. Community-led workspaces strengthen rural actors' capacities, shift individual perspectives toward collective action, and reshape economic relationships. The study finds these spaces can foster community economies by changing social relations and economic subjectivities. However, workspaces need greater institutional support and resources to progress beyond early transformation stages and achieve lasting societal impact.
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Evaluating the Efficacy of Social Innovation Programming at Advancing Rural Development in the Context of Exogenous Shocks
A randomized evaluation in rural Peru shows that a social innovation program significantly improved household economic well-being, food security, and community outlook despite COVID-19 disruptions. Participating households shifted income sources away from traditional agriculture toward entrepreneurship and specialized labor in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. These diversified, value-added activities proved more resilient than traditional farming during the pandemic, generating net income gains that outweighed losses from reduced agricultural earnings.
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Rural social innovation in practices of solidarity economy in the Cooptar collective in Southern Brazil
A Brazilian agricultural cooperative demonstrates rural social innovation through solidarity economy practices. Over 33 years, Cooptar has sustained itself by combining ongoing member training with collective ownership, self-management, and production diversification. The cooperative actively confronts individualism and gender inequality while building transformative social change that addresses rural workers' struggles for dignified livelihoods and social inclusion.
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Frugal innovation in women-led family businesses in rural communities
Women-led family businesses in rural Oaxaca, Mexico use four types of frugal innovation to survive crises: new production and marketing models, operational methods, financing methods, and organizational methods. The study of 160 businesses found that shifting to new financing and organizational approaches proved most critical for survival during disruptions like COVID-19. These findings reveal how resource-constrained women entrepreneurs in the Global South innovate under pressure.
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Determinants of Social Entrepreneurship in Rural West Java: The Role of Agent of Change, Technology and Innovations, and Communication Chanel
This study identifies what drives social entrepreneurship in rural West Java's microhydro power program. Using structural equation modeling on 200 participants, the research finds that change agent characteristics and technology/innovation features significantly influence community dialogue and collective action, which in turn shape social entrepreneurship adoption. Community dialogue emerges as the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial behavior, though large-group decision-making can suppress individual initiative.
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Local Particularities in Regional Social Innovation: A Case Study of Rural Stay Program in Mungyeong, South Korea
South Korea's Youth Village program aims to revitalize rural areas and reduce youth unemployment by attracting young people to establish businesses in declining towns. A case study of Mungyeong's rural stay program identifies its strengths, weaknesses, and success factors through cultural and regional analysis. The research reveals how local cultural differences shape social innovation outcomes and provides lessons applicable to other regional revitalization efforts.
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Social Innovation in Rural Areas: Evidence from Italian Community Cooperatives
Community cooperatives in rural Italy generate social innovation that addresses depopulation and economic decline. These organizations create positive community impacts through sustainable development initiatives, though their effects remain limited in many cases. The study finds that supportive policies and dedicated resources are essential to strengthen these cooperatives' capacity to drive rural growth.
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Social innovation strategies to improve agroecological product marketing: A case study in rural Colombia
This study identifies social innovation strategies to improve agroecological product marketing in rural Colombia. Researchers worked with a women's microentrepreneur association to uncover barriers including limited resources, certification obstacles, and weak promotion. They co-designed solutions with producers: product diversification, digital marketing adoption, and network strengthening. Social innovation proved effective at overcoming structural barriers and boosting competitiveness for rural agroecological producers.
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Stories from the margins: Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and social innovation among rural women entrepreneurs in Oman
Rural women entrepreneurs in Oman develop entrepreneurial self-efficacy through psychological resilience, informal social networks, digital tools, and cultural positioning despite institutional exclusion and resource constraints. The study shows these women leverage family connections, traditional skills, and mobile technology to build confidence and sustain ventures. The research challenges top-down development models and demonstrates how micro-level adaptation and relational strategies enable inclusive entrepreneurship in gendered rural contexts.
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Fostering CraftsDesign-Based Social Innovation in Rural Communities through Participatory Workshops
This paper presents a participatory workshop method designed to foster social innovation in rural communities through crafts and design. Researchers conducted three pilot workshops across Spain and Portugal with designers and experts, testing a toolkit featuring a canvas and card deck to help participants co-create sustainable solutions. The method leverages local cultural heritage and resources to address rural challenges, training participants to develop context-specific innovations that engage local crafts, skills, and community agents.
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A systematic review of social innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship practices in the agri-food sector and their contribution to socioenvironmental resilience of rural producers
This systematic review examines social innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship practices in agri-food systems across multiple continents. Initiatives like social agriculture, community gardens, women's cooperatives, and regenerative projects improved social inclusion, market access, and environmental practices. Success required collaborative governance, local leadership, and institutional support. Barriers included weak regulatory frameworks and funding dependency. Hybrid practices combining both approaches strengthened rural resilience when embedded in favorable policy environments.
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Life trajectories and territorial change: the social innovation of Proyecto Utopia in rural Colombia
Proyecto Utopía in rural Colombia combines free agricultural engineering education, housing, psychosocial support, and hands-on learning with philanthropic funding to address rural marginalization amid conflict. A mixed-methods study of 251 graduates found 78% gained formal employment, 47% started businesses, and 74% joined associations. Alumni returned to their territories as leaders practicing agroecology, demonstrating that sustainable rural peace requires hybrid alliances beyond state action.
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Social Innovation and Sustainable Rural Development in India: Challenges and Opportunities
Social enterprises in rural India integrate business principles with social objectives to address persistent challenges like unemployment, low income, and poor infrastructure. The study finds that social innovation, skill development, and financial inclusion are central to empowering rural communities. Government initiatives support these enterprises, but barriers to growth remain, requiring policy attention to achieve inclusive rural development.
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Can social innovation strengthen rural bank Indonesia’s organizational culture in improving financial sustainability?
Rural banks in Indonesia face intense competition from commercial banks and fintech firms. This study examines 131 rural banks in Bali and finds that strong organizational culture directly improves financial sustainability. Social innovation—through collaboration and strategic partnerships—strengthens this relationship further. Rural banks can enhance long-term financial performance by combining internal cultural foundations with externally oriented social innovation practices.
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Rural Social and Inclusive Marketing Innovation for Sustainable Development
Innovative marketing strategies designed for rural markets in emerging economies can improve livelihoods, promote financial inclusion, and drive sustainable development. The paper shows that inclusive marketing approaches—emphasizing community engagement, digital integration, and women empowerment—address structural barriers that leave rural populations underserved. These strategies create value for rural consumers, businesses, and society simultaneously.
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Taste of the Isles: community engagement and digital innovation in rural food and drink services
Three digital initiatives developed with the Outer Hebrides Tourism Community improved visibility for local food producers and service providers, enhanced community engagement, and expanded access to digital markets. The projects demonstrate how visual storytelling combined with community co-design can overcome limited digital infrastructure and financial constraints, strengthening rural economies and building economic and social resilience.
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Blockchain traceability of Danzhou Tiaosheng cultural creative products and sustainable rural economy: digital empowerment path of innovation-entrepreneurship talent cultivation in vocational education
Blockchain traceability combined with cultural creative design and vocational entrepreneurship education significantly boosts rural economic development in Danzhou, China. The integrated approach increased consumer trust and purchase intention, enabling 25–40% price premiums. Vocational students' startup success rates tripled to 53%, while participating farmers achieved 50% income growth. Green packaging adoption and local sourcing reached 82% and 89% respectively, demonstrating that digital empowerment through blockchain creates sustainable rural prosperity.
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Reverse innovation and digital sustainability in rural destinations: evidence from Iran's Hawraman
This study examines how entrepreneurs in two rural Iranian heritage villages adopt digital technologies despite infrastructural constraints. Through interviews with 21 entrepreneurs, researchers identified five interconnected dimensions of digital entrepreneurship: infrastructural liminality, identity-functional duality, collective-relational agency, re-adaptive cycles, and contextual spirituality. Infrastructure limitations actually spark reverse innovation and collective resilience, enabling culturally embedded technological adaptation that supports sustainable heritage preservation.
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Innovation of Marketing Model and the Path of Increasing Consumer Satisfaction of Rural Tourism in Chongqing Driven by Digital Economy
Chongqing's rural tourism sector attracts hundreds of millions of visitors annually but faces digital transformation challenges including outdated marketing and skill gaps. The paper proposes digital economy solutions: precision marketing using big data, social media content strategies, and intelligent systems to improve service efficiency and visitor engagement. Case studies of two rural tourism sites demonstrate that targeted digital marketing combined with service upgrades significantly increase visitor satisfaction.
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FinTech Innovations in Rural Credit Delivery: Strengthening Sustainable Livelihoods under SDG 1 and SDG 12
FinTech innovations in rural credit delivery significantly improve financial access and sustainability. The study combines blockchain-enabled credit ledgers, AI-based credit scoring using alternative rural data, and mobile microfinance systems. Results show these technologies increase debt accessibility by 32%, reduce transaction costs by 27%, and raise loan repayment rates by 21% compared to conventional lending. Digital infrastructure reduces credit abuse, promotes productive agricultural investment, and supports sustainable consumption patterns that strengthen rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation.
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Empowering Rural Communities on Rural Pact Implementation: A Human–Ecological Perspective on Social Innovation and Rural Young Entrepreneurship
This study examines how rural communities can implement the European Rural Pact through social innovation and youth entrepreneurship. Using human ecology principles, the researchers analyzed interviews to identify six key dimensions for reducing rural-urban disparities. They found that local experimentation, higher education partnerships, national-level monitoring, and youth engagement—particularly among young people and women—drive transformative change in rural areas.
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Enhancing financial sustainability of rural banks in Bali through social capital, service innovation, and organizational culture
Rural banks in Bali achieve financial sustainability primarily through service innovation, which has the strongest positive effect. Organizational culture also directly supports sustainability and drives service innovation. Social capital plays a complex role: it strengthens the link between culture and innovation, but paradoxically reduces both innovation and sustainability when measured directly. The research emphasizes that rural banks must build strong internal culture and innovate services to overcome resource constraints.
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Ciclo Lab: A Social Innovation Model for Circular Waste Management and Community Empowerment in Rural Indonesia
Ciclo Lab demonstrates a circular economy model in rural Indonesia that converts organic waste into livestock feed through maggot cultivation. The program processed over 6 tons of waste annually, reduced poultry feed costs by 44%, and increased community income while engaging youth and women in productive activities. The model proves replicable for other rural areas facing similar waste management challenges.
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Economic Development through Social Entrepreneurship: Case Study of Rural Innovation Hubs in Balikpapan
Rural innovation hubs in Balikpapan, Indonesia boost household incomes by over 50 percent through training, networking, and market access for local entrepreneurs. Digital services showed strongest growth. Women and young entrepreneurs participated heavily, advancing gender equity and youth empowerment. Hubs successfully build community resilience and create social value, though limited access to affordable capital remains a barrier requiring stronger policy support and financial partnerships.
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Sustainable entrepreneurship and business performance among rural women entrepreneurs: investigating the influence of entrepreneurial intention, social innovation and government support
Rural women entrepreneurs in Bihar, India show stronger business performance when they have entrepreneurial intention, engage in social innovation, and receive government support. These three factors drive sustainable entrepreneurship practices, which in turn improves business outcomes. The study recommends governments invest in training programs teaching rural women sustainable business practices and develop policies supporting female entrepreneurs in rural areas.
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SOCIAL INNOVATION AND PEDAGOGICAL TOURISM IN RURAL AREAS
Pedagogical tourism in rural areas combines education with community engagement, transforming villages into learning environments. This study shows that integrating pedagogical tourism with social innovation creates experiential learning for students while strengthening rural economies and addressing local challenges. The approach aligns with sustainable development goals and produces measurable improvements in educational outcomes, community income, and environmental conditions.
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The contribution of agritourism to social innovation and sustainable development in the rural areas of the Portuguese Beja region
Agritourism businesses in Portugal's Beja region drive social innovation and sustainable development. A qualitative study of eight microenterprises found strong consensus that agritourism contributes environmental, economic, and social benefits to rural areas. While perceptions of social innovation varied among managers, the research validated that agritourism serves as an effective alternative to traditional agriculture and promotes regional sustainability.
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Empowering Change: How Women-Led Social Innovations Are Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas
Women-led social innovations drive gender equality progress in rural communities. These initiatives address local challenges through grassroots solutions, creating economic opportunities and social change. The paper examines how women entrepreneurs and community leaders implement innovations that improve livelihoods, strengthen social networks, and challenge traditional barriers, demonstrating that rural women are key agents of sustainable development.
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GRASSROOTS INNOVATION AND RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA: A PATHWAY TO INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
Grassroots innovation and rural entrepreneurship address poverty and underemployment in India's rural economy by leveraging indigenous knowledge and local enterprise. The paper analyzes the conceptual foundations, policy environment, and practical outcomes of these approaches through literature review, statistics, and case studies. It demonstrates how grassroots innovation drives inclusive and sustainable growth, then recommends strengthening institutional frameworks to scale successful initiatives across diverse rural regions.
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Village Digital Spaces and Generational Politics: The Challenge of Inclusive Innovation in Rural Indonesia
Village Digital Community Spaces in rural Indonesia provide youth with basic digital skills training in graphic design and video editing, boosting confidence. However, structural barriers including top-down governance, social hierarchies, and poor infrastructure prevent young people from developing advanced skills and implementing their ideas. The study argues that sustainable rural innovation requires not just technology but also mentoring, cross-sector collaboration, and policies that support participatory, intergenerational planning.
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Enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of rural farmers through digital technology and business innovation
A 14-week training program in Indonesia enhanced entrepreneurial skills for 40 rural farmers through digital technology and business innovation. Participants received instruction in business planning, financial management, digital marketing, and product development, with practical mentorship across four program phases. Despite limited internet access, farmers successfully adopted digital platforms like Facebook for marketing, increased sales, and improved product competitiveness. The program significantly boosted participants' confidence and business management capabilities.
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A Global Perspective of Rural Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era: A Panel Report
Digital technologies enable rural communities to innovate and pursue entrepreneurship by providing affordable, accessible tools that overcome traditional barriers like limited resources and infrastructure. This panel report calls for increased research on how digital technology supports rural innovation and entrepreneurship, proposing a socio-materialist framework to guide future studies in this emerging field.
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Rural E-commerce Development Based on Legitimacy and Local Wisdom: An Integrative Review of Platform Innovation, Credit Risk Analysis, and Digital Empowerment Strategies in Indonesia
Rural e-commerce in Indonesia grows when platforms combine technological innovation with local wisdom and values. The paper integrates research on platform legitimacy, game-theory-based credit risk analysis, and rural development strategies. It finds that synergies between trust-building, risk management, and local cultural adaptation drive consumer confidence and platform growth. Success requires technology responsive to local conditions and proactive risk management.
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External Support, Innovation, and Digital Transformation in Village-Owned Enterprises for Sustainable Rural Development Amid the COVID-19 Crisis
Innovation significantly improves Village-Owned Enterprise performance in Indonesia, particularly through product, service, process, and organizational changes that build resilience during crises. However, digital transformation and online marketing show weak links to performance, revealing adaptation challenges. External support from government and institutions fails to meaningfully strengthen these relationships, suggesting that support mechanisms need better alignment with digital strategies for sustainable rural enterprise growth.
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CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY, DIGITAL AND GREEN INNOVATIONS IN RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Consumers increasingly prefer rural businesses that pursue sustainability and digital innovation. This study surveyed consumers nationwide about their attitudes toward sustainable practices, greenwashing, and digitalization in rural tourism and agriculture. The research identifies what drives consumer choices for environmentally friendly products and digital services, examines consumer awareness of greenwashing, and reveals barriers to adopting digital tools in rural tourism. Consumer trust, legislation, and technology adoption shape sustainable rural development.
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Financial Inclusion Through Digital Service Innovation: Mobile Banking Solutions for Rural Communities in Vietnam
Mobile banking innovations can advance financial inclusion in rural Vietnam by addressing historical barriers to formal financial services. The study identifies five critical success factors: infrastructure readiness and digital literacy, trust-building through local intermediaries, service design adapted to agricultural cycles, regulatory flexibility, and sustainable business models. Successful initiatives require ecosystem development, cultural adaptation, and community engagement beyond technology deployment alone.
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Agricultural literacy in artificial insemination and agribusiness management for social innovation in rural populations affected by armed conflict in Colombia
A training program in artificial insemination, genetic improvement, and rural management significantly increased knowledge levels among 63 rural residents in Colombia affected by armed conflict. Students trained in these areas then taught local farmers, with measurable gains across all topics—general knowledge rose from 46% to 78%, artificial insemination from 39% to 81%, and management skills from 55% to 75%. Rural extension programs effectively close knowledge gaps in reproductive biotechnologies and livestock management.
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New cash cropping in the Black Volta river valley: Banana production, rural innovation, and social entrepreneurship in the <scp>Ghana–Burkina</scp> Faso border region
A banana irrigation farming innovation that began in Burkina Faso spread to Ghana's Black Volta river valley in the 1990s, driven by returning emigrants and local university lecturers. The paper shows that local entrepreneurs, not foreign corporations, drove this agricultural intensification through imported banana varieties, entrepreneurial effort, and cross-border trade networks strengthened by regional highway infrastructure connecting farms to urban markets.
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Exploring the Nexus of Corporate Social Responsibility, Innovation Capability, and Organizational Performance: Evidence from Rural Commercial Banks in China
Corporate social responsibility positively influences innovation capability and organizational performance in China's rural commercial banks. Innovation capability partially mediates the CSR-performance relationship. An organizational innovation atmosphere—including colleague support, supervisor support, and organizational support—strengthens how innovation capability drives performance. The study demonstrates that CSR dimensions (economic, legal, moral, and charitable) matter for rural banking success.
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Transformative social innovation and rural collaborative workspace assemblages as a means of prefiguring community economies
Rural collaborative workspaces in Austria and Greece function as sites of social innovation that transform community economies. These community-led spaces shift individual perspectives toward collective action and build local capacities. The study finds they hold transformative potential by changing social relations and economic subjectivities, though they need stronger institutional support to move beyond early developmental stages.
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The Social Economy Network in Rural Areas Functioning as a Community Field and a Locus of Social Innovation
Social economy networks in rural South Korea function as coordination mechanisms that mediate resources across market, public, and informal sectors. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of networks in three regions, the study shows these networks create community spaces where residents set shared agendas and enable social innovation. Networks with dedicated solidarity organizations at their center operate more effectively and can integrate diverse policy resources to address rural development challenges.
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INTEGRATING UNIVERSITY SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INTO HIGHER EDUCATION: A DESIGN THINKING APPROACH TO RURAL COMMUNITY INNOVATION
A university course at National Chiayi University used design thinking to engage 54 students in developing tourism innovations for a remote Taiwanese village. Students created videos, digital maps, and social media campaigns with local stakeholders. While projects succeeded initially, the study found that long-term adoption failed due to limited community technological capacity and logistical challenges. The research shows university-community partnerships can drive rural innovation but require sustained engagement beyond single semesters and solutions tailored to community capabilities.
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Empowering Rural Farmers Through Digital Innovation: A Comprehensive Platform for Market Access and Resource Sharing
A cloud-based digital platform integrates three services—artist booking, agricultural equipment rental, and handcraft marketplace—to connect rural farmers and artisans with markets and resources. The system uses real-time scheduling, price negotiation, and location-based filtering to reduce barriers to market access. The platform aims to boost rural incomes and preserve cultural heritage by enabling direct sales and resource sharing among underserved communities.
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Bridging the Digital Divide in Rural Europe. A Morphological Box to Support the Innovation of Collaborative Business Models for Rural Digital Services
Rural European areas lack viable business models for digital services due to insufficient broadband infrastructure investment, unreliable service delivery, and low demand from digital illiteracy and sparse populations. The paper presents a morphological box framework to support innovation of collaborative business models that can overcome these barriers and make rural digital services economically sustainable.
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Results of the social innovation workshops developed in dispersed rural territories, using the phases of the desing thinking methodology
This paper reports results from social innovation workshops conducted in dispersed rural territories using design thinking methodology. The workshops applied structured phases of design thinking to develop social innovations addressing rural challenges. The work demonstrates how design thinking can be systematically applied to generate practical solutions in geographically dispersed rural communities.
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Airbnb: disruptive innovation and the rise of an informal tourism accommodation sector
Airbnb represents a disruptive innovation that leverages internet technology to enable homeowners to rent residences as tourist accommodation. The platform offers cost savings, household amenities, and authentic local experiences that appeal to mainstream consumers despite lacking traditional hotel attributes. The paper examines regulatory challenges, tax concerns, and Airbnb's potential to transform the accommodation sector with both positive and negative destination impacts.
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SHIFTING INNOVATION TO USERS VIA TOOLKITS
Manufacturers traditionally invest heavily in understanding user needs before developing products, but this approach struggles as needs change rapidly and markets fragment. Toolkits for user innovation offer an alternative: manufacturers provide tools that let users develop customized products themselves. Evidence from pioneering fields shows this approach delivers custom products faster and cheaper than traditional development methods.
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Innovation Contests, Open Innovation, and Multiagent Problem Solving
Innovation contests let firms post problems to independent solvers and reward the best solution. The paper shows that larger solver populations benefit firms through solution diversity, offsetting reduced individual effort. Performance-contingent awards further improve outcomes compared to fixed prizes. The analysis identifies which product types and cost structures gain most from contests versus internal innovation.
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Inbound Open Innovation Activities in High-Tech SMEs: The Impact on Innovation Performance
This study examines how small and medium-sized high-tech firms benefit from open innovation practices. Using data from 252 SMEs, the researchers found that different inbound open innovation activities drive different types of innovation outcomes. Technology sourcing strengthens radical innovation performance, while technology scouting improves incremental innovation performance. The findings show that SMEs must match their open innovation strategies to their desired innovation goals.
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Value Creation by Toolkits for User Innovation and Design: The Case of the Watch Market
Customers using design toolkits to create personalized watches show high design diversity and willingness to pay substantial premiums—averaging 100% more than standard watches. The study of 717 participants demonstrates that even simple toolkits enable meaningful customization, creating real value by letting consumers express individual preferences. Customer designs vary widely yet show coherent patterns, indicating heterogeneous but non-random preferences.
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Finding Commercially Attractive User Innovations: A Test of Lead‐User Theory<sup>*</sup>
This study tests lead-user theory by analyzing kite-surfing enthusiasts who modified equipment. The researchers found that both key components of lead-user theory—high expected benefits and being ahead of trends—independently predict which user innovations become commercially attractive products. Adding measures of users' local resources further improved identification of valuable innovations. The findings confirm lead-user theory's core principles and provide practical guidance for firms seeking to commercialize user-developed innovations.
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Open innovation practices in SMEs and large enterprises: evidence from Belgium
Open innovation practices produce different results in small and medium-sized enterprises than in large firms. SMEs gain more innovation performance by combining multiple open innovation practices simultaneously, while large firms benefit more from their search strategies. SMEs drive new product revenue through intellectual property protection, whereas large firms rely on broader external search approaches.
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Entrepreneurship in Innovation Ecosystems: Entrepreneurs’ Self–Regulatory Processes and Their Implications for New Venture Success
Entrepreneurs operating within innovation ecosystems face competing demands between ecosystem leaders' goals and their own venture objectives. This paper examines how entrepreneurs' self-regulatory processes help them navigate and balance these conflicting priorities to achieve new venture success.
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Organizational Absorptive Capacity and Responsiveness: An Empirical Investigation of Growth–Oriented SMEs
Growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises improve their organizational responsiveness by developing strong capabilities in acquiring external knowledge and sharing information internally. The study shows these relationships strengthen when firms adopt proactive strategies or operate in turbulent environments. Environmental conditions and strategic orientation significantly influence how effectively SMEs convert knowledge into responsive action.
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User toolkits for innovation
User toolkits for innovation transfer product development directly to users rather than manufacturers trying to understand their needs. These toolkits let users design custom products through iterative trial-and-error, simulate designs, test them in their own environments, and refine them until satisfied. Applications in integrated circuits and custom foods demonstrate that user-driven toolkit approaches outperform traditional manufacturer-based development methods.
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On open innovation, platforms, and entrepreneurship
Open innovation and digital platforms have fundamentally transformed entrepreneurship across industries. These shifts create new opportunities for entrepreneurs to innovate and capture value, from supplying inputs to established firms to operating as complementors on platforms. The paper identifies key factors that enable or constrain these entrepreneurial opportunities and emphasizes how regulatory policies, digitization, and globalization shape emerging business models.
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When Is Open Innovation Beneficial? The Role of Strategic Orientation
Open innovation activities significantly boost innovation performance across multiple dimensions—new service innovativeness, financial performance, customer outcomes, and product success—in service firms. A company's strategic orientation moderates these effects. Entrepreneurial orientation strengthens open innovation's benefits most powerfully, followed by market orientation, then resource orientation. The findings demonstrate that open innovation works best within organizations that embrace proactive, entrepreneurial strategic approaches.
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Users' contributions to radical innovation: evidence from four cases in the field of medical equipment technology
Users in medical equipment technology drive radical innovation by inventing and co-developing new solutions. Innovative users possess diverse competencies, strong motivation, and operate within supportive environments. They act entrepreneurially by building and organizing innovation networks that transform radical concepts into prototypes and marketable products. Manufacturing firms can leverage these user-innovators in early-stage radical innovation projects.
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The Role of Networks in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Innovation and Firm Performance
Strong, diverse business networks boost innovation in small and medium enterprises, according to analysis of 1,435 SMEs over time. However, networks improve firm performance only indirectly—through their effect on innovation. SMEs should prioritize networks specifically for their innovation benefits rather than expecting direct performance gains.
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The role of venture capital firms in Silicon Valley's complex innovation network
Venture capital firms play five critical roles in Silicon Valley's innovation network: financing startups, selecting promising companies, facilitating collective learning, embedding firms within the ecosystem, and signaling quality to other investors. These functions create a robust system of interconnected economic agents—universities, large companies, laboratories, and startups—that explains Silicon Valley's sustained innovative success over seventy years and why other regions have failed to replicate it.
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Absorptive capacity, knowledge management and innovation in entrepreneurial small firms
Small firms with 15 or more employees, younger founders, and higher education levels absorb and implement new knowledge most effectively. Absorptive capacity—the ability to acquire, assimilate, and use knowledge—depends significantly on firm size, founder age, and educational background. Policy should target graduate-founded SMEs and develop innovation management programs for these firms to build knowledge-based economies.
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Economic Growth, Increasing Productivity of SMEs, and Open Innovation
Economic growth driven by technological innovation significantly boosts small and medium enterprise productivity and welfare. Government policies, capital support, and human resource development together explain 97.6% of SME development outcomes. The study recommends that governments adopt innovation-based economic growth strategies to increase productivity of community enterprises.
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Open innovation in SMEs: Exploring inter-organizational relationships in an ecosystem
Small and medium-sized enterprises struggle to manage open innovation because they lack resources to coordinate with external partners, despite needing them. This case study of a regional business ecosystem reveals that SMEs face challenges when their business models misalign with ecosystem partners' models. The research shows that innovation type and how organizations understand innovation shape whether open innovation succeeds, and that managing it requires attention across three levels: individual SMEs, inter-organizational relationships, and the broader ecosystem.
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On the path towards open innovation: assessing the role of knowledge management capability and environmental dynamism in SMEs
This study examines how small and medium-sized enterprises develop open innovation capabilities. The research finds that IT-supported operations and human resource practices strengthen knowledge management capability, which in turn drives open innovation. Environmental dynamism also directly influences open innovation adoption. Interdepartmental connectedness alone does not significantly affect knowledge management capability.
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Too much of a good thing? Absorptive capacity, firm performance, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation
Absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to acquire and exploit new knowledge—shows an inverted-U relationship with financial performance in small and medium technology enterprises. Beyond moderate levels, absorptive capacity actually harms performance. Entrepreneurial orientation moderates this relationship, enabling firms to gain more from knowledge absorption at lower levels and sustain returns at higher levels before diminishing returns occur.
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Agility in responding to disruptive digital innovation: Case study of an <scp>SME</scp>
Small and medium-sized enterprises achieve agility in responding to disruptive digital innovation through three key processes: reducing organizational rigidity via boundary openness, building innovative capabilities through organizational adaptability, and balancing the competing demands of exploration and exploitation despite resource constraints. The study develops a framework showing how SMEs specifically navigate these challenges differently than larger firms.
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Social Networks: Effects of Social Capital on Firm Innovation
Social capital within industrial districts drives firm innovation. The study compared 220 manufacturing firms in Valencia, Spain, finding that firms embedded in districts with strong social interactions, trust, shared vision, and active local institutions innovate more in both processes and products than non-district firms. District membership and social capital directly correlate with innovation outcomes.
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The Culture for Open Innovation Dynamics
This paper develops a concept model explaining how organizational culture drives open innovation dynamics. The authors identify three entrepreneurship dimensions—novice entrepreneurship, employee intrapreneurship, and organizational entrepreneurship—whose balance determines the type of culture that emerges. The model shows culture can control open innovation complexity and motivate innovation activity. The framework was validated through analysis of 23 related studies.
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Does BLE technology contribute towards improving marketing strategies, customers’ satisfaction and loyalty? The role of open innovation
This study examines how Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon technology affects marketing strategies and customer loyalty in retail settings. Researchers surveyed 138 customers across 159 stores in Dubai's Global Village and found that adopting BLE technology through open innovation significantly improves customer satisfaction and loyalty. Proximity marketing emerged as the most effective strategy for converting potential customers into loyal brand advocates.
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Responsible Innovation Toward Sustainable Development in Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: a Resource Perspective
Small and medium-sized enterprises can develop responsible innovations for sustainable development even with limited resources. Research on 13 Nordic SMEs shows that equity capital is necessary, but the specific resource combinations needed vary by innovation type. Business model innovations require minimal resources—mainly equity and social capital—while environmental technology innovations demand more abundant resources, particularly industry knowledge and R&D cooperation.
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How do young firms manage product portfolio complexity? The role of absorptive capacity and ambidexterity
Young high-technology firms benefit from complex product portfolios through increased sales and competitiveness, but face rising costs that create diminishing returns. The study of 215 young firms shows that absorptive capacity and ambidexterity—the ability to balance exploration and exploitation—strengthen performance gains from portfolio complexity while reducing its costs.
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The effect of social networking sites and absorptive capacity on SMES’ innovation performance
Social networking sites significantly enhance SME innovation performance by facilitating knowledge acquisition and absorption from external actors. The study analyzed 215 small and medium enterprises across knowledge-intensive and labor-intensive sectors globally, using statistical modeling to measure relationships between social media use, absorptive capacity, and innovation outcomes. Results show that enterprises leveraging social platforms to interact with customers, institutions, and competitors effectively absorb external knowledge and generate stronger innovation performance.
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The roles of absorptive capacity and cultural balance for exploratory and exploitative innovation in SMEs
This study examines how absorptive capacity and organizational culture influence innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises. Using survey data from 138 SMEs, the researchers found that realized absorptive capacity fully mediates the effect of potential absorptive capacity on both exploratory and exploitative innovation. Balanced organizational culture strengthens how realized absorptive capacity drives innovation, though it doesn't affect the potential-to-realized capacity conversion. The findings highlight that cultural equilibrium matters for SMEs pursuing simultaneous exploratory and exploitative innovation.
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Absorptive Capacity and Firm Performance in SMEs: The Mediating Influence of Strategic Alliances
Strategic alliances mediate the relationship between absorptive capacity and firm performance in SMEs. Absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to identify, assimilate, and exploit external knowledge—drives innovation and performance gains primarily through partnerships with other firms. However, this mediation effect weakens for younger SMEs, suggesting that company age and size shape how knowledge absorption translates into business results.
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The commercialization of user innovations: the development of the rodeo kayak industry
User innovators in the rodeo kayak community commercialized their own designs by adopting low-cost manufacturing and launching products before established manufacturers entered the market. This transformation from hobbyist innovation to commercial production changed innovators' motivations, community structure, product types, information sharing practices, communication methods, and competitive dynamics among users.
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The Innovation Effect of User Design: Exploring Consumers’ Innovation Perceptions of Firms Selling Products Designed by Users
Firms that involve users in designing products enhance consumer perceptions of innovation compared to traditional professional design. Four studies show this user-design approach increases purchase intentions, willingness to pay, and recommendation likelihood. The effect strengthens when more diverse consumers participate, face fewer constraints, and actually use their designs. Consumer familiarity with user innovation and task complexity moderate these outcomes.
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Enabling open innovation in small- and medium-sized enterprises: how to find alternative applications for your technologies
Small and medium-sized enterprises struggle to identify opportunities to license their technologies outside their core business due to limited resources and specialized focus. This paper presents a practical methodology combining TRIZ tools with weighting and portfolio management techniques to help SMEs find alternative applications for their existing technologies. The authors developed and tested the approach with an Italian packaging company.
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Understanding the Advantages of Open Innovation Practices in Corporate Venturing in Terms of Real Options
Open innovation in corporate venturing offers financial and strategic advantages over closed innovation approaches. Companies gain early exposure to emerging technologies, can delay major financial commitments, exit unprofitable ventures quickly to limit losses, and extend promising ventures longer. However, firms must actively develop new skills and organizational routines to fully realize these real options benefits.
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Open Innovation In Practice
DSM, a multinational life sciences company, combines internal and external knowledge to accelerate innovation across R&D and marketing. The company established a dedicated business development group to speed commercialization and adopted different management approaches for each innovation stage—from scientific rigor in early development to entrepreneurial risk-taking during commercialization to conservative management once products mature. DSM treats innovation as a cultural value rather than a formal process.
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Orchestrating innovation networks: The case of innovation brokers in the agri-food sector
Innovation brokers play a critical role in connecting small and medium-sized enterprises with research institutes in agri-food innovation networks. This study of four cases across the Netherlands, Germany, and France identifies three key orchestration functions that successful brokers perform: initiating innovations, composing networks, and managing innovation processes. These brokers add particular value when working with diverse organizations.
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Open innovation in SMEs: a systematic literature review
Open innovation adoption improves innovation performance in small and medium-sized enterprises. This systematic review synthesizes scattered literature on the topic, finding that quantitative studies dominate the field. European researchers, along with scholars from Korea and China, have driven research development, while North American contributions remain limited. The review identifies research gaps and proposes directions for future investigation.
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Universities and innovation ecosystems: a dynamic capabilities perspective
Universities drive innovation ecosystems by developing talent, advancing technology, and partnering with industry and government. The paper applies dynamic capabilities theory to explain how universities can flexibly manage these ecosystem roles. Three case studies show universities successfully launching new industries, fostering entrepreneurship, and revitalizing local economies through strategic partner engagement.
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Flexibility-Oriented HRM Systems, Absorptive Capacity, and Market Responsiveness and Firm Innovativeness
Flexibility-oriented human resource management systems boost firm innovation and market responsiveness by enhancing absorptive capacity. The study examined high-technology firms and found that HRM systems designed for resource and coordination flexibility increase both the firm's potential to learn and its ability to apply that learning. This improved learning capacity directly strengthens market responsiveness and innovation performance.
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Getting Customers' Ideas to Work for You: Learning from Dell how to Succeed with Online User Innovation Communities
Dell's IdeaStorm online community demonstrates how firms can harness user innovation through Web 2.0 platforms. The study identifies four critical challenges: understanding submitted ideas, selecting the best ones, balancing community transparency with competitive secrecy, and maintaining long-term engagement. Analysis of IdeaStorm's first 18 months yields seven practical recommendations for companies seeking to integrate user-generated innovation into their product development processes.
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The User Innovation Paradigm: Impacts on Markets and Welfare
Individual users and consumers drive significant innovation alongside traditional producer-led research. This paper models markets where both users and firms innovate, showing that firms often delay adopting user-innovation strategies too long despite social welfare gains. When firms support and harvest user innovations, markets achieve better outcomes through complementary investments. Policy intervention may be needed to align private incentives with social welfare in mixed user-producer innovation economies.
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Storm Clouds and Silver Linings: Responding to Disruptive Innovations Through Cognitive Resilience
Small incumbent firms respond differently to disruptive business model innovations depending on how managers cognitively frame the threat and opportunity. The study finds that managers' prior risk experience shapes how they perceive opportunities, while perceived urgency influences how they assess threats. Analysis of 126 real estate brokers facing discount broker competition confirms this framework, showing that cognitive resilience—balancing threat and opportunity perception—determines whether small firms adopt, resist, or adapt to disruption.
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Dynamics of digital entrepreneurship and the innovation ecosystem
This study examines how digital entrepreneurship develops within innovation ecosystems by analyzing an IT company in Brazil. The research reveals that as companies progress through different levels of digitalization, the supporting ecosystem actors and relationships they rely on change significantly. Strategic partners play a crucial role in helping small and medium enterprises transform their business models and create value through digital innovation.
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An Empirical Study on Entrepreneurial Orientation, Absorptive Capacity, and SMEs’ Innovation Performance: A Sustainable Perspective
This study surveyed 324 small and medium-sized enterprises in China's Yangtze River Delta region to examine how entrepreneurial orientation drives innovation performance. The research found that entrepreneurial orientation directly boosts innovation, and this effect strengthens when firms have higher absorptive capacity. In highly dynamic external environments, absorptive capacity becomes an even more powerful moderator of this relationship.
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Understanding the human side of openness: the fit between open innovation modes and CEO characteristics
CEO characteristics significantly influence open innovation adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises. Using Korean SME data, the study finds that CEO attitudes, entrepreneurial orientation, patience, and education facilitate open innovation adoption. However, different CEO traits affect different innovation modes differently—for example, patience and entrepreneurial orientation impact adoption differently depending on uncertainty levels. The research suggests CEOs should recruit complementary management teams to offset their own characteristic gaps.
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Chez Panisse: Building an Open Innovation Ecosystem
Chez Panisse built a thriving business by adopting open innovation practices that connected suppliers, alumni chefs, staff, and food writers into a collaborative ecosystem. The restaurant's success came from sharing knowledge, fostering individual growth, and establishing trust among participants. This case demonstrates how a small firm can scale through strategic ecosystem building rather than isolated operations.
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How open innovation can help you cope in lean times
During economic downturns, companies can maintain innovation despite cutting R&D budgets by adopting open innovation strategies. The authors identify five strategic moves that externalize certain assets and projects, allowing outside firms to invest in and develop them or enabling spin-offs that retain partial equity. This inside-out approach preserves growth opportunities while reducing costs, though it requires holistic implementation and senior executive leadership to overcome organizational and cultural barriers.
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Mission impossible? Entrepreneurial universities and peripheral regional innovation systems
Universities are expected to drive regional innovation and entrepreneurship as part of their third mission, but this paper finds their actual economic spillovers are overstated, particularly in peripheral regions. The disconnect between universities and local entrepreneurial ecosystems explains their weak performance. Policy entrepreneurs reinforce universities' dominant role through institutional capture and policy lock-in, despite marginal economic contribution. The paper challenges this policy emphasis and outlines implications for public policy reform.
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Entrepreneurial orientation‐as‐experimentation and firm performance: The enabling role of absorptive capacity
Entrepreneurial orientation increases variability in innovation outcomes, which can either boost or harm firm performance. The paper shows that absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to acquire and use new knowledge—plays a critical role. Potential absorptive capacity amplifies the innovation variability from entrepreneurial orientation, while realized absorptive capacity helps firms convert that variability into actual performance gains.
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How start-ups successfully organize and manage open innovation with large companies
Start-ups successfully manage open innovation partnerships with large companies through practices that differ significantly from those of established firms. Managers with prior large-company experience prove crucial for navigating these collaborations. Both inbound and outbound open innovation help start-ups overcome their newness and small size, though each approach presents distinct advantages and challenges that require careful orchestration.
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Technological Capabilities, Open Innovation, and Eco-Innovation: Dynamic Capabilities to Increase Corporate Performance of SMEs
Small and medium enterprises in Mexico improve corporate performance through technological capabilities that enable open innovation and eco-innovation practices. The study of 684 SMEs shows technological capability does not directly boost performance, but works through open innovation or eco-innovation. Both open and eco-innovation independently strengthen corporate performance, demonstrating that encouraging these practices in SMEs yields measurable business benefits.
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Open innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises: An overview
Open innovation—combining external and internal ideas to advance technology—has become central to firm strategy since 2000. However, research focuses heavily on large multinational corporations. This special issue addresses the gap by examining how small and medium-sized enterprises adopt open innovation practices, exploring collaboration with external knowledge sources and pathways to commercialization in smaller firms.
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BIM adoption within Australian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs): an innovation diffusion model
This study examines Building Information Modeling (BIM) adoption among Australian small and medium-sized enterprises in construction. Using innovation diffusion theory and surveying 135 SMEs, researchers found that 42% use basic BIM levels, while only 5% use advanced levels. The primary barrier to adoption is not lack of knowledge but uncertainty about return on investment. The study validates a theoretical framework for understanding BIM adoption decisions in Australian construction SMEs.
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Information Technology Use as a Learning Mechanism: The Impact of IT Use on Knowledge Transfer Effectiveness, Absorptive Capacity, and Franchisee Performance1
This study examines how franchisees use information technology to learn and improve performance. The researchers found that IT use enhances knowledge transfer from franchisors and builds franchisees' capacity to absorb and apply that knowledge. This improved learning capacity then drives better financial performance. The findings were tested across 783 real-estate franchisees and held consistent across different analytical approaches.
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Intellectual capital, absorptive capacity and product innovation
Intellectual capital drives product innovation through absorptive capacity in firms. A study of 500 Brazilian companies found that structural and human capital most strongly influence how firms acquire, assimilate, and exploit knowledge. Transformation of knowledge benefits equally from structural and human capital. Absorptive capacity dimensions each affect product innovation differently. These findings help managers develop intangible resources and design innovation strategies.
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Crafting Sustainable Development Solutions: Frugal Innovations of Grassroots Entrepreneurs
Grassroots entrepreneurs in India create frugal, sustainable innovations using locally available materials and minimal resources. These bottom-of-pyramid solutions address unmet needs while reducing environmental impact and ownership costs. The study argues these grassroots innovations directly advance UN Sustainable Development Goals by improving productivity, sustainability, and poverty reduction in underserved communities.
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New ventures based on open innovation an empirical analysis of start-up firms in embedded Linux
This paper examines how start-up firms in embedded Linux create new ventures using open innovation approaches. The authors propose two conceptual models—the Product Lifecycle Management Model and the Mirrored Spaces Model—to understand how companies manage products across their lifecycle and navigate the technical and organizational challenges that arise when leveraging open-source development practices.
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Internationalization and innovation in a network relationship context
Network relationships shape how small software firms in New Zealand internationalize and innovate. Firms with limited networks pursue incremental changes, while those with diverse networks undertake radical internationalization and innovation. The study identifies four distinct firm groups based on network type and internationalization strategy, showing that network relationships both influence and sustain firm development.
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Knowledge transfer for frugal innovation: where do entrepreneurial universities stand?
Entrepreneurial universities drive frugal innovation in emerging economies through strategic knowledge transfer and university-industry partnerships. The study of Brazil's University of Campinas reveals that universities foster frugal innovations by leveraging internal capabilities, connecting innovations to markets, and embedding themselves within broader innovation ecosystems and institutional frameworks. Universities can advance sustainable development and meet societal challenges by adopting inclusive, frugal innovation practices.
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Open innovation, information, and entrepreneurship within platform ecosystems
Companies use platform ecosystems as open innovation strategies to encourage developers to create complementary products. This study examines what information within these ecosystems drives entrepreneurs to commercialize free products. The research finds that product-specific information correlates with commercialization decisions, while market information does not. Platform designers can strategically manage information to encourage commercial activity among complementors.
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Market failure in the diffusion of consumer-developed innovations: Patterns in Finland
Consumer-developed innovations in Finland often fail to spread beyond their creators because developers lack incentives to support diffusion when others benefit. The study confirms that market failure prevents socially optimal spread of user innovations. Developers don't invest in sharing products that could help others, even when those innovations have clear value to broader populations.
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Innovation Types and Network Relationships
Small innovative firms commercialize different types of innovations through distinct network relationships. The study identifies four innovation types and shows that radical systemic and autonomous innovations require strong collaborative ties with customers, while incremental innovations succeed through different downstream networks. A portfolio of relationships with suppliers, distributors, customers, and research institutes helps small firms access critical resources.
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Is regional innovation system development possible in peripheral regions? Some evidence from the case of La Pocatière, Canada
This paper examines whether peripheral regions can develop functional innovation systems by studying La Pocatière, Canada. The authors identify the key actors and structural elements of the region's innovation system, then analyze the factors and dynamics that drive innovation activity and enable the system to transform and grow. They draw on historical documents, statistical data, and interviews with leaders from private and public organizations.
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Business-to-business open innovation: COVID-19 lessons for small and medium-sized enterprises from emerging markets
SMEs in emerging markets adopted open innovation strategies during COVID-19, forming new collaborations with customers and competitors despite resource constraints. Research in Bosnia and Herzegovina shows these firms shifted from traditional competitive practices toward collaborative partnerships to develop innovations during crisis. The paper provides recommendations for managers on managing openness in emerging market SMEs.
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The Passway of Women Entrepreneurship: Starting from Social Capital with Open Innovation, through to Knowledge Sharing and Innovative Performance
Social capital positively influences business performance for women entrepreneurs in Bali, Indonesia, enabling them to share information and create innovations. However, women entrepreneurs face significant barriers including limited access to capital and credit, weak technological and managerial skills, poor market access, bureaucratic obstacles, and cultural norms that position men as superior. These constraints severely limit women's entrepreneurial opportunities despite their ability to leverage social networks.
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Entrepreneurship and open innovation in an emerging economy
This study surveyed Peruvian company managers to examine how entrepreneurial orientation and open innovation affect firm performance. The research found that higher sales growth did not require strong entrepreneurial orientation. However, firms engaged in open innovation reported significantly higher sales growth and used double loop learning more effectively. The findings suggest emerging economy firms can sustain growth through open innovation practices rather than relying primarily on entrepreneurial behavior.
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Sustainability, Social Media Driven Open Innovation, and New Product Development Performance*
Firms with strong sustainability orientation achieve better new product development performance, partly through increased customer focus. Social media-driven open innovation amplifies these benefits in two ways: activities gathering market insights directly strengthen customer focus, while those acquiring technical expertise enhance how customer focus translates into product performance. Companies should strategically integrate sustainability into product development and carefully manage social media innovation activities.
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Knowledge Networks in an Uncompetitive Region: SME Innovation and Growth
SMEs in Yorkshire and Humberside rely heavily on knowledge networks outside their region, but the most innovative firms balance both local and external connections. While networking activity sometimes correlates negatively with growth—suggesting struggling firms seek public support—the research shows regional innovation systems approaches work better than cluster policies. Policymakers should help SMEs build and maintain diverse knowledge networks spanning both regional and global scales.
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Frugal innovation: Conception, development, diffusion, and outcome
Frugal innovation enables resource-constrained entrepreneurs in low-income countries to develop and commercialize products for underserved markets. This study examines how grassroots innovators conceptualize, develop, and diffuse frugal innovations, identifying the motivations, processes, and challenges from inception to commercial success. The research reveals that frugal innovations create new markets, drive sustainability, and require dual-business models to serve low-income customers effectively in emerging economies.
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Which factors hinder the adoption of open innovation in SMEs?
This study identifies four main barriers preventing small and medium-sized enterprises from adopting open innovation: knowledge gaps, collaboration challenges, organizational constraints, and financial/strategic limitations. Using survey data from 157 Italian SMEs, the researchers found that different firm types perceive these barriers differently depending on their industry's innovativeness level. Some barriers directly impede open innovation adoption while others do not.
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Connecting local entrepreneurial ecosystems to global innovation networks: open innovation, double networks and knowledge integration
Large and small firms increasingly tap dispersed knowledge from universities, research institutes, and SMEs through open innovation and global networks. This paper argues that regional innovative ecosystems play a crucial role in attracting R&D activity and enabling knowledge integration. Success requires firms to simultaneously integrate knowledge locally and globally, internally and externally, within double network structures that connect entrepreneurial ecosystems to worldwide innovation networks.
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Interactive Effects of Network Capability, ICT Capability, and Financial Slack on Technology-Based Small Firm Innovation Performance
Network capability, ICT capability, and financial slack together influence innovation performance in technology-based small firms. The study shows that these three factors interact to affect how well small firms innovate. Firms that combine strong external relationships, strategic use of technology, and available financial resources achieve better innovation outcomes than those lacking these elements.
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Smart Production Workers in Terms of Creativity and Innovation: The Implication for Open Innovation
This paper develops a framework of skills and competencies needed by employees in companies transitioning to Industry 4.0, focusing on creativity and innovation. The authors analyzed job recruitment offers from Polish steel companies implementing smart manufacturing and educational programs from Polish technical universities in metallurgy. They found that the paper establishes an occupational profile for Industry 4.0 workers and examines how much Polish metallurgical companies and universities emphasize creativity and innovation in hiring and training.
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From innovation to commercialization through networks and agglomerations: analysis of sources of innovation, innovation capabilities and performance of Dutch SMEs
Dutch SMEs succeed in innovation when they balance exploration and exploitation networks. This study of 243 Dutch firms shows that exploring technology opportunities through partnerships with universities and research institutions significantly improves innovation success. The findings suggest policymakers should support external collaboration networks, not just internal R&D, to help SMEs commercialize innovations effectively.
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Digital entrepreneurship: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and digitalization for disruptive innovation
Entrepreneurial orientation significantly boosts firms' ability to develop disruptive innovation. However, digitalization strategy works differently depending on a firm's entrepreneurial orientation: it hinders disruptive innovation in highly entrepreneurial firms but supports it in less entrepreneurial ones. Firms should calibrate their digitalization investments based on their entrepreneurial orientation level to maximize disruptive innovation.
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Towards Sustainable Digital Innovation of SMEs from the Developing Countries in the Context of the Digital Economy and Frugal Environment
Digital orientation, Internet of Things, and digital platforms directly drive sustainable digital innovation in small and medium enterprises. Digital platforms mediate the relationship between digital orientation and sustainable innovation, and between IoT and sustainable innovation. SMEs in developing countries can adopt frugal business models to reduce resource use and waste while competing in the digital economy.
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Whose Innovation Performance Benefits More from External Networks: Entrepreneurial or Conservative Firms?
External networks boost innovation performance more for conservative, risk-averse firms than for entrepreneurial ones. Using data from 1,978 U.S. firms, the research shows that firms with weak entrepreneurial orientation gain greater innovation benefits from learning through external networks than firms with strong entrepreneurial orientation. This effect is stronger in small and medium-sized enterprises than in large firms.
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A business strategy, operational efficiency, ownership structure, and manufacturing performance: The moderating role of market uncertainty and competition intensity and its implication on open innovation
This study examines how business strategy, operational efficiency, and ownership structure affect manufacturing performance in Indonesian firms, with market uncertainty and competition intensity as moderating factors. Proactive strategies outperform defensive ones. Foreign-owned firms gain competitive advantages under intense competition. Operational efficiency increases when competition intensifies, directly improving manufacturing performance.
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Open innovation: a new classification and its impact on firm performance in innovative SMEs
Open innovation practices boost performance in Korean small and medium-sized enterprises. The study of 306 innovative SMEs found that broad engagement with external partners, particularly through joint R&D, user involvement, and open sourcing, improves firm performance. SMEs gain most from collaborating with non-competing partners like customers, consultants, and public research institutes. The research proposes a new classification framework for studying how SMEs adopt and implement open innovation.
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Organizational learning ambidexterity and openness, as determinants of SMEs' innovation performance
Small and medium enterprises in Ghana achieve stronger innovation performance by combining both exploitative and exploratory learning strategies simultaneously—a practice called organizational learning ambidexterity—rather than relying on either approach alone. Openness to external knowledge further strengthens this effect. SME managers should adopt both learning strategies together to gain competitive advantage.
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Learning and innovation in inter‐organizational network collaboration
This study examines how small and medium-sized firms' learning approaches affect their collaboration in business networks. The research finds that exploratory learning—seeking new knowledge—drives firms to collaborate with partners on product innovation. Exploitative learning—refining existing processes—encourages internal improvement but discourages external networking. The findings show that product innovation requires learning with network partners, while process improvements happen within individual firms.
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Challenges to open innovation in traditional SMEs: an analysis of pre-competitive projects in university-industry-government collaboration
Small and medium-sized enterprises in traditional, low-tech sectors struggle to participate effectively in university-industry-government collaborations focused on pre-competitive research and development. This study tracked three such projects across four phases—initiation, execution, closing, and monitoring—and identified specific firm-level and project-level obstacles that prevent these collaborations from meeting their innovation goals.
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Exploring How Peer Communities Enable Lead User Innovations to Become Standard Equipment in the Industry: Community Pull Effects
Lead users in medical and sporting equipment industries develop innovations that become industry standards through active peer community engagement. Community members provide critical feedback, contribute to product development, test prototypes, and drive diffusion. Two key mechanisms emerge: communities demand and facilitate prototype development, and they bridge the gap between early adopters and mainstream markets. Peer communities function as essential social networks that actively shape entrepreneurial innovation processes.
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Open Innovation in Practice: Goal Complementarity and Closed <scp>NPD</scp> Networks to Explain Differences in Innovation Performance for <scp>SMEs</scp> in the Medical Devices Sector
Small and medium-sized enterprises in the medical devices sector improve innovation performance through strategic collaboration networks. The study identifies an ideal network profile characterized by goal complementarity, resource complementarity, trust, and strong network positioning. High-performing SMEs adopt closed, focused, business-like networking approaches rather than broad open innovation. Goal complementarity emerges as the most distinctive factor differentiating successful from less successful companies.
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Short- and Long-Term Performance Feedback and Absorptive Capacity
Organizations learn differently from performance feedback depending on their time horizons. This study of 129 Israeli high-tech startups shows that short-term performance gaps drive immediate absorptive capacity improvements, while long-term performance gaps drive strategic capability building. Performance relative to aspiration levels influences both short-term tactical actions and long-term strategic decisions, contradicting the view that organizations focus only on immediate goals.
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Effects of sources of knowledge on frugal innovation: moderating role of environmental turbulence
Internal and external knowledge sources both significantly drive frugal innovation in small and medium enterprises. Technological turbulence strengthens the impact of both knowledge sources on frugal innovation. Market turbulence amplifies the effect of external knowledge but surprisingly weakens the effect of internal knowledge. Managers must strategically choose which knowledge sources to prioritize depending on market conditions.
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Open innovation in SMEs
Open innovation practices significantly boost UK SMEs' international competitiveness and export performance. The study of 64 UK firms shows that success depends on combining internal factors—R&D capacity and management competencies—with external factors including open innovation collaboration and government R&D grants. SMEs that collaborate with universities and other firms through open innovation achieve stronger competitive advantage than closed-innovation firms.
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Effects of Socially Responsible Supplier Development and Sustainability‐Oriented Innovation on Sustainable Development: Empirical Evidence from SMEs
Socially responsible supplier development practices by large buying firms significantly strengthen sustainability-oriented innovations in their small and medium enterprise suppliers. These innovations then improve the suppliers' overall sustainability performance across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. The study demonstrates that supplier development fully mediates the relationship between responsible purchasing practices and improved sustainability outcomes.
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Facilitating SME Innovation Capability through Business Networking
Small and medium-sized businesses drive innovation through collaborative networks that enable learning and value creation. This case study of a developing innovation network shows how SMEs generate ideas and create new ventures when working together with other local actors. Facilitated network development significantly enhances SMEs' capacity to innovate and create value.
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Social Capital and Learning Advantages: A Problem of Absorptive Capacity
Social capital and network relationships don't directly improve firm performance. Instead, absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to recognize, assimilate, and apply new knowledge—mediates and moderates how learning through networks translates into business results. The study challenges the assumption that new firms automatically gain performance advantages from their social connections.
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Rewarding in open innovation communities &ndash; how to motivate members
Online open innovation communities need both monetary and non-monetary rewards to attract and retain members. This study surveyed participants and interviewed maintainers of three open innovation intermediaries, finding that members value monetary rewards and recognition for idea quality. Analysis of twelve communities showed that successful intermediaries combine multiple reward types to motivate sustained participation.
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The Impact of the Regulatory Sandbox on the Fintech Industry, with a Discussion on the Relation between Regulatory Sandboxes and Open Innovation
Regulatory sandboxes—controlled environments allowing fintech companies to test innovations with regulatory flexibility—significantly boost venture capital investment in fintech ecosystems. Analysis of nine countries that adopted sandboxes first shows these frameworks reduce regulatory uncertainty and attract venture funding. The study provides empirical evidence that sandboxes effectively stimulate fintech industry growth and ecosystem development.
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How Innovation Management Techniques Support An Open Innovation Strategy
This paper examines how innovation management techniques help small and medium-sized firms implement open innovation strategies. Using a Spanish elevator manufacturer as a case study, the authors show that structured innovation management tools enable collaborative networks and technology transfer. The findings help managers understand how to build sustained competitive advantage through organized approaches to collaborative innovation.
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New developments in innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems
This special section examines innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems through multi-level analysis of agents, institutions, and regions. The authors synthesize research across the section, identifying key questions, theories, and methods used to study how ecosystems shape innovation and entrepreneurship. They propose a research agenda addressing context, process, and impact of these ecosystems.
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Social Business Model Innovation: A Quadruple/Quintuple Helix-Based Social Innovation Ecosystem
This paper proposes an ecosystem framework for social business model innovation using quadruple and quintuple helix models. The framework integrates civil society, political structures, environment, and sustainability to enable social innovation that improves human well-being. Case studies demonstrate that open innovation and clearly defined social missions drive successful social business models through collaborative knowledge creation and exploitation.
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Digital Innovations in MSMEs during Economic Disruptions: Experiences and Challenges of Young Entrepreneurs
Filipino young entrepreneurs shifted their micro, small, and medium enterprises to digital platforms during COVID-19 economic disruption. The study identifies intrinsic motivations like personal growth and extrinsic drivers including mobility restrictions and market conditions. Key barriers include inadequate digital skills, internet infrastructure gaps, market challenges on digital platforms, and pandemic restrictions. Findings support developing government policies and support programs for digital entrepreneurship in developing economies.
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The Role of Green Innovation between Green Market Orientation and Business Performance: Its Implication for Open Innovation
Green market orientation directly improves business performance in Indonesian manufacturing small and medium enterprises, and this effect is strengthened when companies adopt green innovation practices. The study of 175 MSME owners in East Java shows that balancing economic, environmental, and social concerns through green strategies enhances business outcomes, supporting sustainability theory in the Indonesian context.
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Determinants of Firm’s open innovation performance and the role of R & D department: an empirical evidence from Malaysian SME’s
Malaysian SMEs struggle with open innovation adoption and performance. This study identifies external knowledge, internal innovation, and R&D departments as key determinants of open innovation success in these firms. The R&D department acts as a mediator between innovation inputs and performance outcomes. The findings provide SMEs with actionable insights to strengthen their open innovation systems and boost overall business performance.
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How to convert green entrepreneurial orientation into green innovation: The role of knowledge creation process and green absorptive capacity
Green entrepreneurial orientation drives green innovation through knowledge creation processes. The study surveyed 173 managers and found that companies with strong green entrepreneurial orientation generate more knowledge exchange and integration. Green absorptive capacity strengthens this relationship. Both knowledge exchange and integration mediate the path from entrepreneurial orientation to green product and process innovation, offering enterprises a practical framework for implementing green innovation.
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Managerial networking and business model innovation: empirical study of new ventures in an emerging economy
This study of 311 young SMEs in Pakistan demonstrates that managerial networking significantly drives business model innovation in new ventures. Financial, business, and political networking all positively contribute to developing effective business models. The research shows that building external relationships with financial institutions and government officials helps young firms overcome resource constraints and survive in competitive markets.
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Crowd Equity Investors: An Underutilized Asset for Open Innovation in Startups
Startups that actively engage with investor networks from equity crowdfunding campaigns perform better than those that don't. A study of 60 European startups found that successful founders leverage crowd investors for product, strategy, and market knowledge. Startups using these crowd networks show significantly higher success rates two years later, demonstrating that equity crowdfunding investors represent an underutilized resource for open innovation.
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Enabling Open Innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises: A Dynamic Capabilities Approach
Small and medium manufacturing enterprises with strong dynamic capabilities—particularly in sensing market opportunities, seizing them, and reconfiguring resources—are more likely to adopt open innovation practices. The study identifies which internal capabilities enable SMEs to successfully implement collaborative innovation approaches, linking organizational competencies directly to open innovation adoption.
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Frugal innovation and sustainable business models
Frugal innovations emerging from grassroots communities in developing countries create sustainable business models that serve underserved customers. The study examines how individuals with limited education and resources develop affordable products through creative thinking, analyzing value proposition, creation, and capture across three cases. These innovations transform poor customers into viable consumer groups and contribute to sustainable development.
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The intervention of organizational sustainability in the effect of organizational culture on open innovation performance: A case of thai and chinese SMEs
This study examines 300 SMEs in Thailand and China to understand how organizational culture drives open innovation performance. The research finds that organizational sustainability acts as a critical mediator between culture and innovation outcomes. Companies with strong cultural foundations in leadership, teamwork, and climate that invest in sustainability practices across marketing, operations, and customer orientation achieve better open innovation results.
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Optimizing the Financial Performance of SMEs Based on Sharia Economy: Perspective of Economic Business Sustainability and Open Innovation
This study examines how Islamic fintech and business practices improve financial performance and sustainability of small and medium enterprises in Makassar, Indonesia. Researchers surveyed 350 SME operators across 15 districts and found that human resource capacity and business diversification account for 42% of financial performance improvements. Islamic fintech, combined with workforce development, diversification, and productivity measures, explains 66% of business sustainability outcomes. The findings support adopting Islamic finance models to strengthen SME operations.
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Open innovation and intellectual property rights
Small and medium-sized enterprises benefit differently from open innovation and intellectual property protection than larger firms. Using Spanish innovation survey data from 2008-2013, the study finds that SMEs gain more from industrial designs than patents when collaborating openly. The effectiveness of different IP tools—patents, trademarks, copyrights, and designs—varies by company size, suggesting SMEs need tailored IP strategies to maximize innovation efficiency.
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Innovating not-for-profit social ventures: Exploring the microfoundations of internal and external absorptive capacity routines
Not-for-profit organizations pursuing social innovation develop distinctive capabilities by combining internal and external absorptive capacity routines. Analysis of 14 case studies from Australia and the UK shows these organizations mediate social innovation by configuring routines that blend user knowledge with technological knowledge flows. The study reveals how social ventures build and sustain the organizational capabilities needed to innovate effectively.
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Does international entrepreneurial orientation foster innovation performance? The mediating role of social media and open innovation
International entrepreneurial orientation drives innovation performance in small and medium-sized enterprises through two mechanisms: open innovation and social media usage. The study of 128 SMEs shows that social media usage enables open innovation, which in turn translates entrepreneurial orientation into better innovation outcomes. Companies pursuing international expansion with entrepreneurial mindsets achieve stronger innovation results when they embrace open innovation practices and leverage social media.
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Extending open innovation throughout the value chain by small and medium-sized manufacturers
Small and medium-sized US manufacturers widely adopt open innovation practices with customers and suppliers across their value chains. The study of 293 companies shows that open innovation practices significantly influence both product and process innovation outcomes. Effectiveness depends on carefully selecting which practices and partners to engage, extending beyond the traditional focus on research and development.
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Open for Entrepreneurship: How Open Innovation Can Foster New Venture Creation
Open innovation practices significantly improve startup survival rates. The study examined successful and failed ventures to identify key factors: ecosystem collaboration, user involvement, and open organizational environments all directly enhance new venture survival. An entrepreneur's open mindset moderates these effects. The findings offer practical guidance for entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers seeking to support successful new ventures.
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The Difficulties involved in Developing Business Models open to Innovation Communities: the Case of a Crowdsourcing Platform
Firms using crowdsourcing platforms to capture external innovation face significant strategic challenges. This study of CrowdSpirit, a collaborative product design platform, reveals that companies must develop multi-level incentive systems for diverse contributors, manage knowledge and intellectual property transfers across multiple stakeholders, and treat business model design as continuous learning rather than fixed strategy.
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The Influence of E-Payment and E-Commerce Services on Supply Chain Performance: Implications of Open Innovation and Solutions for the Digitalization of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia
E-payment and e-commerce services significantly improve supply chain performance for Indonesian micro, small, and medium enterprises. The study of 164 MSMEs identifies ten key barriers to digitalization and proposes open innovation solutions to overcome them. The findings support government efforts to accelerate MSME digitization through digital financial and commercial tools.
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Regional innovation systems and the foundation of knowledge intensive business services. A comparative study in Bremen, Munich, and Stuttgart, Germany
Knowledge-intensive business services drive innovation and economic growth. This study examines how new KIBS firms in three German cities—Bremen, Munich, and Stuttgart—rely on regional resources and networks during their early development. The research shows that proximity between local actors in regional innovation systems significantly influences KIBS firm formation and success.
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Emerging needs of social innovators and social innovation ecosystems
Social innovators tackle major societal challenges but receive little research attention compared to profit-oriented entrepreneurs. This study interviewed 28 social innovators to identify their distinct needs and developed a social innovation ecosystem model based on Isenberg's entrepreneurial ecosystem framework. The findings reveal both similarities and differences between social and entrepreneurial ecosystems, showing that social innovators require tailored support structures beyond traditional business models.
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Networking to accelerate the pace of SME innovations
Early innovation by small and medium enterprises builds capabilities that accelerate their future innovation pace. Firms that innovate quickly initially maintain faster innovation rates. Companies that start innovating late can catch up by actively networking to access external resources and capabilities. The study of 203 SMEs shows that networking behavior moderates the relationship between time to first innovation and subsequent innovation speed.
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Open innovation practices and related internal dynamics: case studies of Italian ICT SMEs
Italian ICT small and medium-sized enterprises face distinct challenges and enabling factors when adopting open innovation practices. The study identifies specific internal dynamics for each practice type through interviews with eight companies. Results show that understanding these practice-specific obstacles and facilitators helps SMEs sustain open innovation and improve competitiveness.
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Network board continuity and effectiveness of open innovation in Swedish strategic small‐firm networks
Swedish small-firm networks use boards to manage joint research and development activities. This study of 53 networks over five years finds that board continuity affects members' innovative performance in a U-shaped relationship: both very high and very low rates of board member renewal harm innovation, while moderate renewal works best. This effect strengthens in larger networks.
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Open Innovation in SMEs: From Closed Boundaries to Networked Paradigm
This paper examines how small and medium-sized enterprises transition from closed innovation models to open, networked approaches. The authors argue that SMEs benefit from breaking traditional boundaries and engaging in collaborative innovation networks. The shift enables smaller firms to access external knowledge, resources, and partnerships that enhance their competitive capacity and innovation outcomes.
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Networks, weak signals and technological innovations among SMEs in the land-based transportation equipment sector
Small and medium-sized enterprises in land-based transportation equipment use both strong-tie networks (geographically close, familiar contacts) and weak-tie networks (distant, unfamiliar contacts) to drive innovation. A survey of 147 SMEs confirms that weak-tie networks provide crucial pre-competitive information for major technological innovations, while an organization's absorptive capacity determines how effectively firms leverage these distant connections.
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Open innovation in SMEs: A process view towards business model innovation
Small and medium-sized enterprises transform their business models through open innovation by collaborating with external partners. This study examines European SMEs undergoing business model transformation, identifying key triggers including market turbulence, competition, and production scaling. The research reveals how SMEs navigate challenges in adopting open business models to overcome their size disadvantages and remain competitive.
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Knowledge management practices and absorptive capacity in small and medium‐sized enterprises: is there really a linkage?
Portuguese SMEs engage in knowledge management practices that build absorptive capacity, enabling them to adapt strategically and innovate. The study surveyed 260 SMEs and found they prioritize tacit knowledge through employee learning, collaboration with business partners, and knowledge transfer. These practices help SMEs overcome resource constraints, improve efficiency, and launch new products and services despite vulnerability to globalization and technological change.
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An Empirical Study of the Relationship of IT Intensity and Organizational Absorptive Capacity on CRM Performance
This study examines how IT investment and organizational absorptive capacity affect CRM performance in Taiwanese financial service companies. The research finds that CRM practices mediate the relationship between IT intensity and absorptive capacity on one hand, and CRM performance on the other. Organizations competing globally should invest in both IT infrastructure and absorptive capacity to build marketing intelligence and innovate products meeting customer needs.
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Frugal innovation as a source of sustainable entrepreneurship to tackle social and environmental challenges
Frugal innovation drives sustainable entrepreneurship in developing countries by enabling businesses to achieve social and environmental goals simultaneously. The study found that frugal innovation-based ventures deliver female empowerment, improved healthcare access, better living standards, and sustainable production methods while creating new markets and inclusive growth. This approach shifts focus from barriers to enablers of sustainable entrepreneurship.
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The role of cultural barriers in the relationship between open‐mindedness and organizational innovation
This study examines 133 small and medium-sized enterprises to understand how cultural barriers affect the relationship between open-mindedness and organizational innovation. The research finds that firms must overcome cultural barriers—particularly outdated knowledge—before open-mindedness can translate into actual innovation. Organizations that fail to address these barriers cannot effectively adopt new configurations or incorporate new knowledge into products and services.
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The effects of open innovation activity on performance of SMEs: the case of Korea
Open innovation strategies work differently for small and medium-sized enterprises than for large companies. This study analyzed Korean SMEs and found that external innovation activities do not uniformly boost innovation output. Some open innovation practices benefit SMEs, while others do not, suggesting that SMEs need selective approaches to external collaboration rather than adopting all open innovation tactics.
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Appropriation strategies and open innovation in SMEs
UK small and medium-sized enterprises use appropriation mechanisms—both formal and informal—as a threshold to shift from closed to open innovation strategies. The study finds that emphasizing appropriation helps firms decide whether to engage in open innovation, but neither formal nor informal approaches significantly increase the depth of open innovation activities. Only informal IP protection correlates with greater inbound open innovation.
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Beating competitors to international markets: The value of geographically balanced networks for innovation
Technology-based ventures that balance local and foreign network connections develop innovations faster for international markets than those relying on either type alone. The advantage of geographic network balance grows stronger when innovations are more complex or when industries move faster. This finding challenges the debate over whether local or foreign partners matter more for innovation.
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Open innovation proclivity, entrepreneurial orientation, and perceived firm performance
Taiwanese electronics manufacturers that embrace open innovation—using external ideas and selling intellectual property to outsiders—report better firm performance. Companies with stronger entrepreneurial orientation show even stronger performance gains from open innovation practices. The study surveyed 122 manufacturers and found that openness to external innovation sources directly improves perceived business outcomes.
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Innovation, networking and the new industrial clusters: the characteristics of networks and local innovation capabilities in the Turkish industrial clusters
Innovation and networking drive competitive capacity in industrial clusters during globalization. This study examined three Turkish industrial clusters through firm interviews, finding that local and national networking correlates positively with innovativeness. Firms embedded in global networks produce more innovations than those relying primarily on local linkages, demonstrating the importance of both local connections and international engagement.
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Digital innovation management for entrepreneurial ecosystems: services and functionalities as drivers of innovation management software adoption
Innovation Management Software adoption among German firms is driven primarily by idea management functionalities and vendor services for updates and upgrades. Surprisingly, bundling consulting services with software reduces adoption likelihood. The study surveyed 199 innovation managers and found that IMS adoption improves new product development efficiency, helping strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems through digitalized innovation processes.
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The effect of digital leadership and innovation management for incumbent telecommunication company in the digital disruptive era
Digital leadership and innovation management both drive sustainable competitive advantage for incumbent telecom companies facing digital disruption. In a study of 100 Indonesian telecom employees, digital leadership proved more influential than innovation management alone in enabling digital transformation. The research shows that strengthening these capabilities helps incumbents compete effectively in rapidly changing digital markets.
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Managerial Social Networks and Ambidexterity of SMEs: The Moderating Role of a Proactive Commitment to Innovation
Top managers' extensive social networks inside and outside their firms help small and medium-sized technology companies achieve ambidexterity—the ability to pursue both existing and new business directions simultaneously. However, networks only drive innovation when managers actively commit to pursuing innovative opportunities. The study of SME leaders confirms that network breadth matters, but only when paired with genuine proactive commitment to innovation.
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Linking strategy with open innovation and performance in SMEs
This study examines how business strategy influences open innovation practices and performance in small and medium enterprises. Using survey data from 107 Italian manufacturing firms, the researchers found that companies pursuing innovation strategies invest heavily in technical skills, diversification-focused firms rely on managerial open innovation practices, and efficiency-focused firms adopt open innovation with less emphasis on core competencies. The results demonstrate clear linkages between strategic choices, openness levels, and firm performance.
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Open Data as a Foundation for Innovation: The Enabling Effect of Free Public Sector Information for Entrepreneurs
Swedish IT entrepreneurs report that open public sector data is critical for their business success. Forty-three percent consider it essential for their plans, and 82% say access would strengthen their operations. Companies value open data not just for direct commercialization but as a foundation for testing and supporting diverse business models. The findings suggest open data's innovation-enabling role extends far beyond government transparency and e-government applications, indicating its societal value has been significantly underestimated.
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Adopting open innovation for SMEs and industrial revolution 4.0
Indonesia's small and medium enterprises can adopt open innovation strategies to succeed in Industry 4.0, but face significant barriers. Digital ecosystem readiness and knowledge management are critical enablers. The main obstacle is insufficient digital equipment, which widens gaps between large and small businesses and between urban and rural areas. Government should protect fair competition while the private sector drives most Industry 4.0 initiatives.
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Social Capital of Young Technology Firms and Their IPO Values: The Complementary Role of Relevant Absorptive Capacity
Young technology firms with strong business-to-business relationships achieve higher IPO valuations when they possess absorptive capacity—the ability to leverage external resources. The study of 177 IPOs shows that social capital from supplier, customer, and investor networks only translates to financial value if firms can actually use those connections. Marketing and R&D relationships without absorptive capacity actually harm firm value.
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The Role of Innovation Ecosystems and Social Capital in Startup Survival
Startups that actively collaborate with universities, industries, and government organizations significantly survive longer than those that don't, according to analysis of the Kauffman Firm Survey. However, the amount of social capital available in innovation ecosystems doesn't predict whether startups actually use it or live longer. The effect varies between high-tech and other startups. Active engagement with ecosystem partners matters more than ecosystem density alone.
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The power of social innovation: how civic entrepreneurs ignite community networks for good
Civic entrepreneurs drive social innovation by building community networks and catalyzing change through collaborative approaches. The book examines how market makers and service providers use open-source methods, citizen engagement, and risk-taking to create sustainable systems change. It demonstrates that measuring public value, mobilizing community assets, and leveraging social networks produce measurable results in education, family services, and local governance.
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How entrepreneurship ecosystem influences the development of frugal innovation and informal entrepreneurship
This study examines how entrepreneurial ecosystems shape frugal innovation and informal business development in Nigeria. Through interviews with 20 business owners and focus groups with association leaders, the researchers identified key determinants: formal and informal rules, market access, and family networks. These elements enable knowledge sharing, networking, and resource distribution among informal entrepreneurs operating under institutional constraints.
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The mediating role of absorptive capacity on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and technological innovation capabilities
This study examines how absorptive capacity mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and technological innovation capabilities in small and medium enterprises. Using survey data from 432 SMEs in Kurdistan, Iraq, the research finds that both entrepreneurial orientation and absorptive capacity significantly influence innovation capabilities. Absorptive capacity acts as a mechanism through which entrepreneurial orientation strengthens technological innovation, enabling firms to leverage external knowledge for innovation.
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Sustainability Condition of Open Innovation: Dynamic Growth of Alibaba from SME to Large Enterprise
Alibaba rapidly became a global e-commerce leader by adopting open innovation business models while managing the complexity and transaction costs these models create. The company succeeded through developing an open-innovation-friendly culture rooted in consumer confidence and relationship-building (Guanxi), combined with an expanding feedback loop platform that continuously strengthened its business model. This cultural foundation allowed Alibaba to control complexity costs inherent in open innovation.
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Triple Helix and the evolution of ecosystems of innovation: the case of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley's innovation ecosystem has transformed over the past decade. The study tracks how the Triple Helix agents—universities, industry, and government—have shifted their roles and interactions. Key changes include the emergence of accelerator programs, corporations engaging startups earlier, geographic expansion into San Francisco, universities investing in capital funds, and the rise of micro-multinationals responding to talent competition.
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The process of user-innovation: a case study in a consumer goods setting
Users developing new products in kitesurfing follow a structured two-stage process: idea generation and idea realisation. Unlike manufacturers' formal development phases, users employ intuition-driven approaches but still follow identifiable sequences. Manufacturers can improve innovation by closely observing how users actually invent and develop products.
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Digital Influencers, Food and Tourism—A New Model of Open Innovation for Businesses in the Ho.Re.Ca. Sector
This paper examines how digital influencer marketing functions as open innovation for food and tourism businesses. Researchers analyzed Instagram posts by major influencer Chiara Ferragni promoting Italian food and tourist destinations during the COVID-19 economic crisis. Using netnographic analysis and the AGIL model, they measured how local food enhanced destination appeal across different contexts. The study proposes a new open innovation model for advertising and promoting food and catering businesses through influencer-driven social media campaigns.
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Entrepreneurial orientation and supply chain resilience of manufacturing SMEs in Yemen: the mediating effects of absorptive capacity and innovation
Manufacturing SMEs in Yemen improve their supply chain resilience through entrepreneurial orientation, but only indirectly. The relationship works through two mechanisms: absorptive capacity and innovation. Entrepreneurial orientation alone is insufficient; firms must actively develop their ability to absorb external knowledge and innovate to strengthen supply chain resilience.
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Creating and capturing value in a regional innovation ecosystem: a study of how manufacturing SMEs develop collaborative solutions
Danish manufacturing SMEs collaborating on an automation project reveal how small firms create and capture value within regional innovation ecosystems. Common goals and financial support enable value creation, but companies must balance their own operations with ecosystem commitments. Success depends on managing knowledge flows across organizations and aligning business models with ecosystem structures. The study shows that value capture occurs at the inter-organizational level, not just individually.
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Open Innovation Implementation to Sustain Indonesian SMEs
Indonesian small and medium enterprises face challenges in marketing, technology, capital access, and human resources despite their economic importance. Open innovation offers a solution by leveraging SMEs' existing agility and adaptability. The authors apply an innovation value chain framework to demonstrate how open innovation methodology can help Indonesian SMEs compete with larger firms and sustain economic growth.
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Success factors for innovation management in networks of small and medium enterprises
Small and medium enterprises increasingly innovate through networks to manage expensive, risky product development. This study identifies success factors for managing distributed innovation across multiple partners. Using survey data from 271 networks, the research confirms that traditional factors like product advantage and marketing proficiency matter, but also finds that network-specific factors—particularly network cohesion and organization—are equally critical for new product success.
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Insights on entrepreneurial bricolage and frugal innovation for sustainable performance
Sustainable leadership drives sustainable performance in emerging markets through frugal innovation and entrepreneurial bricolage. The paper proposes that leaders who practice sustainable leadership influence organizational performance by enabling frugal innovation—doing more with less—particularly when combined with entrepreneurial bricolage. The framework addresses poverty alleviation, sustainable education, and community development as pathways to economic growth and environmental protection.
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Entrepreneurial co‐creation: societal impact through open innovation
This paper examines how for-profit and not-for-profit entrepreneurs collaborate through open innovation initiatives like accelerators and living labs to create both business and social value. The authors find that different entrepreneur types pursuing shared opportunities generate competing social and business values. They identify four propositions showing how entrepreneurs' profit orientation and resource contributions determine what kinds of social value emerge from co-creation efforts.
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Born‐Global SMEs, Performance, and Dynamic Absorptive Capacity: Evidence from Spanish Firms
Spanish small businesses that internationalize from startup outperform competitors through dynamic absorptive capacity—their ability to acquire, assimilate, and apply market knowledge effectively. An entrepreneurial, market-oriented culture strengthens this capability. The study of 102 Spanish born-global SMEs confirms that success depends on firms' capacity to rapidly learn and adapt knowledge to market demands.
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Innovation embedded in entrepreneurs’ networks and national educational systems
Entrepreneurs' innovation depends on where they network. Public sphere networking—especially professional and international connections—boosts innovation, while private sphere networking reduces it. However, a country's quality educational system for entrepreneurship moderates these effects, adding innovation benefits to both types of networking. Analysis of 56,611 entrepreneurs across 61 countries confirms these patterns.
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What determines performance of cross‐border M&As by Chinese companies? An absorptive capacity perspective
Chinese companies increasingly use cross-border mergers and acquisitions to gain knowledge and strategic assets. This paper examines whether Chinese firms can effectively acquire and integrate these assets by analyzing their absorptive capacity—their ability to identify, assimilate, integrate, and apply external knowledge. Through case studies of Lenovo and TCL acquisitions, the authors show that acquisition performance depends heavily on the acquiring firm's absorptive capacity across multiple dimensions.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PROXIMITY AND REGIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEMS
Regional innovation systems rely heavily on intraregional networks, but this focus creates lock-in risks. The paper argues that extraregional relationships matter equally, with entrepreneurial migrants serving as crucial connectors. Geographical proximity alone is less important than cognitive and institutional proximity for fostering innovation across international boundaries.
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Collaborative entrepreneurship:how communities of networked firms use continuous innovation to create economic wealth
This book review examines how communities of networked firms drive economic growth through collaborative entrepreneurship and continuous innovation. The work explores how interconnected businesses working together create wealth by fostering ongoing innovation practices. The review synthesizes insights from Miles, Miles, and Snow's framework on collaborative business networks and their role in generating economic value.
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Universities as orchestrators of the development of regional innovation ecosystems in emerging economies
Universities in Porto Alegre, Brazil orchestrate regional innovation ecosystems by coordinating multiple stakeholders beyond traditional teaching and research roles. Three competing universities jointly foster knowledge mobility, manage innovation appropriability, and stabilize networks to support entrepreneurship. Unlike firm-based networks, university-led ecosystems distribute benefits across the broader region, not just participating organizations. Universities drive collective action by assuming leadership positions and delegating power to other actors.
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The Impact of Higher Education on Entrepreneurship and the Innovation Ecosystem: A Case Study in Mexico
A Master's program in technology commercialization at the University of Texas trained Mexican students in business creation methodologies. Survey data from 109 graduates shows the program successfully generated technology-based startups and built entrepreneurial skills. The research demonstrates that higher education can strengthen innovation ecosystems by connecting students, businesses, and technology transfer, offering a model other Latin American countries could adopt.
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The Role of Early Adopters in the Diffusion of New Products: Differences between Platform and Nonplatform Innovations
Early adopters play different roles in spreading platform versus nonplatform innovations. For platform innovations, early adopters drive diffusion by sharing their opinions and experiences with others. For nonplatform innovations, early adopters drive diffusion through imitation—later buyers adopt simply because competitors have adopted. Firms should target different early adopter segments based on innovation type to maximize diffusion success.
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Open innovation for SMEs in developing countries – An intermediated communication network model for collaboration beyond obstacles
SMEs in developing countries face significant barriers to innovation that their counterparts in developed nations do not. This paper proposes that government agencies can establish innovation hubs to connect SMEs with independent inventors and collaborators, enabling open innovation practices. The authors present a joint innovation model and test it against cases from developing countries to demonstrate how intermediated communication networks overcome obstacles to SME innovation.
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Frugal-based innovation model for sustainable development: technological and market turbulence
This study examines how sustainable leadership drives frugal innovation in small and medium enterprises across emerging markets. Using data from 500 SMEs in China and India, the researchers found that market and technological turbulence strengthen the relationship between sustainable leadership and frugal innovation. Frugal innovation mediates the connection between sustainable leadership and business performance in these contexts.
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Unpacking Open Innovation: Absorptive Capacity, Exploratory and Exploitative Openness, and the Growth of Entrepreneurial Biopharmaceutical Firms
Absorptive capacity and external relationships drive growth in small biopharmaceutical firms. A study of 349 firms across the US, UK, France, and Germany shows that a firm's ability to recognize and use external knowledge matters significantly for expansion. Exploratory partnerships depend on sustained R&D investment, while exploitative partnerships require stronger internal knowledge absorption capabilities.
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Determinants of Retailers’ Cross-channel Integration: An Innovation Diffusion Perspective on Omni-channel Retailing
Retailers in the U.S. adopt cross-channel integration based on their information-technology capabilities and private-label offerings, according to an innovation diffusion framework. Moderate product diversity supports integration better than high or low diversity. Financial resources matter more when industry concentration is high. The study identifies technology, organizational, and environmental factors driving omni-channel retail adoption.
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Social media: open innovation in SMEs finds new support
Small and medium-sized enterprises use social media to conduct open innovation with limited resources. The study of a startup called Aurea Productiva reveals how Web 2.0 tools create opportunities and challenges for collaborative innovation. SMEs can leverage social media by developing strategies that emphasize resource sharing, clearly communicating their vision, and building frameworks that enable external collaboration.
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Association between Innovative Entrepreneurial Orientation, Absorptive Capacity, and Farm Business Performance
This study examines how innovative entrepreneurial orientation and absorptive capacity drive farm business performance among banana farmers in Ecuador. Using structural equation modeling on 199 farmers, the researchers found that trust and entrepreneurial orientation strengthen absorptive capacity, which in turn boosts innovation. However, innovation outcomes did not directly improve farm business performance, suggesting other factors mediate this relationship.
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Entrepreneurial opportunities with toolkits for user innovation and design
User innovation toolkits shift product design from manufacturers to customers, enabling companies to develop products that precisely match customer needs while avoiding costly market research. The paper identifies two entrepreneurial strategies: high-end toolkits for radical innovation and low-end toolkits for mature markets. Startups are best positioned to exploit these opportunities, either as manufacturers or as intermediaries between users and established producers.
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The role of open innovation in fostering SMEs’ business model innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Open innovation practices enabled small and medium enterprises to transform their business models during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examined six SMEs across traditional sectors and found that external pressure from the crisis drove business model innovation, with open innovation management playing a central role in this transformation. Digital transformation often accompanied these changes.
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The Influence of Local Economic Conditions on Start-Ups and Local Open Innovation System
Local economic conditions significantly influence startup creation in urban areas. Research across 287 Polish cities reveals that human capital and financial resources are the dominant factors enabling new ventures. Business incubators and technology parks have smaller but meaningful effects on startup formation. Direct municipal support and involvement in entrepreneurship development produces positive outcomes, suggesting cities should prioritize resource allocation to foster startup ecosystems.
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Antecedents of absorptive capacity in the development of circular economy business models of small and medium enterprises
Small and medium enterprises struggle to adopt circular economy business models. This study examined six Italian horticultural SMEs to identify what enables them to absorb and implement circular economy practices. The research found that acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation capabilities drive successful circular economy adoption. Three specific antecedents support each capability dimension.
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The Impact of Enterprise Resource Planning on Business Performance: With the Discussion on Its Relationship with Open Innovation
Enterprise resource planning systems improve financial and non-financial performance in Saudi small and medium enterprises. The study surveyed 120 Saudi SMEs and found that management support, user satisfaction, and training significantly drive effective ERP adoption. These systems enhance overall business performance, helping SMEs compete in increasingly crowded markets.
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Science, business, and innovation: understanding networks in technology‐based incubators
This study examines how networks form within a Canadian technology-based incubator. The research reveals that incubators generate multiple distinct types of networks rather than a single uniform phenomenon. The authors identify specific factors that enable or constrain network formation among high-tech firms and other organizations. The findings emphasize that inter-organizational interactions in incubators are more complex and varied than previously understood.
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Investigating the Research Trends on Strategic Ambidexterity, Agility, and Open Innovation in SMEs: Perceptions from Bibliometric Analysis
This bibliometric analysis of 606 articles from 2008–2021 examines how small and medium enterprises can combine strategic ambidexterity, agility, and open innovation to survive crises like COVID-19. The authors propose a business model integrating these three elements, showing that open innovation helps SMEs develop ambidexterity and agility for competitive advantage. British scholars dominate citations on this topic.
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Innovation as the key to gain performance from absorptive capacity and human capital
This study examines how Spanish wine companies achieve strong organizational performance through innovation, absorptive capacity, and human capital. The research of 138 firms shows that absorptive capacity and human capital enable businesses to fully realize the benefits of innovation. The findings demonstrate that these three resources—absorptive capacity, human capital, and innovation—drive performance and competitive advantage.
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The role of knowledge absorptive capacity on the relationship between cognitive social capital and entrepreneurial orientation
This study examines how cognitive social capital influences entrepreneurial orientation in Spanish agri-food firms, finding a U-shaped relationship where very low and very high cognitive closeness both boost entrepreneurial behavior. Knowledge absorptive capacity strengthens this effect. Managers should cultivate cognitively close networks with shared goals and build their firm's capacity to absorb and apply new knowledge to enhance innovation and risk-taking.
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Expanding Capabilities in a Mature Manufacturing Firm: Absorptive Capacity and the TCS
A small UK manufacturing firm with 70 employees participated in a Teaching Company Scheme over two years, which improved its absorptive capacity—the ability to assimilate new knowledge and skills. The company introduced new organizational routines to codify tacit knowledge, resulting in a 25% increase in turnover. The study shows that structured knowledge-transfer programs help mature small firms expand their managerial capabilities.
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Network cooperation and economic performance of SMEs: Direct and mediating impacts of innovation and internationalisation
Network cooperation drives SME economic performance through two pathways: innovation and internationalization. Studying 117 Indian exporting firms, the research shows that customer and R&D organization networks boost performance primarily via innovation, while government agencies, customers, and R&D organizations influence performance through internationalization. Both innovation and internationalization act as critical mediators between network relationships and firm economic outcomes.
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Responsible innovation by social entrepreneurs: an exploratory study of values integration in innovations
Social entrepreneurs integrate ethical values into their innovations by creating direct socio-ethical value for beneficiaries, coordinating stakeholder action, and evaluating impact. This study of 42 social enterprises reveals they develop bottom-up solutions that scale through institutional support, enabling systems-level change. The research provides a practical model for implementing and scaling responsible innovation in business contexts.
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How do Scientists Contribute to the Performance of Innovative Start‐ups? An Imprinting Perspective on Open Innovation
Scientists boost innovative startup performance by promoting open innovation through broad and deep external search, but only when multiple scientist founders work together to transfer their lab-based career experiences. This advantage strengthens further when startups adopt strategic planning and commercial goals. However, scientist founders can become a liability if startups neglect strategic planning or prioritize non-commercial objectives.
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Absorptive capacity and small family firm performance: exploring the mediation processes
Small family firms in India improve performance by developing absorptive capacity—the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge. The study shows this works indirectly: absorptive capacity enables firms to adopt entrepreneurial, market, and technology orientations, which then drive better performance. Strategic orientation acts as the mechanism linking knowledge investment to business results.
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The innovation ecosystem as booster for the innovative entrepreneurship in the smart specialisation strategy
Innovation ecosystems drive regional growth by creating environments where knowledge flows among multiple stakeholders, fostering innovative entrepreneurship. The paper argues that these dynamic, multi-actor systems support knowledge creation, diffusion, and absorption, enabling regions to achieve intelligent growth and competitive positioning. The authors recommend that policymakers and researchers prioritize innovation ecosystems as central to knowledge-based regional development strategies.
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Realising potential: The impact of business incubation on the absorptive capacity of new technology-based firms
University technology business incubators strengthen new technology firms' ability to absorb and apply new knowledge. The study finds that collaborative dialogue between founders, mentors, advisers, and incubator directors creates an iterative process that converts potential absorptive capacity into realized capacity. This interaction directly improves how firms develop viable business models and integrate external knowledge.
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Do knowledge sharing and big data analytics capabilities matter for green absorptive capacity and green entrepreneurship orientation? Implications for green innovation
Big data analytics capabilities directly strengthen firms' ability to absorb green knowledge and adopt green entrepreneurship practices. Knowledge sharing amplifies these effects. Together, these factors drive green innovation in manufacturing. The study demonstrates that aligning data analytics with green business strategies creates a foundation for sustainable competitive advantage.
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The interactive effect of innovation capability and potential absorptive capacity on innovation performance
This study examined how innovation capability and absorptive capacity work together to improve firm performance. Researchers surveyed 238 firms in Peru's cultural tourism destinations and found that the combination of these two factors significantly boosts innovation performance. The findings help companies in tourism-dependent regions develop strategies to enhance competitiveness and sustainability.
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Stimulating frugal innovation via information technology resources, knowledge sources and market turbulence: a mediation-moderation approach
IT resources directly boost frugal innovation in small and medium enterprises, and this effect is partly mediated by knowledge sources. Market turbulence strengthens how knowledge sources drive innovation in functionality and ecosystem design, but weakens their impact on cost reduction. The study surveyed 355 Pakistani SME employees and identifies IT investment and knowledge management as levers for developing-country firms to build frugal innovation capabilities.
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Information technology and firm performance: mediation role of absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship in manufacturing SMEs
This study examines how information technology capabilities improve performance in manufacturing SMEs in Pakistan. The research finds that absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship partially explain this relationship. IT technical skills that flow through absorptive capacity and then corporate entrepreneurship most strongly predict firm performance, revealing the mechanisms through which technology investments translate into business success.
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Identification of Lead User Characteristics Driving the Quality of Service Innovation Ideas
This study identifies which lead user characteristics produce higher-quality service innovation ideas. Analyzing 120 ideas from an online services innovation contest for soccer clubs, the researchers found that dissatisfied customers and highly experienced users generate the best ideas. Companies should recruit dissatisfied users from complaint databases and experienced users into closed-membership idea contests to improve innovation outcomes.
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Digital Servitization and Business Model Innovation in SMEs: A Model to Escape From Market Disruption
Small and medium manufacturing enterprises face market disruption from rapid digital technology adoption. This study develops a digital servitization model that enables SMEs to redesign their business models by delivering smart, connected products and services. The model helps SMEs overcome disruption and compete effectively despite their limited resources, offering practical guidance for manufacturing firms transitioning to service-based operations.
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Innovation of Startups, the Key to Unlocking Post-Crisis Sustainable Growth in Romanian Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Romanian startups face significant vulnerability during crises like COVID-19. The paper surveyed 168 students about entrepreneurial opportunities and found that startups must innovate through ICT-based businesses and social entrepreneurship to achieve sustainable growth. Building strong relationships with employees, industry peers, public sector, academia, and citizens, combined with green business practices, enables startups to recover and develop a resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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RETRACTED ARTICLE: Startups and the innovation ecosystem in Industry 4.0
Startups incubated at a Brazilian innovation center drive digital manufacturing through open innovation partnerships with companies, universities, and government agencies. These collaborations operate informally and remain at early maturity stages, yet the complex ecosystem of knowledge sources functions as a strategic asset. The study reveals how startup partnerships advance Industry 4.0 adoption while exposing significant implementation challenges in Brazil.
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Outsourcing creativity: An abductive study of open innovation using corporate accelerators
Corporate accelerators bring startups together with established companies to share innovation and funding. This study examines how these programs actually work by analyzing their strategy, resources, roles, and structure. The research reveals the characteristics and mechanisms of corporate accelerators as an open innovation model, filling a gap in empirical understanding of why companies use them and what they expect to gain.
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Open innovation in SMEs: How can small companies and start-ups benefit from open innovation strategies?
Small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups can leverage open innovation strategies to access external knowledge, resources, and partnerships that enhance their competitive advantage. By collaborating beyond organizational boundaries, SMEs overcome resource constraints and accelerate innovation cycles, enabling them to compete more effectively in dynamic markets.
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Venture team human capital and absorptive capacity in high technology new ventures
High-technology startups use acquisitions and joint ventures to acquire new knowledge as existing knowledge becomes obsolete. This study of 340 U.S. high-tech ventures finds that the diversity of skills and experience on the top management team strengthens how well these ventures learn from venturing activities and convert that learning into innovation and financial performance. However, the overall level of management team experience alone does not matter.
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The impact of coopetition-based open innovation on performance in nonprofit sports clubs
Nonprofit sports clubs in Germany that collaborate with competitors (coopetition) and adopt external knowledge improve their organizational performance. The study shows this happens through a two-step process: clubs first use outside knowledge, then implement organizational innovations like new services and business models. Both steps boost financial stability and membership growth.
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GE's Ecomagination Challenge: An Experiment in Open Innovation
GE's ecomagination Challenge used open innovation to solicit green energy ideas from external entrepreneurs and startups, investing $140 million across 23 ventures by 2011. The case examines whether this approach delivered sufficient returns relative to GE's massive energy business, and considers how the company should measure success and structure future open innovation efforts to generate meaningful commercial outcomes.
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Exploring the role of organizational creativity and open innovation in enhancing SMEs performance
This study examines how organizational creativity and open innovation affect small and medium enterprise performance in Indonesia. Using data from 206 SMEs, the research found that both organizational creativity and open innovation significantly improve business performance. The study defines organizational creativity as combining individual creativity, group creativity, internal environment, and knowledge creation—a broader framework than previous research. The findings counter the perception that research and development is too costly, demonstrating direct performance benefits.
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Knowledge Management, Knowledge Creation, and Open Innovation in Icelandic SMEs
Two Icelandic SMEs—a software company and a food producer—manage knowledge and innovation differently. The software company uses inside-out open innovation, engaging customers late in development. The food company uses outside-in innovation, involving customers and suppliers early. Both treat knowledge creation as a learning process, confirming that high-tech firms favor internal-to-external strategies while low-tech firms rely on external input from the start.
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INITIATING OPEN INNOVATION COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN INCUMBENTS AND STARTUPS: HOW CAN DAVID AND GOLIATH GET ALONG?
This study examines how large established firms select startup partners for open innovation collaborations. Using qualitative research with perspectives from both incumbents and startups plus external experts, the authors develop a process model showing how partner selection works in these asymmetric partnerships. The research addresses a gap in understanding how open innovation collaborations actually get initiated, beyond just their success factors.
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Broad Search, Deep Search, and the Absorptive Capacity Performance of Family and Nonfamily Firm R&D
Family firms and nonfamily firms learn differently from their R&D investments. Family influence strengthens the ability to convert R&D into exploitative innovations through deep external search, but weakens the ability to develop exploratory innovations through broad external search. Analysis of 346 Dutch manufacturing firms confirms this pattern.
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Networking and innovation in SMEs: evidence from Guangdong Province, China
This study examines how business network structures affect innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises. Using survey data from 92 packaging and printing firms in Guangdong Province, China, the researchers found that network density, reciprocity, and multiplicity positively correlate with firms' innovative capabilities. SMEs can boost innovation by strategically understanding and leveraging their business network structures.
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The Impact of Absorptive Capacity on Innovation: The Mediating Role of Organizational Learning
This study examines how absorptive capacity drives innovation in small and medium-sized Spanish companies, revealing that organizational learning acts as a critical mediator in this relationship. Using structural equation modeling on 306 company surveys, the research shows that absorptive capacity translates into actual innovation primarily when learning capability is actively engaged. The findings help organizations understand how to manage knowledge more effectively to boost innovation performance.
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The Influence of Entrepreneurship and Social Networks on Economic Growth—From a Sustainable Innovation Perspective
Entrepreneurship and social networks both significantly drive regional economic growth in China, with effects varying by geography. Eastern regions benefit most from entrepreneurship, while central regions gain more from social networking. The study analyzed 31 Chinese provinces from 2007–2016 using dynamic panel methods, finding that entrepreneurship's impact strengthens when combined with social networks. Policymakers should tailor entrepreneurship support to regional conditions and leverage social networks to maximize economic efficiency.
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Implementing Responsible Research and Innovation Practices in SMEs: Insights into Drivers and Barriers from the Austrian Medical Device Sector
Austrian medical device SMEs largely lack awareness of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as a formal concept, yet many already practice elements of it. The paper identifies drivers and barriers to RRI implementation in small firms, showing that SMEs can build on existing responsible practices to develop more comprehensive RRI approaches tailored to their organizational contexts and constraints.
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Open innovation models adopted in practice: an extensive study in Italy
Italian manufacturing companies adopt open innovation in four distinct models, varying by how many external partners they collaborate with and how many innovation process phases they open to outsiders. The study identifies 'open and closed innovators,' 'integrated collaborators,' and 'specialized collaborators,' showing that openness is not a binary choice but a spectrum companies calibrate to their specific contexts and performance goals.
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How does smart technology, artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and algorithms (STAARA) awareness affect hotel employees’ career perceptions? A disruptive innovation theory perspective
Hotel employees who perceive smart technology and AI negatively report higher job insecurity and desire to leave. Career progression opportunities reduce this effect. The study shows that employees with strong advancement prospects feel less threatened by automation, regardless of their views on the technology. Career development emerges as a practical strategy to help workers adapt to technological disruption in hospitality.
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The role of digital business transformation in frugal innovation and SMEs’ resilience in emerging markets
Digital business transformation significantly strengthens frugal innovation and SME resilience in emerging markets. Organizational learning drives all three factors. The study surveyed 214 SME owners and managers, finding that companies must develop dynamic capabilities in digital transformation, frugal innovation, and organizational learning to survive and thrive in emerging market conditions.
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Jack of All, Master of Some: Information Network and Innovation in Crowdsourcing Communities
Firms that operate both customer support and innovation crowdsourcing communities gain significant advantages. Participants who engage in customer support communities accumulate knowledge about customer needs and solutions, which they then apply to generate higher-quality, more novel and feasible ideas in innovation communities. Companies can identify high-potential innovators by tracking their customer support activities and strategically mobilize them for innovation tasks.
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Start-up absorptive capacity: Does the owner’s human and social capital matter?
Owner human and social capital significantly influence how new ventures absorb external information. Analysis of 199 Flemish start-ups shows that owner experience and bridging social capital boost absorptive capacity. Management experience helps in dynamic environments but hinders performance in stable ones. The effect of owner human capital decreases as environmental turbulence increases.
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Consumer Behavior in Clothing Industry and Its Relationship with Open Innovation Dynamics during the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study examined how Filipino consumers' clothing purchases changed during COVID-19. Using surveys of 457 respondents, researchers found that marketing mix strategies—including advertisements, promotions, and sales—most strongly influenced actual purchase behavior. COVID-19 severity and consumer self-efficacy also shaped purchasing decisions. The findings show that innovation in marketing approaches and health safety measures drove clothing sales during the pandemic.
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Ecosystem effectuation: creating new value through open innovation during a pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, AirAsia transformed its grounded airline operations by building an open innovation ecosystem rather than pursuing incremental improvements. The company created new value by reconfiguring its business model based on available resources and capabilities, introducing the concept of ecosystem effectuation. This case demonstrates how organizations facing financial distress can use radical ambidexterity and open innovation to survive and generate opportunities.
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Absorptive capacity, marketing capabilities, and innovation commercialisation in Nigeria
Nigerian manufacturing and service firms that invest in absorptive capacity—through openness to external knowledge and formal training—and develop marketing capabilities for new products commercialize innovations more successfully. The study reveals that learning capacity and marketing skills directly drive innovation performance, suggesting government policies should support both knowledge absorption and marketing innovation to help firms capture value from their innovations.
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Benefits and costs of open innovation: the BeCO framework
This study examines whether the benefits of open innovation outweigh its costs for small and medium manufacturing enterprises. The authors developed a framework identifying twelve propositions about benefits and costs of inbound and outbound open innovation. Testing this framework on 96 firms, they found that most companies experience the identified benefits and costs, but surprisingly few suffer from not-invented-here syndrome or loss of competitive advantage.
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Overcoming barriers to innovation in SMEs in China: A perspective based cooperation network
Chinese manufacturing SMEs face significant innovation barriers, with lack of technical experts being the primary obstacle. Customer relationships emerge as the most valuable cooperation partners for innovation. Tax incentives are the most effective policy support. The research shows SMEs struggle with innovation success and require tailored policies addressing both internal constraints and firm characteristics like size and ownership structure.
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Digitalizing business models in hospitality ecosystems: toward data-driven innovation
Hospitality businesses must adopt data-driven business models to innovate and create value in digital ecosystems. This study interviewed managers at hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and guesthouses to identify how they use data strategically. The research reveals that strategy is central to enabling data-driven innovation in hospitality, and develops a framework applicable to other service industries and small-to-medium enterprises seeking to leverage data for competitive advantage.
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Open data for open innovation: managing absorptive capacity in SMEs
Small and medium enterprises struggle to use open data for innovation because they lack specific capabilities to acquire, process, and apply it effectively. The study identifies core factors that shape how SMEs handle open data and finds that without developing these unique capabilities, most SMEs cannot successfully leverage open data for digital innovation, explaining why adoption remains limited.
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Fostering Scaleup Ecosystems for Regional Economic Growth (<i>Innovations Case Narrative</i>: Manizales-Mas and Scale Up Milwaukee)
This paper examines how regions can build scaleup ecosystems to drive economic growth. Using case studies from Manizales, Colombia and Milwaukee, USA, the authors analyze strategies for fostering entrepreneurship and scaling businesses as alternatives to traditional economic development approaches like direct investment attraction and cluster development. The work demonstrates practical methods for creating regional conditions that support growing ventures.
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Is digitalization a source of innovation? Exploring the role of digital diffusion in SME innovation performance
Digital adoption significantly boosts innovation performance in small and medium-sized enterprises. The study of 1,100 German SMEs found that higher digital diffusion directly increases innovation output. Absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to learn and apply new knowledge—moderates this effect for product innovation specifically, but not for other innovation types. Digital tools act as a catalyst for SME innovation.
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Building Responsible Innovation in International Organizations through Intrapreneurship
International organizations like the UN struggle to innovate despite their mandate for responsible innovation. This study examines eight intrapreneurial initiatives in socially oriented organizations, finding that initiatives originating in country offices scale through two pathways: organic country-by-country expansion or strategic headquarters-driven scaling. Both approaches manage tensions differently to build competence, align structures, and extend organizational mission. Intrapreneurship enables digital transformation and develops organizational capacity for responsible innovation.
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The virtues of variety in regional innovation systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems
Regional innovation systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems drive growth through diverse, interconnected approaches rather than linear models. The paper examines how cooperative policy frameworks in South Korea, Scandinavia, Germany, and France foster regional innovation better than market-driven approaches. Variety in ecosystem design generates sustainable economic growth and entrepreneurial success at the regional level, outperforming individualistic growth theories.
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Sustainable leadership and heterogeneous knowledge sharing: the model for frugal innovation
Sustainable leadership drives frugal innovation in Pakistani small businesses by enabling both internal and external knowledge sharing across diverse sources. The study analyzed 263 SME participants and found that leaders promoting sustainability encourage employees and external partners to exchange heterogeneous knowledge, which then facilitates resource-constrained innovation. Knowledge sharing acts as the mechanism connecting leadership style to frugal innovation outcomes.
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The design and testing of a tool for developing responsible innovation in start-up enterprises
This paper develops and tests a tool designed to help startup enterprises integrate responsible innovation practices into their operations. The researchers tracked the tool's effectiveness across 12 sustainability-focused startups in agriculture, food, and energy sectors. The tool enables innovators to systematically identify socio-ethical issues through experiential learning cycles. The study demonstrates that completing full learning cycles allows the tool to successfully embed responsible innovation principles into real-world competitive business settings.
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Framework of open innovation in SMEs in an emerging economy: firm characteristics, network openness, and network information
This study examines open innovation practices among small and medium enterprises in China using survey data from 420 firms. The research shows that firm characteristics like innovation capacity and barriers, combined with network openness and information flow, significantly influence how Chinese SMEs engage in open innovation. The findings demonstrate that open innovation represents a viable strategy for emerging market SMEs seeking to overcome resource constraints.
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Introduction: Small Business and Networked Innovation: Organizational and Managerial Challenges
Small and medium-sized enterprises face distinct organizational and managerial challenges when participating in networked innovation. This introduction to a special issue outlines these challenges and synthesizes findings from included articles that advance understanding of how smaller firms navigate collaborative innovation ecosystems and manage the complexities of working across organizational boundaries.
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Moderating effect of absorptive capacity on the entrepreneurial orientation of international performance of family businesses
Family businesses with stronger entrepreneurial orientation achieve better international performance. Absorptive capacity—the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge—strengthens this relationship. The study of 218 family firms shows that improving international results requires developing entrepreneurial orientation while building the firm's capacity to absorb and use external knowledge effectively.
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Innovation and collaboration in traditional food chain networks
Small and medium-sized enterprises in traditional food sectors across Italy, Hungary, and Belgium prioritize product innovation over organizational innovation. Collaboration among chain network members—suppliers, manufacturers, and customers—strengthens firms' innovation capabilities, though collaboration intensity varies by position in the network. The study identifies collaboration as a key driver of innovation competence in traditional food SMEs.
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SME innovation and learning: the role of networks and crisis events
Small and medium enterprises learn and innovate primarily through informal networks, mentoring, and coaching rather than formal training. Innovative SMEs show stronger commitment to learning, embrace shared organizational vision, and learn effectively from crisis events through reflection. Access to external mentors and informal networks significantly supports SME innovation and learning.
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Social Entrepreneurship Education as an Innovation Hub for Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: The Case of the KAIST Social Entrepreneurship MBA Program
Social entrepreneurship education programs function as innovation hubs that build entrepreneurial ecosystems by cultivating entrepreneurs' ability to connect diverse stakeholders. The authors propose a framework emphasizing internal connectivity among program members and external connectivity with universities, firms, government, civil society, and environmental entities. Analysis of a Korean MBA program identifies isolated entities needing stronger interaction to achieve social entrepreneurship education's goals.
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Is There a Doctor in the House? Expert Product Users, Organizational Roles, and Innovation
Surgeon-inventors and board members strengthen innovation in surgical instrument startups, but surgeon-executives often block it. The study of 231 ventures over 25 years shows expert users excel at generating diverse solutions but struggle with selecting the right ones for organizational strategy. Expertise backfires when organizational roles mismatch with expert capabilities, revealing how external dependencies shape young firm innovation.
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The Unexplored Contribution of Responsible Innovation in Health to Sustainable Development Goals
Responsible Innovation in Health represents an emerging approach that addresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals beyond health alone. The study identified 105 health innovations, mostly from non-profits and universities, with 47% originating in the United States and targeting Africa, Central/South America, and South Asia. These innovations addressed newborn care, mobility issues, infectious diseases, and healthcare access. Most aligned with goals on reducing inequalities and partnerships, while fewer addressed economic development or environmental sustainability. The innovations combined entrepreneurship with social impact to tackle health determinants.
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Understanding absorptive capacity in Malaysian small and medium sized (SME) construction companies
Malaysian construction SMEs in rural areas struggle to absorb and implement new knowledge and technology. This study identifies nine key factors influencing their absorptive capacity: cost, supply availability, demand, infrastructure, policies, labour readiness, workforce motivation, communication channels, and organizational culture. The findings apply broadly to SMEs in other developing countries facing similar innovation barriers.
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Enhancing Innovation Capacity in SMEs through Early Network Relationships
Small firms develop innovation capacity through early network relationships that combine characteristics of both weak and strong ties. A longitudinal case study of a mobile-commerce startup shows that networks formed during the firm's earliest stages proved critical for sustained innovation. The research challenges traditional network theory's weak-strong tie distinction and recommends that entrepreneurs prioritize building strong relationships from the outset of network formation.
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Effect of network embeddedness on innovation performance of small and medium-sized enterprises
Network embeddedness significantly boosts innovation performance in small and medium-sized enterprises. SMEs that combine strong network connections with openness to innovation achieve substantially better innovation outcomes than those relying on networks alone. The study of 388 Ghanaian SMEs shows that organizational structures emphasizing trust and collaborative openness enable effective knowledge transfer and innovation.
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Network centrality and innovation performance: the role of formal and informal institutions in emerging economies
Network centrality affects innovation performance differently depending on institutional context. In Chinese entrepreneurial firms, strong market institutions boost the positive effect of network centrality on innovation, while strong social cohesion weakens it. The combination matters most: firms gain maximum innovation benefits from central networks when markets are competitive and social ties are loose.
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Innovation in the Green Economy: An Extension of the Regional Innovation System Model?
Green innovation in California varies significantly by sector and doesn't automatically drive growth. Environmentally pressured firms innovate processes most, while new green companies target local markets. Traditional firms benefit from innovation, but emerging green firms need local network support and additional resources to commercialize new products and reach markets.
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Regional Innovation Cluster for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME): A Triple Helix Concept
Regional innovation clusters strengthen small and medium enterprises by fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government—a triple helix approach. These clusters form part of broader regional innovation systems that support national economic growth. Government programs promoting cluster development enhance SME competitiveness and contribute significantly to the economy.
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The Role of Venture Capital Investment in Startups’ Sustainable Growth and Performance: Focusing on Absorptive Capacity and Venture Capitalists’ Reputation
Venture capital investment at early stages significantly improves startup growth and performance, particularly when startups possess high potential absorptive capacity. The study analyzed 363 listed firms from 2000 to 2007 and found that initial-stage VC funding creates stronger sustainable growth than later-stage investment. Realized absorptive capacity showed no moderating effect, but potential absorptive capacity strengthened the relationship between early VC investment and firm performance.
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Effect of entrepreneurial orientation on radical innovation performance among manufacturing SMEs: the mediating role of absorptive capacity
Manufacturing SMEs in Ghana that combine entrepreneurial orientation with strong absorptive capacity—the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge—achieve significantly better radical innovation performance. The study shows that both potential absorptive capacity (acquiring knowledge) and realized absorptive capacity (applying knowledge) mediate this relationship, with balance between the two capacities producing the strongest innovation outcomes.
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Enabling Ecosystems for Social Enterprises and Social Innovation: A Capability Approach Perspective
Social enterprises can solve social problems innovatively, but their success depends on supportive ecosystems. This study analyzed data from 164 stakeholder interviews, 850 social enterprises across 11 EU countries, and behavioral experiments to identify what enables social innovation. The authors recommend policymakers adopt integrated, multi-disciplinary approaches to create ecosystems that help social enterprises develop and innovate effectively.
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Towards innovation performance of SMEs: investigating the role of digital platforms, innovation culture and frugal innovation in emerging economies
Digital platforms directly boost innovation performance in small and medium enterprises in emerging economies, while innovation culture mediates this relationship. Frugal innovation moderates the link between innovation culture and performance. The study surveyed 387 managers at Pakistani SMEs and found that businesses adopting digital platforms and fostering innovation culture achieve better innovation outcomes, critical for competing in dynamic emerging markets.
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Connecting corporations and communities: Towards a theory of social inclusive open innovation
The paper argues that existing institutions fail to address persistent social needs and unmet challenges. It proposes that corporations must adopt open innovation approaches that blend grassroots ideas with corporate expertise in reciprocal and respectful ways. The authors contend that socio-ecological systems recognizing and rewarding innovation can respond quickly to emerging challenges, and that appropriate manufacturing and supply chain design must integrate with open innovation ecosystems to create jobs, build skills, and generate entrepreneurial opportunities.
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Development of small and medium-sized enterprise horizontal innovation networks: UK agri-food sector study
Small and medium-sized bakery businesses in the UK agri-food sector formed a horizontal innovation network to share resources and develop new products together. Over 27 months, researchers tracked how this network evolved through three distinct stages. The study shows that competing businesses can overcome rivalries through collaboration, using shared knowledge and social connections to increase competitiveness and drive joint innovation.
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Knowlege networks for innovation in small Scottish software firms
Small Scottish software companies rely on regional knowledge networks and clusters of complementary expertise to innovate and grow. The study reveals how learning through sociotechnical networks drives firm development, and shows that Scotland's infrastructure supports indigenous software ventures despite competition from foreign multinationals. Policy efforts to create a 'silicon glen' effect must account for these localized knowledge dynamics.
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The adoption of big data analytics in Jordanian SMEs: An extended technology organization environment framework with diffusion of innovation and perceived usefulness
Jordanian small and medium enterprises face barriers to adopting big data analytics despite recognizing its benefits. This study combined two innovation frameworks to identify factors driving adoption among 388 managers. Relative advantage, compatibility, low complexity, top management support, competitive pressure, and security all increased perceived usefulness, which directly boosted adoption rates. The findings provide guidance for SMEs pursuing digital transformation.
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Start-up collaboration units as knowledge brokers in Corporate Innovation Ecosystems: A study in the automotive industry
Start-up collaboration units within large automotive companies act as knowledge brokers between established firms and startups. The study identifies key barriers to knowledge exchange—including mismatched interpretations and conflicting expectations—and reveals six strategies SCUs use to improve collaboration: building networks, integrating communication, eliciting knowledge, orchestrating dialogue, encouraging creative thinking, and increasing organizational agility.
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Knowledge management process as a mediator between collaborative culture and frugal innovation: the moderating role of perceived organizational support
Collaborative culture in Pakistani manufacturing and service firms drives frugal innovation through knowledge management processes. Knowledge management partially mediates the relationship between collaborative culture and two types of frugal innovation—functional improvements and cost reduction—but not ecosystem innovation. Perceived organizational support strengthens the effect of collaborative culture on knowledge management and functional innovation, while weakening its effect on cost reduction and ecosystem innovation.
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Network Centrality and Open Innovation: A Social Network Analysis of an SME Manufacturing Cluster
Small and medium-sized manufacturers in an Irish cluster benefit from their position within innovation networks. Firms occupying central network positions—connected to more cluster members—show greater innovation activity in product development. Firm size, absorptive capacity, and managerial orientation determine a firm's network position. Despite knowledge-sharing concerns, networking activity correlates positively with innovation performance in low-technology manufacturing.
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Linking Transformational Leadership, Absorptive Capacity, and Corporate Entrepreneurship
Transformational leadership directly boosts corporate entrepreneurship in Pakistani small and medium enterprises, and also works indirectly through absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to recognize and use external knowledge. The study tested five entrepreneurship dimensions: innovation, new business venturing, self-renewal, proactivity, and risk-taking. Firms should hire transformational leaders and invest in absorptive capacity to strengthen entrepreneurial activities.
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Strategic orientations and responsible innovation in SMEs: The moderating effects of environmental turbulence
This study examines how strategic orientations drive responsible innovation in Chinese SMEs under different environmental conditions. Using data from 194 firms, the researchers found that digital and environmental orientations both boost responsible innovation, with environmental orientation having stronger effects. Market and technological turbulence strengthen the link between digital orientation and responsible innovation, but weaken the link between environmental orientation and responsible innovation.
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Responsible Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals in Business: An Agenda for Cooperative Firms
Responsible Innovation can help cooperative firms and social and solidarity economy businesses implement Sustainable Development Goals. The paper finds that these firms benefit from responsible innovation through business model transformation and contribute to SDGs by enabling partnerships and innovation. Cooperatives extend SDG implementation beyond their traditional principles to become key enablers of sustainable development across business sectors.
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Frugal innovation in developed markets – Adaption of a criteria-based evaluation model
This paper develops an evaluation model to assess why frugal innovations succeed or fail in developed markets. The authors adapt existing criteria for frugal innovation and introduce the concept of "second-degree frugal innovation" to distinguish developed-market frugal products from those in developing markets. Through three case studies, they demonstrate that frugal innovation success depends heavily on market context, with differences in usability, quality, and pricing. The model provides practitioners with tools like value analysis to optimize frugal product development.
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Strategic renewal of SMEs: the impact of social capital, strategic agility and absorptive capacity
Social capital drives strategic renewal in Pakistani manufacturing SMEs through strategic agility, with absorptive capacity amplifying this effect. The study surveyed 519 leaders across 123 firms in agricultural machinery, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, IT, and garments. Results show social capital directly improves strategic renewal, strategic agility mediates this relationship, and absorptive capacity strengthens the overall pathway.
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A study of factors influencing disruptive innovation in Chinese SMEs
Chinese SMEs face constraints from limited funding, size, and experience, yet disruptive innovation offers them a path to compete with larger firms. This study identifies distinct factors driving two types of disruption: high-end disruption depends on government support, external knowledge, strategic backing, and strong R&D capabilities, while low-end disruption relies on venture capital partnerships, external knowledge, R&D strength, and entrepreneurial innovation drive.
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Family firm performance: The influence of entrepreneurial orientation and absorptive capacity
This study examines how entrepreneurial orientation affects family firm performance in Spain, finding that absorptive capacity—the ability to recognize, assimilate, and apply new knowledge—mediates this relationship. The research shows that family firms cannot improve performance through entrepreneurial orientation alone; they must develop absorptive capacity to translate entrepreneurial efforts into actual business results.
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Impact of organizational learning on sustainable firm performance: Intervening effect of organizational networking and innovation
This study examines how organizational learning drives sustainable performance in small and medium manufacturing enterprises in Laos. Using surveys of 710 SME owners and structural equation modeling, the researchers found that organizational learning directly improves performance, while organizational networking and innovation act as intervening mechanisms. The results show that innovation alone doesn't guarantee better performance—it must be informed by strong information networks and learning processes.
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Open social innovation dynamics and impact: exploratory study of a fab lab network
Open social innovation through fab labs and makerspaces in Eastern Europe enables rapid local adaptation and social impact. A study of 170 fab labs in the CMIT network found that despite identical initial funding and rules, an open approach produced three distinct types—Education, Industry, and Residential—each tailored to local needs. This decentralized strategy delivered measurable social impact within years, outperforming top-down approaches. The research identifies key challenges social entrepreneurs face and proposes sustainability strategies.
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Business Models for Open Data Ecosystem: Challenges and Motivations for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Open data ecosystems bring together data providers, consumers, and service creators to develop new business opportunities. This study interviewed six ecosystem actors to understand their motivations, relationships, and business model needs. Actors recognize significant potential in open data but identify barriers preventing win-win conditions for all participants. The research reveals both strong motivations for engagement and critical obstacles requiring resolution to enable sustainable open data businesses.
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THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP AND CONFIGURING CORE INNOVATION CAPABILITIES TO ENHANCE INNOVATION PERFORMANCE IN A DISRUPTIVE ENVIRONMENT
Entrepreneurial leadership drives innovation performance in disrupted industries by shaping innovation strategy, while configuring core innovation capabilities—balancing exploration of new opportunities with exploitation of existing strengths—enhances performance during implementation. The study of Indonesia's telecommunications and banking sectors shows that entrepreneurial leadership and culture work together symbiotically, and firms should avoid collaborative innovation approaches that risk triggering core rigidities.
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Knowledge management in offshoring innovation by SMEs: role of internal knowledge creation capability, absorptive capacity and formal knowledge-sharing routines
This study examines how small and medium-sized enterprises manage knowledge when innovating through offshore supplier relationships. The research finds that internal knowledge creation strengthens a firm's ability to absorb external knowledge, which then improves innovation performance. Surprisingly, formal knowledge-sharing routines actually weaken this relationship, suggesting that SMEs benefit more from flexible, informal knowledge exchange with offshore partners than rigid procedures.
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Does absorptive capacity moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and supply chain resilience?
This study examines how absorptive capacity strengthens the link between entrepreneurial orientation and supply chain resilience in small and medium enterprises. Using data from 171 Yemeni manufacturing firms, the researchers found that entrepreneurial orientation directly improves supply chain resilience, and this effect becomes stronger when firms develop greater absorptive capacity. The findings suggest Yemeni SME managers should invest in building their firms' ability to acquire and apply new knowledge to maximize the benefits of entrepreneurial practices.
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In search of the frugal innovation strategy
This paper systematically reviews frugal innovation literature to establish it as a coherent business strategy for resource-constrained environments. Through co-citation analysis and systematic review of 42 papers, the authors clarify the scattered concept, define boundaries between frugal innovation and related approaches, and develop a framework with four strategic positions. They propose testable assumptions and explain when and how companies can apply frugal innovation strategy.
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Oops, I did it again! Knowledge leaks in open innovation networks with start-ups
Start-ups in open innovation networks experience unintended knowledge leaks when collaborating with larger, unequal partners. Using social network analysis and case studies in an Italian aerospace cluster, the authors demonstrate that knowledge flows—both intentional and accidental—occur across different knowledge types. The research warns managers and policymakers that start-ups' eagerness to participate may expose them to knowledge loss, while also showing how open innovation benefits from diverse collaborations.
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The Internationalization of SMES in Emerging Economies: Institional Embeddedness and Absorptive Capacities
Small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging economies pursue internationalization through different strategies based on their type. Incumbent SMEs leverage embedded networks with local governments and business groups to expand internationally. Entrepreneurial startups develop capabilities by learning from foreign firms and continuously identifying new opportunities in foreign markets. Both approaches enable SMEs to build knowledge and compete successfully in international markets.
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Disruptive innovation and circularity in start‐ups: A path to sustainable development
Brazilian start-ups are implementing disruptive innovations that advance circular economy principles in their business models. Through interviews with 50 start-up leaders, researchers found that these companies are partially adopting circular resource initiatives—including data management, supply chain partnerships, digitization, and new market opportunities—that support sustainable development. The study reveals varying adoption levels across market segments and identifies pathways for accelerating circular economy integration.
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Frugal innovation enablers: a comprehensive framework
This paper identifies fourteen key enablers of frugal innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises through literature review, expert interviews, and survey analysis of 200 employees and managers in Iran's home appliance manufacturing sector. The enablers include world-class design, human and social aspects, marketing, knowledge, prototyping, cultural and environmental considerations, brand creation, cost-cutting business models, and local R&D. The framework helps managers evaluate and develop capabilities for implementing frugal innovation.
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The impact of network orientation and entrepreneurial orientation on startup innovation and performance in emerging economies: The moderating role of strategic flexibility
In emerging economies, entrepreneurial orientation drives startup performance more than network orientation, particularly in early stages. Exploratory and exploitative innovation mediate these relationships differently: exploitative innovation matters most initially, while exploratory innovation becomes critical during growth. Strategic flexibility strengthens how entrepreneurial orientation and innovation types affect performance. The study surveyed 273 startups and reveals that startups benefit from balancing different innovation approaches as they mature.
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Green creativity, responsible innovation, and product innovation performance: A study of entrepreneurial firms in an emerging economy
Green creativity drives product innovation performance in entrepreneurial firms through responsible innovation practices. A study of 273 Vietnamese firms shows that firms committing more resources to environmental innovation strengthen this relationship. Responsible innovation mediates the effect of green creativity on product innovation outcomes, demonstrating how environmental commitment translates creative ideas into market performance.
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Incentivizing biodiversity conservation in artisanal fishing communities through territorial user rights and business model innovation
The authors designed a market-based program in Chile that gives artisanal fishers territorial user rights and financial incentives to establish no-take marine areas. The program commodifies biodiversity benefits created by fishers' conservation actions, using simple transactional infrastructure that can scale while remaining attractive to investors. Success requires matching supply, infrastructure, and demand components to local social-ecological conditions, potentially generating significant marine conservation gains.
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The role of internal and external sources of knowledge on frugal innovation: moderating role of innovation capabilities
Internal and external knowledge sources significantly drive frugal innovation in small and medium enterprises. Innovation capabilities strengthen this relationship. The study surveyed 288 Saudi Arabian SMEs using structural equation modeling, finding that firms combining diverse knowledge sources with strong innovation capabilities achieve greater frugal innovation outcomes.
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Bricolage as capability for frugal innovation in emerging markets in times of crisis
Brazilian companies develop frugal innovations more effectively during crises when they possess bricolage capability—the ability to creatively combine available resources in unconventional ways. This study of 215 Brazilian firms confirms that bricolage is a required managerial capability for emerging market companies to innovate under resource constraints. The research identifies bricolage skills as essential for managers seeking to drive frugal innovation during economic downturns.
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Community Networks and Sustainable Livelihoods in Tourism: The Role of Entrepreneurial Innovation
Entrepreneurial innovation in small tourism businesses creates sustainable livelihoods and community networks in rural areas. A case study of an eco-heritage resort in Kerala, India demonstrates how innovative tourism enterprises generate local jobs, economic linkages, and livelihood diversification while involving local stakeholders more effectively. Community-based tourism networks offer a sustainable development strategy that benefits disadvantaged communities through private-community partnerships.
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Pursuing Frugal Innovation for Sustainability at the Grassroots Level
Frugal innovation offers firms a practical approach to sustainability while serving underserved customers in developing countries. Three case studies from India show how frugal innovation creates new business models that address economic, social, and environmental challenges simultaneously. The paper argues that firms should adopt frugal innovation strategies to tackle pressing societal problems while promoting sustainability.
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A Nexus among Strategic Orientation, Social Network, Knowledge Sharing, Organizational Innovation, and MSMEs Performance
This study examines how resource orientation, market orientation, social networks, and knowledge sharing drive organizational innovation in small and medium enterprises, which in turn improves business performance. Research with batik MSMEs in Central Java, Indonesia shows that strategic practices, social connections, and knowledge exchange significantly boost innovation. The findings provide a comprehensive model for understanding what factors enable organizational innovation and enhance MSME performance.
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The impact of social networks on SMEs’ innovation potential
Social networks change how businesses operate, but their role in innovation remains understudied. This exploratory study examines whether Romanian SMEs recognize that social media interactions with customers, suppliers, and academics boost innovation potential. The research finds that Romanian businesses primarily use social networks for marketing rather than deliberately engaging external parties in innovation processes.
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How Firm Performs Under Stakeholder Pressure: Unpacking the Role of Absorptive Capacity and Innovation Capability
Stakeholder pressure drives small and medium-sized enterprises to develop absorptive capacity—the ability to learn and integrate new knowledge—which in turn builds innovation capability. The study of 291 manufacturing SMEs shows that absorptive capacity mediates how stakeholder pressure influences innovation capability, and innovation capability mediates how absorptive capacity affects firm performance. This chain demonstrates that managing external pressure through learning capacity directly improves business outcomes.
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The role of marketing capabilities, absorptive capacity, and innovation performance
This study examines how absorptive capacity influences organizational performance in Brazilian manufacturing firms. The research finds that absorptive capacity does not directly affect performance. Instead, marketing capabilities—including innovative capability and new product development—and innovation performance fully mediate this relationship. Managers should invest in absorptive capacity and marketing capabilities to improve competitive performance.
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How to unleash frugal innovation through internet of things and artificial intelligence: Moderating role of entrepreneurial knowledge and future challenges
IoT and artificial intelligence both significantly predict frugal innovation in China, according to analysis of 779 responses. Entrepreneurial knowledge moderates this relationship, meaning business skills help organizations effectively adopt these technologies for affordable, simple solutions. The study recommends that managers incorporate both IoT and AI capabilities while developing entrepreneurial competencies to compete in technology-driven markets.
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The effects of entrepreneurial ecosystems, knowledge management capabilities, and knowledge spillovers on international open innovation
This study analyzes how entrepreneurial ecosystems, knowledge management capabilities, and knowledge spillovers influence international open innovation collaborations. Using data from nearly 99,000 firms across 15 EU countries, the research finds that knowledge spillovers directly boost open innovation engagement. Knowledge management capabilities mediate this relationship, while entrepreneurial ecosystems strengthen the link between firm capabilities and innovation outcomes. Strong ecosystems enhance firms' knowledge management and foster spillovers within their networks.
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Constraint-Based Thinking: A Structured Approach for Developing Frugal Innovations
This paper introduces constraint-based thinking as a structured method for developing frugal innovations. The approach systematically identifies constraints, analyzes their root causes, maps causes to product features, and develops minimal viable products. Using medical device industry cases, the authors show how constraints become opportunities for innovation, providing a practical framework companies and researchers can use to create frugal solutions.
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Managing Strategic Partnerships with Universities in Innovation Ecosystems: A Research Agenda
This paper proposes a research framework for university-company partnerships in innovation ecosystems. It identifies four key dimensions: entrepreneurial learning network dynamics, university organizational structures supporting innovation, company capacity for successful partnerships, and tools for designing and assessing collaborative initiatives. The framework helps explain how strategic partnerships develop entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities in both academic and business organizations.
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The Mediating Effect of Absorptive Capacity and Relational Capital in Alliance Learning of SMEs
Small businesses need partnerships with complementary resources to grow. This study examines how learning intent, absorptive capacity, and relational capital work together to shape what innovative SMEs learn through business alliances. The research shows how these factors interact to influence both technological and non-technological learning outcomes in collaborative relationships.
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Explorative Versus Exploitative Business Model Change: The Cognitive Antecedents of Firm‐Level Responses to Disruptive Innovation
Incumbent firms respond to disruptive business model innovations through two strategies: exploring new disruptive models or exploiting existing ones. The study identifies cognitive drivers of each approach. Opportunity perception and perceived threats drive explorative adoption, while critical threats and industry tenure discourage it. Risk experience increases both strategies. These findings reveal how managers' perceptions shape strategic responses to disruption.
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Open innovation, networking, and business model dynamics: the two sides
Business models must be dynamic and network-focused to survive in competitive markets. Small innovative companies face distinct challenges because their business models are embedded within those of larger partners. This study examines how large pharmaceutical companies and venture capital firms structure networked business models that shape the opportunities and constraints facing small biotech companies in open innovation partnerships.
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Regional innovation, entrepreneurship and talent systems
Regional innovation systems have evolved unpredictably since the 1990s, with global economic shifts destabilizing them more than national factors. This paper argues that entrepreneurship and talent formation have been overlooked in understanding how regional systems develop. The author categorizes regional innovation system evolution based on the strength of these two variables, showing they are critical to system robustness.
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Impact of innovation strategy, absorptive capacity, and open innovation on SME performance: A Chilean case study
Absorptive capacity significantly influences how Chilean manufacturing SMEs adopt open innovation practices and develop innovation strategies. Innovation strategy fully mediates the relationship between absorptive capacity and inbound open innovation, while partially mediating the relationship with outbound open innovation. Open innovation practices directly improve SME performance. The findings offer guidance for policymakers and managers seeking to enhance competitiveness through strategic innovation.
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Open innovation ecosystems of restaurants: geographical economics of successful restaurants from three cities
Small restaurants succeed by adopting open innovation strategies across ingredients, recipes, and service delivery. The study of successful restaurants in Naples and South Korea shows that restaurants cannot rely on closed innovation alone. Instead, they must strategically open at least some aspects of their operations—whether sourcing ingredients, sharing recipes, or collaborating on service—to maintain competitive advantage and generate additional revenue streams.
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Evaluation of Farm Fresh Food Boxes: A Hybrid Alternative Food Network Market Innovation
Researchers evaluated Farm Fresh Food Boxes, a market innovation combining CSA-style produce with rural retail distribution across Vermont, Washington, and California. The model expanded farmer markets and improved rural food access, though profits remained modest. Consumers valued the fresh local produce and convenience, while farmers and retailers appreciated brand development and customer base expansion despite added labor demands. The innovation addressed rural food deserts and supply chain vulnerabilities.
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Diffusion of innovation among Malaysian manufacturing SMEs
Malaysian manufacturing SMEs adopt innovations based on perceived advantages, compatibility, and complexity, alongside their strategic orientation and organizational capacity. The study of 360 firms shows that these factors significantly influence product, process, and service innovation adoption and business performance. Policymakers should design support systems providing innovation information, cost-benefit analyses, and guidance on adoption processes tailored to SMEs' limited resources.
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Creative industry in supporting economy growth in Indonesia: Perspective of regional innovation system
Indonesia's government has promoted creative industries as a key economic driver since 2009, establishing a dedicated agency to develop this sector. This paper examines creative industries through a regional innovation systems lens, finding that creative industries and innovation are conceptually interconnected and together support national economic growth by shifting the economy from manufacturing-based to knowledge and intellectual asset-based models.
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Challenging the triple helix model of regional innovation systems: A venture-centric model
This paper critiques the triple helix model of regional innovation systems for excluding entrepreneurs and innovators. Through interviews, the authors find that government, university, and industry actors lack integration, and that entrepreneurs and researchers feel excluded from policy frameworks. They propose an alternative bottom-up double helix model centered on entrepreneurs as drivers of innovation, rather than treating innovation as a top-down process controlled by institutions.
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Fostering innovation through learning from digital business ecosystem: A dynamic capability perspective
Small and medium-sized enterprises participating in digital business ecosystems develop innovation capabilities through iterative learning and external resource leverage. The study identifies three key capabilities: detecting market changes, accessing external resources, and adapting to evolving conditions. SMEs gain competitive advantage by using ecosystem insights to predict customer preferences and drive product innovation, though over-reliance on external partners poses risks.
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Impact of absorptive capacity on project success through mediating role of strategic agility: Project complexity as a moderator
This study examines how absorptive capacity—the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge—influences project success in Portuguese IT companies. The research finds that both potential and realized absorptive capacity directly improve project outcomes and also work indirectly through strategic agility. Project complexity strengthens the link between potential absorptive capacity and strategic agility but does not affect the realized absorptive capacity relationship.
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Strategic green marketing orientation and environmental sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa: Does green absorptive capacity moderate? Evidence from Tanzania
Manufacturing enterprises in Tanzania that adopt strategic green marketing orientation significantly improve their environmental sustainability practices. The study finds that green absorptive capacity—the ability to recognize and apply environmental knowledge—strengthens this relationship. These findings demonstrate that integrating environmental considerations into business strategy and building capacity to absorb green innovations drives measurable sustainability improvements in manufacturing.
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Mediation-moderation model of green absorptive capacity and green entrepreneurship orientation for corporate environmental performance
Chinese manufacturing firms improve environmental performance by developing green absorptive capacity—the ability to convert environmental knowledge into practical application. The study shows that green absorptive capacity strengthens managerial environmental concern and green innovation performance, which then enhance environmental outcomes. Green entrepreneurship orientation helps exploit eco-friendly opportunities but only when green absorptive capacity bridges the gap between environmental awareness and business strategy.
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The entrepreneur in the regional innovation system. A comparative study for high- and low-income regions
This study examines how entrepreneur characteristics influence firm innovation across Spanish regions with different income levels. Entrepreneurs' trust and growth ambition affect innovation differently depending on regional development. Low-income regions face human capital and infrastructure barriers, while high-income regions struggle with legal and financial systems. The findings show policymakers must tailor innovation strategies to regional contexts rather than applying uniform approaches.
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User innovation in public service broadcasts: creating public value by media entrepreneurship
Public service broadcasters can indirectly foster media entrepreneurship by creating demand for external creative sources, though they hesitate to outsource directly to small media entrepreneurs due to quality concerns. Instead, large media companies act as intermediaries, connecting broadcaster demand with independent media entrepreneurs and their user-generated innovations, turning audience creativity into professional content.
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Digital transformation and social change: Leadership strategies for responsible innovation
Italian startup managers employ continuous learning, agile business models, and stakeholder engagement to navigate digital transformation while addressing ethical concerns. The study identifies key challenges including rapid technological change, scalability, and ethical considerations. Leaders emphasize collaborative partnerships and responsible innovation practices to balance technological advancement with societal impact, with emerging trends pointing toward tech-driven social enterprises and decentralized systems.
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Regional innovation system research trends: toward knowledge management and entrepreneurial ecosystems
This bibliometric analysis of regional innovation system research identifies three major research trends: innovation systems studies from the 1990s, knowledge management research from the 2000s onward, and entrepreneurial ecosystems research in recent years. The study examines Web of Science publications through 2017, revealing that knowledge, innovation, clusters, policy, networks, and R&D are central concepts in RIS research. The field has grown substantially, attracting attention from scientists, policymakers, and international organizations.
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Entrepreneurs’ Assessments of Early International Entry: The Role of Foreign Social Ties, Venture Absorptive Capacity, and Generalized Trust in Others
Entrepreneurs' decisions to enter foreign markets depend on their social ties abroad, their venture's ability to absorb new knowledge, and their trust in others. The study analyzed 4,352 international entry assessments from 136 entrepreneurs and found that these three factors interact significantly to shape how entrepreneurs evaluate opportunities for early international expansion.
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Disruptive Innovation vs Disruptive Technology: The Disruptive Potential of the Value Propositions of 3D Printing Technology Startups
This paper examines 3D printing technology startups and their potential to disrupt manufacturing through additive production methods. Rather than traditional subtractive or molding approaches, 3D printing builds products layer-by-layer using digital controls. The authors analyze whether these startups represent genuinely disruptive innovation or merely disruptive technology, evaluating their value propositions and market impact.
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The structural, relational and cognitive configuration of innovation networks between SMEs and public research organisations
This study examines how small firms and public research organizations collaborate in innovation networks. The researchers analyzed twelve case studies to understand network structure, relationships, and shared knowledge. They found that successful partnerships evolve together through different governance stages, face risks when trust becomes stagnant, and require overlapping knowledge bases and common language to function effectively.
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Nordic SMEs and Regional Innovation Systems
Nordic small and medium enterprises compete globally through innovation rather than cost-cutting, given their high wage levels. The paper examines how regional innovation systems support SME competitiveness in the Nordic countries, arguing that innovation capacity is essential for these firms to maintain economic viability in an increasingly globalized market.
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Collaborative innovation, strategic agility, & absorptive capacity adoption in SMEs: the moderating effects of customer knowledge management capability
Collaborative innovation significantly improves financial performance in Portuguese IT firms. Strategic agility and absorptive capacity both mediate this relationship. Customer knowledge management capability strengthens the link between collaborative innovation and strategic agility, but does not moderate the absorptive capacity pathway. The study shows that combining customer-oriented strategies with innovation helps firms navigate complex, unpredictable situations.
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A synthesized framework for the formation of startups’ innovation ecosystem
This systematic literature review synthesizes research on startup innovation ecosystems from 2008-2018 to develop a new framework. The authors identify key actors—incubators, financial suppliers, accelerators, universities, and companies—and map their interactions through structures, infrastructures, and networks. They classify startup innovation processes into three mechanisms: genesis, growth, and development. The framework helps policymakers understand startup requirements and design effective innovation policies.
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From knowledge sharing to quality performance: The role of absorptive capacity, ambidexterity and innovation capability in creative industry
Knowledge sharing drives absorptive capacity and ambidexterity in creative industry firms, which together strengthen innovation capability and ultimately improve quality performance. A mixed-methods study of 150 creative industry entrepreneurs in Indonesia found positive relationships across this chain: knowledge sharing boosts both absorptive capacity and ambidexterity, which enhance innovation capability, which increases company quality performance.
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The influence of knowledge absorptive capacity on shared value creation in social enterprises
Social enterprises that absorb and apply knowledge effectively create more shared value—combining economic and social benefits. The study tested 127 social enterprises in France and Spain, finding that knowledge absorptive capacity directly strengthens both economic and social value creation. Social value creation acts as a mechanism through which knowledge capacity drives economic gains, demonstrating that social enterprises generate profit by prioritizing social and environmental outcomes.
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KNOWLEDGE INFLOWS FROM MARKET- AND SCIENCE-BASED ACTORS, ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY, INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE — A STUDY OF SMEs
This study examines how small and medium-sized enterprises absorb external knowledge and convert it into innovation and business performance. Using data from 838 Australian SMEs, the researchers found that knowledge from market-based sources (like customers and competitors) directly boosts innovation, while knowledge from science-based sources (like universities) works indirectly by first building the firm's absorptive capacity. Both pathways ultimately improve firm performance through innovation.
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International networking in dynamic internationalization capability: the moderating role of absorptive capacity
Small and medium-sized manufacturing firms that build international networks strengthen their dynamic internationalization capability and improve international performance. Absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to acquire and apply knowledge—enhances this relationship. The study of 211 firms shows that combining international exploration and exploitation strategies creates competitive advantage in global markets.
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Combined Influence of Absorptive Capacity and Corporate Entrepreneurship on Performance
This study examines how absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship together affect organizational performance in Spanish firms. The research finds that proactiveness drives innovativeness, which both strengthen a company's ability to absorb and apply new knowledge. Realized absorptive capacity then enables new business ventures and organizational renewal. Proactiveness and new business venturing directly improve performance, while companies must develop both potential and realized absorptive capacities simultaneously to succeed in corporate entrepreneurial projects.
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An evaluation of the effectiveness of innovation ecosystems in facilitating the adoption of sustainable entrepreneurship
This paper develops a hierarchical decision model framework to assess how innovation ecosystems support sustainable entrepreneurship adoption. The researchers identify policies and strategies that drive innovation across entrepreneurial ecosystems and propose a comprehensive measurement model to guide policymakers in strengthening ecosystem effectiveness and accelerating sustainable business innovation.
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Financial Technology and Disruptive Innovation in Business
Financial technology (FinTech) expands banking services to underserved populations through non-traditional providers, disrupting traditional financial sectors. This study examines Indonesian FinTech companies, analyzing their characteristics through text mining and comparing them against global competitors. The research finds that local FinTech organizations can compete effectively with international players by offering automated, user-friendly, efficient, and transparent financial products.
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Rural Entrepreneurship in Europe: A Research Framework and Agenda
Rural entrepreneurship operates within a distinct territorial context shaped by physical geography, social capital, governance structures, and networks. The authors argue that rurality itself functions as a dynamic entrepreneurial resource, creating both opportunities and constraints. They propose a three-stage sequential model of rural entrepreneurship and outline a research agenda addressing theoretical understanding and policy development to support rural business creation.
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An empirical investigation of the role of rural development policies in stimulating rural entrepreneurship in the Lazio Region of Italy
Rural development policies in Italy's Lazio region show uneven adoption by family farms, with significant variation based on family life cycle stage and farm composition. Farmers who succeed in accessing these funds demonstrate proactive, strategic behavior and coherent planning aligned with policy requirements. The analysis reveals low coordination among rural farms and highlights the need for multi-agency policy approaches that recognize entrepreneurial practices in agricultural settings.
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Woman Entrepreneurship in Rural Vietnam: Success and Motivational Factors
Women entrepreneurs in rural Vietnam's Quang Tri Province define success and motivation through their personal values and entrepreneurial beliefs. A survey of 109 respondents across six communes found that women business owners attribute their achievements to how they perceive entrepreneurship and what they value, with these same perceptions driving their motivation to start and continue their ventures.
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Entrepreneurial Talent Building for 21st Century Agricultural Innovation
Agricultural innovation requires developing entrepreneurial farmers—termed 'AgTech Pioneers'—who can participate as cocreators in cross-sector innovation ecosystems. The paper argues that talent development, interdisciplinary training programs, and innovation clusters should support farmer participation in sustainable food system transitions. This approach harnesses technological advances, reinvigorates farming careers, and accelerates application of nanoscience and nanotechnology to address agricultural challenges.
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Study on rural women entrepreneurship in India: Issues and Challenges
Rural women entrepreneurs in India face significant barriers to business success, including limited property ownership, poor access to finance, inadequate entrepreneurial training, and low educational levels. The paper identifies that lack of confidence, family obligations, financial institution neglect, and limited networks with successful entrepreneurs prevent rural women from contributing fully to economic development and poverty reduction in their communities.
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Embedded models of rural entrepreneurship: The case of pubs in Cumbria, North West of England
Rural pubs in Cumbria have declined sharply, damaging community networks and local employment. This study examines why pubs fail and succeed through interviews with owners, managers, and customers. The authors find that pubs function as critical community hubs providing social connection and business opportunities. They conclude that stronger involvement from local communities and public sector support is essential to preserve these rural assets.
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Lifestyle Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Rural Areas: The Case of Tourism Entrepreneurs
Lifestyle entrepreneurs in rural tourism drive innovation and sustainability by leveraging their connection to place and building relationships. A survey of 221 rural tourism entrepreneurs found that familiarity with place and relational capital both boost innovation. Place familiarity strengthens relational capital, which improves knowledge absorption. Relational capital mediates the link between place attachment and innovation, creating indirect pathways to competitive advantage in rural destinations.
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Empowerment of rural young people in informal farm entrepreneurship: the role of corporate social responsibility in Nigeria’s oil producing communities
Corporate social responsibility programs by oil companies in Nigeria's Niger Delta region have mixed effects on rural youth farm entrepreneurship. While the global memorandum of understanding model significantly boosts informal farm entrepreneurship overall, it underperforms in targeted agricultural clusters. The study of 800 rural young people shows that youth-specific CSR farm projects can help close knowledge gaps and improve yields, but coordinated business investment is needed to create real agricultural competitiveness and food security.
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Innovation Challenges and Opportunities in European Rural SMEs
Rural small and medium enterprises across Europe face significant barriers to innovation adoption, including weak innovation environments, inadequate policies, skill shortages, and difficulty attracting talent compared to urban competitors. The paper identifies these obstacles through literature review and stakeholder consultations in six European countries, then recommends policy solutions focused on fostering business networks, training programs, targeted innovation support, improved marketing, and workforce development.
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Analysis of the barriers and limitations for the development of rural women's entrepreneurship
This study identifies nine categories of barriers preventing rural women from starting and growing businesses in Iran: demographic factors, personality traits, family characteristics, education and skills gaps, cultural and social norms, access to facilities and services, legal frameworks, financial constraints, institutional support, and geographical conditions. Researchers interviewed entrepreneurship experts and rural women entrepreneurs using qualitative methods to develop a comprehensive understanding of these obstacles.
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Uncovering the building blocks of rural entrepreneurship: A comprehensive framework for mapping the components of rural entrepreneurial ecosystems
Rural entrepreneurship drives economic growth, but rural areas have distinct ecosystem needs. This study uses bibliometric analysis of academic literature to identify essential components supporting rural entrepreneurial ecosystems. The researchers categorize these into actor components (academics, business, government, community) and non-actor components (human capital, networks, culture, finance, governance, infrastructure, environmental resources, markets). Environmental resources emerge as uniquely critical for rural areas, distinguishing them from general entrepreneurial ecosystems and reflecting local economic potential.
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Empowering Women and Building Sustainable Food Systems: A Case Study of Cuba's Local Agricultural Innovation Project
Cuba's Local Agricultural Innovation Project (PIAL) uses participatory plant-breeding and agroecological methods to build sustainable food systems while empowering women farmers. Operating across 75 municipalities, PIAL increases women's participation in farm innovation, boosts their confidence and income through diversified production and micro-enterprises, and strengthens community resilience. The program challenges gender norms, engages youth, connects local farmers with research institutions, and embeds itself in government structures to ensure long-term sustainability.
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Women's contributions to rural development: implications for entrepreneurship policy
Rural women entrepreneurs in Sweden make substantial, multidimensional contributions to rural development across diverse industries, deeply embedded in family and local structures. However, existing entrepreneurship and rural development policies largely bypass their businesses and miss their actual needs. Women entrepreneurs prioritize access to public services like schools and childcare over business training programs. Policymakers should integrate entrepreneurship policy with family, welfare, and rural development policy rather than treating women entrepreneurs as isolated economic actors.
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Supporting rural Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to take up broadband-enabled technology: What works?
Rural SMEs in Lincolnshire, UK lag behind urban counterparts in broadband adoption despite improved availability. A publicly funded support programme combining training, one-to-one advice, ICT grants, and Technology Hub access significantly increased technology use and sales. Intensive personalized support and direct technology access proved more effective than basic training alone for driving rural business innovation.
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Applying a community entrepreneurship development framework to rural regional development
The paper develops a community entrepreneurship development framework for rural regions and tests it in South Australia's Barossa Valley agricultural sector. The framework helps practitioners and policymakers build entrepreneurial capacity by combining community capitals—particularly natural, human, and social capital. The research shows that successful firm-level entrepreneurship depends on leveraging a region's unique natural resources alongside human and entrepreneurial assets to drive community-wide market development.
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How does social entrepreneurship achieve sustainable development goals in rural tourism destinations? The role of legitimacy and social capital
Social enterprises in rural tourism build legitimacy by managing institutional complexity while strengthening community social capital. This process empowers individuals and increases collective efficacy, advancing sustainable development goals. The study examines a Chinese village case, showing how social entrepreneurship balances economic returns with social values to drive sustainable rural tourism development.
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Contextualising rural entrepreneurship – A strong structuration perspective on gendered-local agency
This paper uses Strong Structuration Theory to examine rural entrepreneurship through a case study of a woman entrepreneur in Sweden. The authors introduce the concept of gendered-local agency to explain how rural entrepreneurs actively navigate constraints and opportunities shaped by gender and locality. They show that agency emerges from the interplay between individual entrepreneurs and rural structures, demonstrating how everyday entrepreneurial actions both challenge and reinforce rural contexts.
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Serving rural low‐income markets through a social entrepreneurship approach: Venture creation and growth
Social entrepreneurs in rural Latin America create and grow ventures serving low-income communities by continuously revising goals and building capabilities, embedding operations deeply in communities, and innovating business models suited to resource-constrained environments. The study of three ventures reveals that success requires treating communities as resource sources, not just customers, and adapting distribution, marketing, and management practices to local conditions.
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Examining the influence of social capital on rural women entrepreneurship
Social capital significantly influences rural women's entrepreneurship in Iran. The study surveyed 265 rural women entrepreneurs and found that three dimensions of social capital—structural, relational, and cognitive—positively predict key psychological traits including achievement motivation, innovation, personal control, self-esteem, opportunism, autonomy, and risk tolerance. This research demonstrates how specific social capital components shape entrepreneur psychology.
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Exploring business growth and eco innovation in rural small firms
Rural small business owners implement eco-innovation by reducing waste and raw material consumption. While growth wasn't their primary motivation, all eight studied firms gained economic benefits from environmental practices. Rurality mattered significantly because owners felt climate change impacts directly and faced visibility within local communities. The findings show eco-innovation can simultaneously address environmental and economic goals in rural enterprises.
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Rural Enterprise Hub Supporting Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation – Case Studies from Hungary
Enterprise hubs established in rural Hungarian settlements can support entrepreneurship, but physical infrastructure alone is insufficient. The study of two hubs in Debrecen and Noszvaj over two years found that active facilitators and hosts are essential to foster real interaction networks and generate synergies among entrepreneurs, addressing the infrastructure needs of the emerging rural economy.
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Does Broadband Matter for Rural Entrepreneurs and Creative Class Employees?
Using county-level data across the continental U.S., this study examines whether broadband access attracts entrepreneurs and creative-class workers to rural areas. Contrary to common assumptions, the results show that higher broadband adoption actually correlates with fewer entrepreneurs and creative-class employees in rural communities. The findings challenge the notion that broadband alone solves rural economic development challenges.
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Rural young people's opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship in globalised southern Africa: the limitations of targeting policies
Rural young people in Malawi and Lesotho face severe employment and entrepreneurship constraints rooted in structural factors at national and global levels, not just individual characteristics. Policies targeting vulnerable groups like women and orphans miss how multiple factors interact to create vulnerability. An intersectional approach combined with livelihoods analysis shows that improving conditions for all rural youth proves more effective than identifying and targeting the most vulnerable.
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Entrepreneurship in rural tourism: the challenges of South Africa's Wild Coast
Rural tourism enterprises on South Africa's Wild Coast are dominated by marginal entrepreneurs operating informally at subsistence levels. The paper argues these struggling small businesses need urgent policy support from national, provincial, and local governments to improve livelihoods and upgrade their operations.
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Women entrepreneurship development and sustainable rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe
Women entrepreneurs in rural Zimbabwe face multiple barriers to sustainable livelihoods, including inadequate government support, patriarchal social structures, insufficient business knowledge, limited access to credit, and time constraints balancing family and work. The study identifies that successful women entrepreneurship depends on financial, environmental, psychological, and sociological factors. Recommendations include entrepreneurship training, supportive government policies, and network access.
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Small-scale agricultural product marketing innovation through BUMDes and MSMEs empowerment in coastal areas
Small-scale farmers in coastal areas can increase agricultural product value and market competitiveness through partnerships between village-owned enterprises (BUMDes) and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The study proposes an innovative marketing model where these institutions work together with credit providers and farmer entrepreneurs to develop agribusiness chains, provide market information, and support technology adoption for rural communities.
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Trust and Other Historical Proxies of Social Capital: Do They Matter in Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in Greek Rural Areas?
This study examines how trust and social capital foster social entrepreneurship in a mountainous Greek rural area. The researchers argue that trustworthy relationships generate social capital, which in turn supports social entrepreneurship development. By analyzing these dynamics, the paper develops policy recommendations for promoting the social economy in rural regions.
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Sustainable tourism development in rural and marginal areas and opportunities for female entrepreneurship: lessons from an exploratory study
Female entrepreneurs in rural mountain areas drive sustainable tourism development by creating authentic, experiential services and building local stakeholder networks. A study of 11 businesswomen in Italy's Trentino region found that women entrepreneurs naturally emphasize innovation and community collaboration, making them key agents for tourism growth in marginal rural areas where development remains limited.
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Facilitating affective experiences to stimulate women’s entrepreneurship in rural India
Women in rural India overcome socio-cultural barriers to entrepreneurship through cooperative ventures that foster sisterhood. Cooperative membership creates repeated positive emotional experiences through role models, mentoring, and peer support, enabling women to challenge traditional constraints and sustain entrepreneurial activity. The study of craft-based cooperatives in Bihar shows that equality-focused work environments and female solidarity generate the affective conditions necessary for lasting socio-economic change.
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Becoming Spatially Embedded: Findings from a Study on Rural Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Norway
Rural immigrant entrepreneurs in northern Norway develop businesses through social and spatial embeddedness rather than individual traits alone. The study reveals how immigrants build economic success by integrating into local communities, leveraging place-based resources, and establishing networks within their geographic context. Spatial embedding emerges as a critical factor shaping entrepreneurial outcomes in rural areas.
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Small scale entrepreneurship – understanding behaviors of aspiring entrepreneurs in a rural area
Aspiring entrepreneurs in rural Denmark benefit from business networks in different ways depending on their innovation type. Those developing new products need strong ties with consultants and network-building experts, while service innovators rely on university connections. Rural entrepreneurs connected to a regional entrepreneurship center can build strong relationships and leverage weak ties effectively. Professional support organizations help less-privileged startups compensate for lacking strong ties.
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Innovation in the Norwegian Rural Tourism Industry: Results from a Norwegian Survey
A survey of 133 Norwegian rural tourism businesses reveals high innovation rates, though slightly below the national tourism average. Innovation capacity correlates strongly with business cooperation, market information use, and employee training. Export-oriented firms produce more product innovations, and those receiving public grants implement more product and market innovations. The study identifies cooperation, information systems, and workforce development as key drivers of rural tourism innovation.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Unraveling the Determinants of FinTech Adoption in Rural Communities
Rural residents' adoption of financial technology depends on four key factors: perceiving the technology as useful and easy to use, plus awareness of both innovations and financial concepts. The study surveyed 386 rural residents and found that perceived usefulness acts as a bridge between ease of use and actual adoption intent. These findings suggest practical strategies for expanding financial inclusion in rural communities through FinTech.
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Process framework for innovation through tradition and its antecedents in rural heritage B&B
Rural heritage bed-and-breakfast businesses in China successfully innovate by blending tradition with modern practices. The study identifies a five-phase framework—idea generation, evaluation, initial implementation, continuing implementation, and sustaining improvement—that guides this innovation process. Three key factors enable success: entrepreneurs' travel experience, business networks, and institutional support. These findings show how rural heritage businesses can compete by strategically modernizing traditional offerings.
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Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Rural E-Commerce: Identifying Entrepreneurs in Practitioners by Using Deep Neural Networks Approach
Rural residents increasingly pursue e-commerce businesses as digital technology narrows the urban-rural divide. This study surveyed 162 rural e-commerce practitioners and used deep neural networks to identify which ones qualify as entrepreneurs. The researchers developed an indicator system based on entrepreneurial event models, achieving over 90% prediction accuracy. Results show that perceived feasibility and desirability are key factors influencing rural residents' ability to start e-commerce businesses. Local governments and platforms should provide tailored support addressing these practical concerns.
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Rural entrepreneurship and the context: navigating contextual barriers through women's groups
Rural women in Tanzania face significant barriers to entrepreneurship including limited land access, poor market connections, weak business networks, time poverty, and insufficient capital. Women's groups overcome these obstacles by collectively accessing business services, training, grants, and networks. The study demonstrates that women with limited education can successfully pursue rural entrepreneurship when supported through group membership and targeted interventions.
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Exploring innovation creation across rural and urban firms
Rural and urban firms create innovation differently. Using national survey data on patent applications, the study finds that urban firms better leverage their resources for innovation. Rural firms benefit from university research and development support, though they don't value university information as highly. Rural firms willing to attempt innovation, even when failing, outperform those avoiding risk. The research reveals distinct innovation characteristics between rural and urban business environments.
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Rural Women Entrepreneurship: 'Nari Bani Vyapari'
Rural women entrepreneurs drive innovation and economic development in India. The paper argues that women are equally capable innovators and business leaders as men, challenging societal misconceptions. It examines Indian government schemes supporting women entrepreneurship, including TREAD and Mahila Coir Yojana, and describes training institutions like NIMSME and NIESBUD that develop women entrepreneurs' capabilities and qualities.
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“We moved here for the lifestyle”: A picture of entrepreneurship in rural British Columbia
Rural entrepreneurs in British Columbia start businesses primarily for lifestyle reasons and persist despite marginal finances. The study finds that entrepreneurial opportunities and resources exist in rural environments, contrary to perceptions of hostility. Communities and governments can use these findings to develop context-specific policies supporting rural economic development.
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A Case Study on Empowerment of Rural Women through Micro Entrepreneurship Development
Self-help groups enable rural women to start micro-enterprises, achieving economic independence and creating employment. The paper argues that empowering rural women through micro-entrepreneurship drives family and community development, ultimately strengthening the nation. Economic independence for rural women represents a critical measure of national progress.
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Opportunity entrepreneurship in the rural sector: evidence from Greece
This study tests whether urban entrepreneurship theories apply to rural contexts by surveying 81 business owners in southern Crete, Greece. The researchers found that entrepreneurs' personality traits, prior knowledge, education level, and expectations of future social status significantly predict opportunity entrepreneurship in rural areas. The findings suggest existing entrepreneurship theories do transfer to rural settings and could guide policymakers developing rural small businesses.
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The barriers hindering the application of the value chain in the context of rural entrepreneurship
This study identifies the main barriers preventing rural entrepreneurs in Iran from applying value chain approaches. Lack of proper financing mechanisms and weak government support emerge as the primary obstacles. Different sectors face distinct challenges: service entrepreneurs need entrepreneurial skills training, animal farmers require stronger government policies, and agricultural entrepreneurs lack specialized advisors and financial resources. The findings suggest coordinated action among financial institutions and training organizations to address these barriers.
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Women, Rural Environment and Entrepreneurship
Women in rural Spain face severe employment barriers, social exclusion, and economic marginalization that drive rural depopulation and aging. The authors analyze the socio-economic conditions of rural women and propose entrepreneurship as a pathway to improve their employability and economic opportunities, arguing that existing rural development policies lack gender-specific mechanisms to address women's particular challenges.
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Rural proofing entrepreneurship in two fields of research
This systematic review of 97 papers from entrepreneurship and rural studies journals reveals that rural entrepreneurship research inadequately addresses what makes rural contexts distinctive. While 56 papers engage with at least one dimension of rurality—remoteness, accessibility, or sense of place—41 papers ignore these dimensions entirely. Entrepreneurship journals particularly neglect rurality, focusing instead on generic topics like social capital and networks. The authors call for stronger collaboration between the two fields to develop more contextually grounded rural entrepreneurship research.
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Trademark potential increase and entrepreneurship rural development: A case study of Southern Transylvania, Romania
Rural areas can drive economic development by capitalizing on cultural heritage through trademark creation and heritage tourism. This study develops a decision-making model using the Analytical Hierarchy Process to help local authorities identify and market lesser-known heritage assets as innovative tourism products. Applied to Southern Transylvania, Romania, the model shows how communities can leverage both tangible and intangible heritage to create branded tourism routes and diversify local economies.
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An Overview of Rural Entrepreneurship and Future Directions
Rural entrepreneurship operates differently from high-growth and technology-focused entrepreneurship, yet researchers often apply the same frameworks to study it. This limits understanding of entrepreneurship's actual impact on rural communities. The authors argue rural entrepreneurship deserves recognition as a distinct field of study with its own characteristics, and they identify future research directions to advance knowledge specific to rural contexts.
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Application of innovation platforms to catalyse adoption of conservation agriculture practices in South Asia
Innovation Platforms—structured forums bringing together farmers, suppliers, and extension workers—successfully increased adoption of conservation agriculture practices among smallholder farmers across Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. The platforms built trust, created micro-enterprise opportunities, and empowered rural youth and women. Results varied by location and platform design, but strong community ownership proved essential for effectiveness.
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Features of the Content and Implementation of Innovation and Investment Projects for the Development of Enterprises in the Field of Rural Green Tourism
Rural green tourism enterprises in Ukraine face underdevelopment despite significant tourist resources and 5 million potential self-employed rural workers. The paper identifies innovation and investment project structures, competitive advantages, and funding sources needed for growth. Budget support combined with private investment from agribusiness and communities proved effective in the 2000s-2010s, rapidly expanding rural tourism entrepreneurship, but these programs were later discontinued.
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Entrepreneurship of Women in the Rural Space in Israel: Catalysts and Obstacles to Enterprise Development
This study examines 100 women entrepreneurs in rural Israeli settlements near Tel Aviv, finding that most operate small service businesses from home as their household's primary income source. Women start enterprises to replace declining farm income and pursue self-fulfillment, but face obstacles including capital shortages and low business confidence. Rural location offers cost savings and family flexibility but creates distance from markets and local competition challenges. These businesses prove essential for household survival and regional wellbeing.
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An Exploratory Study for Conceptualization of Rural Innovation in Indian Context
This study identifies three key factors driving rural innovation in India: knowledge sharing for economic efficiency, new learning for scaling up, and skill development for expanding economic scope. Based on surveys with 140 rural entrepreneurs, the research demonstrates that human capital elements—knowledge, learning, and skills—directly shape rural innovation. The findings provide a measurable framework for understanding rural innovation and offer practical implications for rural entrepreneurship development.
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Rural Entrepreneurship in India: Challenge and Problems
Rural entrepreneurs in India face significant barriers to establishing businesses, including lack of education, inadequate financial access, and insufficient infrastructure like electricity, water, and transportation. The paper identifies marketing challenges and limited technical support as major obstacles preventing rural entrepreneurship from reaching its potential as an economic opportunity for people in developing regions.
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Rural entrepreneurship in the Western Cape: Challenges and opportunities
Rural entrepreneurs in South Africa's Western Cape face significant barriers including inadequate business skills, expensive raw materials, poor infrastructure, and limited financing. However, opportunities exist through government land reform initiatives, small business support institutions, and entrepreneur networks. The study recommends comprehensive government policies to strengthen rural entrepreneurship and development.
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The Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship in Agriculture and Rural Development
This handbook examines entrepreneurship within agriculture and rural development contexts. It brings together research on how entrepreneurs drive innovation and economic growth in rural areas through agricultural ventures and related activities. The work synthesizes knowledge about rural entrepreneurial practices, challenges, and opportunities across different regions and agricultural sectors.
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Gendered Entrepreneurship in Rural Latvia: Exploring Femininities, Work, and Livelihood Within Rural Tourism
Women entrepreneurs in rural Latvia's tourism sector pursue livelihoods driven by both economic necessity and lifestyle preferences. The study reveals how women navigate their livelihood strategies while balancing desires for independence against economic and social constraints. Women organize their work and personal lives across time and space, negotiating complex paradoxes inherent in rural entrepreneurship within the post-socialist context.
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Empowering the Rural Poor to Develop Themselves: The Barefoot Approach (<i>Innovations Case Narrative:</i> Barefoot College of Tilonia)
The Barefoot College demonstrates that rural poor communities develop themselves most effectively through bottom-up empowerment rather than top-down expert intervention. By giving rural people the right to make their own decisions about development priorities, access to information and knowledge, and recognition of their existing technical skills, communities become independent and capable decision-makers. Conventional donor-driven approaches fail because they are patronizing, expensive, and keep communities dependent rather than empowered.
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A Chinese economic revolution: rural entrepreneurship in the twentieth century
This historical study traces rural entrepreneurship in twentieth-century China across three distinct phases: early industrial development in textile production, the planned economy period, and the transition back to market mechanisms. The work examines how rural entrepreneurs built marketing networks, managed communal resources, and adapted their enterprises through wartime disruption and major economic system shifts, revealing entrepreneurial legacies that persist in contemporary Chinese firms.
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Digital inclusive finance and entrepreneurship in rural areas: evidence from China
Digital inclusive finance significantly promotes entrepreneurial activity in rural China by reducing credit constraints, lowering information barriers, and shifting risk attitudes among households. The effect is strongest in eastern regions and for opportunity-driven entrepreneurs. Impact varies by household income, consumption patterns, and household head characteristics, demonstrating that digital finance tools can expand rural entrepreneurship opportunities across diverse populations.
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“It is my place”: residents’ community-based psychological ownership and its impact on rural tourism participation
This study develops a scale measuring community-based psychological ownership—how residents feel they belong to and identify with their rural community. Using surveys across villages in Zhejiang, China, the researchers found that residents' sense of self-identity, self-efficacy, responsibility, and belonging strongly predict their participation in rural tourism development. Conversely, feelings of possession and territoriality either had no effect or discouraged participation. The findings suggest that fostering the right psychological connections to community drives sustainable tourism engagement.
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Saving as a Path for Female Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in Rural Peru
Women's savings programs in Peru's Highlands empower female entrepreneurs more effectively than microcredit. The study found that savings interventions enable women to plan ahead, expand social networks, and start businesses while improving their economic, personal, and relational well-being. Savings programs deliver broader empowerment benefits beyond financial inclusion.
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A Capability Approach to Entrepreneurship Education: The Sprouting Entrepreneurs Programme in Rural South African Schools
The Sprouting Entrepreneurs Programme teaches entrepreneurship and agriculture in rural South African schools to combat food insecurity, youth unemployment, and poverty. The programme combines the EntreComp framework with Amartya Sen's capability approach, emphasizing how young people develop freedoms and capabilities to create value through entrepreneurial ideas. It uses the Sustainable Development Goals as a learning medium.
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Young People’s Perceptions about the Difficulties of Entrepreneurship and Developing Rural Properties in Family Agriculture
Young rural entrepreneurs in Brazil identify economic constraints as the primary barrier to investing in family farms, cited in 34% of cases. Workforce shortages and low qualification rank second at 12.6%, while unfavorable producer prices account for 7.6%. The study surveyed 98 young entrepreneurs at a rural youth sustainability event in Santa Catarina, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis to reveal the practical challenges facing the next generation of family farm operators.
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Organic cultivation and farm entrepreneurship: a case of small tea growers in rural Assam, India
Small tea growers in rural Assam shifted to organic production for ecological and economic benefits, but faced obstacles including insufficient training, technical knowledge gaps, and limited market access. Despite these challenges, some growers succeeded by demonstrating entrepreneurial traits—innovation, risk-taking, and opportunity-seeking. The study concludes that developing entrepreneurial skills among small growers is essential for expanding organic tea cultivation in the region.
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Impact of Gender-Specific Causes on Women Entrepreneurship: An Opportunity Structure for Entrepreneurial Women in Rural Areas
Gender discrimination, limited female education, and restricted access to capital drive women's entrepreneurship in rural Pakistan, while illiteracy, cultural restrictions, early marriage, weak government support, and male market dominance create major barriers. The study of 342 rural residents identifies these obstacles and argues that supportive environments and advanced opportunities can enable rural women entrepreneurs to contribute to social and economic development.
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Entrepreneurship development and entrepreneurial orientation in rural areas in Malawi
Rural entrepreneurs in Malawi show positive attitudes and intentions toward business despite operating mainly at subsistence income-generating levels. Poverty, low education, and lack of management skills constrain entrepreneurship practice. Education and training significantly improve entrepreneurial activity, while access to finance does not affect entrepreneurial intentions. Existing support models fail to translate entrepreneurial orientation into economic growth, requiring new practical frameworks tailored to rural economies.
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CHALLENGES OF RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM NKONKOBE MUNICIPAL AREA IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
Rural entrepreneurs in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province face significant barriers to success. A survey of 53 rural business owners identified lack of finance, small markets, poor infrastructure, limited networking, corruption, and weak marketing as major obstacles. Most entrepreneurs depend entirely on their businesses for income. The study recommends improved government support, training programs, and expanded microfinance schemes to strengthen rural entrepreneurship in developing regions.
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Creating a sustainable ripple in rural entrepreneurship – the case of Deserttulip in resource-constrained rural Jordan
Rural entrepreneurs in Jordan navigate severe environmental, financial, and institutional constraints to drive sustainable development. The case of Deserttulip demonstrates how entrepreneurs use innovative agricultural technology and collective action to overcome resource scarcity. The study shows that while external structures limit opportunities, entrepreneurs' agency and collaborative initiatives create sustainable ripple effects that strengthen rural communities and promote empowerment beyond individual business success.
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Word of Mouth, Digital Media, and Open Innovation at the Agricultural SMEs
Agricultural SMEs in Hungary's local markets rely on two main information channels: word-of-mouth and digital media. Research with 156 consumers at Budapest's Central Market Hall found that older consumers prefer word-of-mouth, while educated, foreign, or socially isolated consumers choose digital platforms. The study recommends SMEs strengthen product quality and develop two-way digital communication strategies to reach diverse customer segments.
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Female Access and Rights to Land, and Rural Non‐farm Entrepreneurship in Four African Countries
Women's access to land and secure land rights significantly increase their likelihood of starting non-farm businesses in rural Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Malawi, but not in Nigeria. The study analyzed household data from 2013–15 across four African countries using logistic regression. The researchers attribute these varying results to country-specific contexts and offer policy recommendations to strengthen women's entrepreneurship through land security.
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When an initiative promises more than it delivers: a multi-actor perspective of rural entrepreneurship difficulties and failure in Thailand
A Thai rural entrepreneurship initiative failed to deliver promised outcomes because entrepreneurs lacked resources and exhibited risk aversion, passivity, and dependence on government support. One-size-fits-all policies ignored entrepreneurs' actual needs and capabilities. The study reveals that entrepreneurship failure takes multiple forms beyond business closure, including inability to meet initiative objectives, and identifies attitudinal inadequacies alongside resource weaknesses as key barriers.
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Moving beyond tourists’ concepts of authenticity: place-based tourism differentiation within rural zones of Chilean Patagonia
Rural tourism zones in Chilean Patagonia can differentiate themselves by leveraging local cultural practices and customs as endogenous assets rather than adopting standardized, commodified approaches. The study found that local service providers possessed authentic place-based practices that visitors failed to recognize or value, representing untapped resources for sustainable, place-based development strategies that distinguish emergent destinations from competitors.
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RETRACTED: Community gender entrepreneurship and self-help groups: a way forward to foster social capital and truly effective forms of participation among rural poor women?
This paper has been retracted due to extensive plagiarism. The original article examined self-help groups and gender entrepreneurship among rural poor women in India, arguing these mechanisms build social capital and enable meaningful participation. Readers should consult the original source by Lahiri-Dutt and Samanta instead.
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Alleviating Relative Poverty in Rural China through a Diffusion Schema of Returning Farmer Entrepreneurship
Returning farmers in rural China can alleviate relative poverty by sharing entrepreneurial knowledge and experience with other poor households through family, local, and internet networks. This diffusion model reduces entrepreneurial barriers, increases farmer income, creates employment, and improves rural environments across economic, social, and ecological dimensions. Success requires supportive government policies and active local participation.
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How Does Internet Use Promote Farmer Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Rural China
Internet use significantly increases farmer entrepreneurship in rural China, particularly necessity-driven entrepreneurship. The effect operates through three mechanisms: improved risk attitudes, expanded social capital, and better information access. Social capital expansion accounts for the largest share of this impact. These findings suggest internet infrastructure investments can effectively promote rural entrepreneurship and economic development.
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Interpreting community enterprises’ ability to survive in depleted contexts through the Humane Entrepreneurship lens: evidence from Italian rural areas
Community enterprises in depleted Italian rural areas survive by adopting humane entrepreneurship—a strategic approach that balances economic goals with environmental and social values. This framework better explains why entrepreneurs operate in high-risk contexts and reveals how community involvement and altruistic values enable these businesses to succeed where conventional ventures fail.
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The impact of entrepreneurship training on self-employment of rural female entrepreneurs in Uganda
Entrepreneurship training significantly improves self-employment outcomes for rural women in Uganda. A survey of 300 rural women before and after training showed that increased business knowledge raised self-employment probability by 6%, while improved business competence raised it by 2.7%. These results demonstrate that targeted training programmes effectively enhance labour market outcomes for women in rural Uganda.
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‘Not All of Us Can Be Nurses’: Proposing and Resisting Entrepreneurship Education in Rural Lesotho
Lesotho introduced entrepreneurship education to help youth build informal economy livelihoods as formal employment became scarce. Ethnographic research in two rural primary schools found the curriculum failed to shift students' deep-rooted aspirations toward salaried professional jobs like nursing and teaching. The education also disconnected from students' actual expectations of rural livelihoods, making it ineffective at preparing young people for either pathway.
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Rethinking rural entrepreneurship in the era of globalization: some observations from Iran
This longitudinal study of 40 rural entrepreneurs and experts across four Iranian provinces identifies four distinct types of rural entrepreneurship: orthodox economic, technology-driven, applied scientific, and development-supplementary approaches. The authors argue for a fifth model—anti-globalized cultural rural entrepreneurship—that shifts focus from productivist agriculture toward multifunctional farming and social movements, moving beyond rural-urban divides.
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Impact of high-speed broadband on innovation in rural firms
High-speed broadband access significantly boosts innovation capabilities in rural firms. The study shows that broadband's impact on rural business innovation operates through IT competence and digital options, which enhance organizational agility and competitive actions. These improvements directly drive innovation and firm performance. The research extends capability theory to the organizational level and provides policy-makers with evidence for allocating IT investments effectively.
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'Just sisters doing business between us': gender, social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial resilience in rural Malaysia
A study of a rural women's cooperative in Sabah, Malaysia reveals how female social entrepreneurs build resilience and community impact through informal business ventures. The 20+ women in 'Annie's Co-op' function as both family breadwinners and community leaders, demonstrating strategies for overcoming entrepreneurial barriers while maintaining social responsibility. Their collective approach shows how rural women create economic and social value despite significant challenges.
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Driving local community transformation through participatory rural entrepreneurship development
Rural entrepreneurship development drives local transformation and employment in remote communities. This action research in rural Lagos, Nigeria implemented a ten-stage practical approach using community-based organizations and revolving loans to fund rural enterprises including fisheries, barbering, piggeries, and snail production. Successful funded entrepreneurs and CBOs became models for expanding entrepreneurship and employment, lifting people out of poverty and informing rural development policy.
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Do entrepreneurial food systems innovations impact rural economies and health? Evidence and gaps.
Local food system innovations—farmers' markets, community supported agriculture, farm-to-institution programs, and food hubs—aim to strengthen rural economies and improve food access and health. The authors review evidence on whether these entrepreneurial models help producers earn viable incomes, boost local economies, increase affordable healthy food access, and improve dietary outcomes. While some evidence supports each benefit, significant research gaps remain about their actual economic and public health impacts.
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Embedding Small Business and Entrepreneurship Training within the Rural Context
Rural small business owners face distinct challenges requiring tailored training programs. This paper proposes a framework recognizing that rural entrepreneurs are highly motivated but pursue diverse goals beyond profit, often need multiple income streams for sustainability, and rely primarily on local resources including family and community. The curriculum draws on examples from successful rural entrepreneurs.
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Advancement of Rural Poor Women through Small Entrepreneurship Development: The Case of Bangladesh
Small entrepreneurship in livestock, poultry, nursery, and handicraft production significantly improved rural poor women's livelihoods in Bangladesh. Participating households increased annual income by an average of 111 percent. The enterprises also drove improvements in health, sanitation, housing, and access to clean water. Women gained self-employment opportunities and greater participation in household decision-making, demonstrating that small-scale enterprises effectively reduce poverty and advance socioeconomic development.
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Social Entrepreneurship as Critical Agency: A study of Rural Internet kiosks
Rural Internet kiosk operators demonstrate entrepreneurial agency by adapting technology services to local needs and demand patterns in constrained commercial environments. These operators creatively reconfigure information technologies to serve visual and image consumption, transforming kiosks from simple information booths into viable commercial spaces that generate multiple revenue opportunities.
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Sustainable Rural Healthcare Entrepreneurship: A Case Study of Serbia
Rural health entrepreneurs in Serbia provide essential medical services through private practices, policlinics, and dental clinics in underserved areas. The study identifies frugality, family orientation, and sustainability-driven innovation as key characteristics. While aging populations increase healthcare demand and financing instruments have improved, non-reimbursable services from the state health fund create significant barriers, perpetuating rural healthcare inequalities.
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Infrastructure required, skill needed: Digital entrepreneurship in rural and urban areas
Digital entrepreneurship in Germany grows faster than conventional entrepreneurship and concentrates in cities, but the study reveals it can thrive in rural areas when two conditions are met: adequate digital infrastructure and a highly-skilled workforce. Policy should focus on building both elements to enable rural digital venture formation.
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Rural Entrepreneurship in African Countries: A Synthesis of Related Literature
This literature synthesis examines rural entrepreneurship across African countries, analyzing existing research to identify patterns, challenges, and opportunities for business development in rural African contexts. The authors synthesize findings from related studies to provide a comprehensive overview of how rural entrepreneurs operate, what barriers they face, and what factors enable their success across the African continent.
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Sustaining the Entrepreneurship in Rural Tourism Development
Rural entrepreneurs drive sustainable tourism development and local economic growth. The paper argues that stimulating entrepreneurial activities in rural tourism recovers regional potential, preserves traditions, and maintains employment while raising living standards. It examines how local communities participate in developing rural tourism entrepreneurship and addresses key challenges in this sector.
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Culture and entrepreneurial opportunity in high- and low-entrepreneurship rural communities
Rural entrepreneurs in high- and low-entrepreneurship communities conceptualize business opportunities differently than existing theory suggests. The study examined six rural communities across Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Maine, finding that entrepreneurs neither simply discover nor create opportunities in the ways literature describes. Instead, cultural context shapes how entrepreneurs recognize and act on opportunities, with different community actors holding equally valid but distinct views on opportunity emergence.
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Marketing Innovation in Rural Small Food Industries in Iran
Small food industries in rural Iran show weak marketing innovation performance overall, with more radical than incremental marketing innovation. Product and organizational innovations directly influence marketing innovation. Incremental marketing innovation is hindered by formal R&D units, product diversification, and manager experience, while radical marketing innovation depends on production capacity, product diversification, manager age, and education. Improving marketing innovation requires concurrent product and organizational innovation plus targeted manager training.
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Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Rural Tourism Development
Tourism development catalyzes rural entrepreneurship by creating business opportunities for local communities to serve visitors and sell products. The paper argues that active community participation in tourism-related enterprises drives economic development in rural areas. Local entrepreneurs and workers in tourism and complementary sectors encourage broader community involvement, fostering prosperity and sustainable rural development.
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Agricultural business model innovation in Swedish food production : The influence of self-leadership and lean innovation
Swedish agricultural producers need stronger leadership and organizational practices to innovate their business models across the food value chain. The paper proposes that self-leadership and lean innovation methods can drive business model innovation in farming. It presents a framework combining these approaches and recommends action research through learning networks as a method for agricultural sectors to develop and improve operations from farm to consumer.
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Migration, Remittances and Entrepreneurship: The Case of Rural Ecuador
Using Ecuador's 2005-2006 living conditions survey, this study examines how international migration and remittances affect entrepreneurship in rural areas. The findings show that migration and remittances do not increase the likelihood of rural households owning family businesses. Instead, education, access to credit, and basic services availability significantly boost entrepreneurial activity. The analysis rejects the common assumption that remittances drive rural business creation.
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Human capital, migration and rural entrepreneurship in China
This paper models how human capital affects occupational choices and migration decisions in rural China. The analysis shows that improving human capital distribution has different effects depending on initial levels: low human capital increases permanent migration, while higher human capital encourages rural entrepreneurship. The study finds that rural non-farm businesses help raise wages but don't eliminate urban-rural income gaps, and that borrowing constraints and migration costs significantly limit rural business development and labor mobility.
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Rural entrepreneurship: expanding the horizons
Rural entrepreneurs typically operate within local or regional constraints, but this paper argues they should expand beyond territorial boundaries. The authors show that rural businesses can export solutions to problems elsewhere and import expertise from other regions. They use the 'passport to trade' project to demonstrate how understanding different local business cultures enables successful cross-regional commerce, challenging policies that treat rural entrepreneurship as purely local.
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A New Brand of Agriculture: Farmer-Owned Brands Reward Innovation
The U.S. Midwest commodity agriculture system efficiently produces and distributes meat and grain at low cost, but it prevents consumer preferences from reaching farmers. Farmer-owned brands can solve this problem by creating direct signals between consumers and producers, allowing farmers to capture premiums for differentiated products that consumers want but cannot currently obtain through commodity channels.
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A sustainable rural entrepreneurship model developed by the organic farmers of India
Organic farmers in Uttarakhand, India developed a sustainable entrepreneurship model that generates higher revenue and improves socioeconomic status compared to conventional farming. The model, pioneered by farmer Bhagchand Ramola in Manj Gaon village, delivers economic, health, and environmental benefits. However, growth faces constraints: farmers depend heavily on Japanese buyers and struggle to convince conventional farmers to switch to organic methods.
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Understanding the Relationship between Financial Literacy and Chinese Rural Households’ Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Credit Constraints and Risk Preference
Financial literacy significantly promotes entrepreneurship among Chinese rural households by reducing credit constraints, though risk preference weakens this effect. The study finds that only 11.2% of rural households start businesses, and that improving farmers' financial literacy—currently low at 11.2%—can help them overcome traditional credit barriers and pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Risk-averse farmers show weaker entrepreneurial responses to improved financial literacy.
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Short-run effects of grid electricity access on rural non-farm entrepreneurship and employment in Ethiopia and Nigeria
Rural electrification in Ethiopia and Nigeria between 2010–2015 did not significantly increase non-farm entrepreneurship or non-farm employment within 2–4 years of grid connection, according to difference-in-differences analysis. Nigeria showed some farm employment intensification. The study demonstrates that electricity access alone is insufficient to drive non-farm economic shifts in these contexts, and highlights data limitations in measuring such effects.
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Opportunity, necessity, and no one in the middle: A closer look at small, rural, and female‐led entrepreneurship in the United States
Female entrepreneurs in rural America start businesses at higher rates in both the poorest and wealthiest counties, following a U-shaped pattern tied to per capita income. The poorest counties show necessity-driven entrepreneurship, while the wealthiest show opportunity-driven ventures. This finding supports place-based policies that address the distinct challenges women face in rural economic development.
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A machine learning approach to rural entrepreneurship
Machine learning models trained on Life in Transition Survey data identify key factors associated with rural business success and failure across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Capital constraints, age, trust levels, awareness of trends, media use, competitive character, institutional support, and education all predict entrepreneurial outcomes with 72–92% accuracy. The findings reveal which personal and structural factors determine whether rural entrepreneurs successfully launch businesses.
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Understanding social enterprise, social entrepreneurship and the social economy in rural Cambodia
This study examines social enterprises in rural Northern Cambodia through interviews with three organizations, revealing that Western development agencies' views on social enterprise often conflict with local realities and community needs. As capitalist market forces advance, Cambodia's social economy is changing in ways that may exclude vulnerable community members. The research challenges Western-centric assumptions about social entrepreneurship and highlights how local social enterprises serve rural development differently than international development models predict.
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Innovation in rural development: "neo-rural" farmers branding local quality of food and territory
Neo-rural farmers in Campania, Italy are innovating through collective branding that links local food quality with territorial identity. These farmers reshape production-consumption relationships by combining economic practices with environmental and cultural values. Their narrative-based brand represents an alternative agri-food movement that promotes local development, food quality, and resource stewardship in inner rural areas.
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Benchmarking innovations and new practices in rural tourism development
Rural tourism in Asia can become more sustainable by adopting innovations and best practices from both within the region and internationally. The authors reviewed case studies from nine Asian countries plus New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Lesotho, and Poland to identify successful approaches. They found that Asian countries can replicate management strategies and development models from other nations to improve their own rural tourism initiatives.
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A Predictive Model of Innovation in Rural Entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurs succeed when they embrace innovation. This study identifies key factors driving economic development in rural areas and builds a predictive model showing how innovation levels directly influence business success. The model helps explain the relationship between entrepreneurial innovation and rural well-being, providing practical guidance for supporting local business growth.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RURAL AMERICA ACROSS TYPOLOGIES, GENDER AND MOTIVATION
This study analyzes how rural location affects early-stage entrepreneurship in America, comparing necessity-driven and opportunity-driven ventures across gender. Using data from 2005-2010, the researchers find that women in rural counties show higher rates of opportunity entrepreneurship than urban counterparts, especially with college education. Men in rural areas similarly show increased opportunity entrepreneurship. College education boosts opportunity entrepreneurship for both genders, while low income drives necessity entrepreneurship for women and part-time employment does so for men.
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Literary rural tourism entrepreneurship: case study evidence from Northern Portugal
This case study examines how literary tourism entrepreneurs in Northern Portugal develop and operate their businesses. The research demonstrates that literary heritage and cultural narratives drive rural tourism ventures in the region, creating economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs who leverage regional identity and literary connections to attract visitors and build sustainable tourism enterprises.
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In Violence as in Peace: Violent Conflict and Rural Entrepreneurship in the Philippines
Rural entrepreneurs in conflict-affected areas of the Philippines use business activities as a primary risk-coping strategy, so conflict does not deter them from starting or maintaining enterprises. However, conflict significantly constrains investment and expansion decisions. The specific nature of the conflict shapes how entrepreneurs respond and adapt their behavior accordingly.
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RURAL WOMEN AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A CASE STUDY IN HERAKLION CRETE PREFECTURE, GREECE
Rural women in Crete who formed cooperative enterprises for traditional food production hold entrepreneurial ambitions but face significant barriers. Low education, lack of professional skills, and risk aversion push them toward cooperatives rather than individual ventures. These cooperatives lack modern business practices including quality control systems, certification processes, technology adoption, marketing, and administrative innovation.
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Rural Art Festivals and Creative Social Entrepreneurship
Rural art festivals in peripheral island communities drive social and regional revitalization through creative social entrepreneurship. The study analyzes four festivals—a traditional matsuri and three contemporary art, music, and film events—showing how entrepreneurial networks enable resource exchange, population retention, and community development. Festival organizers use resourcefulness and bricolage to adapt their activities, creating socially engaged creative networks that advance revitalization goals.
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The role of social capital in developing sustainable micro-entrepreneurship among rural women in India: a theoretical framework
Social capital—built through self-help groups, SHG federations, and NGOs—drives sustainable micro-entrepreneurship among rural women in India. Self-help groups and federations enable financial inclusion and social support, while NGOs provide training and business networks. This combination generates employment, stable income, and improved livelihoods while addressing broader social and economic challenges.
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Interrogating “entrepreneurship for development”: a counter-narrative based on local stories of women in rural Ethiopia
This study challenges the dominant narrative that entrepreneurship solves development problems by examining women's actual experiences in rural Ethiopia. Through interviews and focus groups, researchers found that while women entrepreneurs gain financial benefits and social recognition, they also face significant downsides including personal safety concerns, stress, limited social life, and fear of poverty. The findings urge policymakers to reconsider uncritical promotion of entrepreneurship and recognize its complex, sometimes harmful effects on women's lives.
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Entrepreneurial ecosystems and local economy sustainability: institutional actors' views on neo-rural entrepreneurship in low-density Portuguese territories
Neo-rural entrepreneurs in low-density Portuguese territories drive local economic development and sustainability, according to institutional actors interviewed in this study. The research identifies territorial attractiveness factors and institutional support from municipalities and polytechnic institutes, but also reveals significant entrepreneurial obstacles. Most neo-rural ventures are necessity-driven rather than opportunity-driven, suggesting these entrepreneurs fill economic gaps in declining rural areas.
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The role of actors’ cooperation, local anchoring and innovation in creating culinary tourism experiences in the rural Slovenian Mediterranean
Rural culinary tourism experiences in Slovenia's Mediterranean region drive sustainable development when local actors cooperate closely and embed community values. The researchers analyzed 213 culinary experiences, examining ten in depth across cooperation, local anchoring, and innovation. They found that innovation significantly influences success and that experience types correlate with organizer types, making culinary tourism a viable alternative to mass coastal tourism.
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Beyond the Transfer of Capital? Second-Home Owners as Competence Brokers for Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Second-home owners in Norwegian rural municipalities possess significant untapped potential as competence brokers for local entrepreneurship and innovation. A survey of 2,200 second-home owners in Telemark found they demonstrate genuine interest in their communities, willingness to contribute, and extensive higher education and business experience. These characteristics position them as valuable resources for stimulating rural economic development beyond simple capital transfer.
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Rural-urban migration, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship
Rural-urban migrants with higher financial literacy are more likely to become entrepreneurs, according to analysis of Chinese household survey data from 2013 and 2015. Financial literacy strengthens migration's already positive effect on entrepreneurship. Social capital acts as the primary mechanism through which financial literacy helps disadvantaged migrants transition into business ownership.
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The Sustainable Rural Industrial Development under Entrepreneurship and Deep Learning from Digital Empowerment
This paper uses neural networks and genetic algorithms to identify which sectors drive rural industrial development under digital transformation. The authors analyzed global digitalization practices and modeled influencing factors on rural income. Results show tourism, infrastructure, and transportation are the highest-priority sectors for development. The mathematical model provides data-driven guidance for allocating resources and planning rural industries during digital empowerment.
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AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION AS AN INNOVATION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Agricultural cooperatives serve as a mechanism for integrated rural development in Ukraine, addressing economic and settlement challenges while increasing investment attractiveness. The study analyzes European cooperative models and identifies growth points in Ukrainian rural areas—meat, construction, tourism, and recreational clusters—where cooperatives can reduce costs for members and support small and medium-sized businesses. The research concludes that cooperatives require stronger state institutional support to function effectively as mechanisms for economic self-regulation and rural prosperity.
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Opportunities and tensions in supporting intercultural productive activities: The case of urban and rural Mapuche entrepreneurship programs
Entrepreneurship programs in Chile targeting Mapuche people in rural and urban areas create both opportunities and tensions. Based on interviews with 17 Mapuche entrepreneurs, the study finds that programs support business development but reveal conflicts between mainstream business practices and Mapuche cultural values. Success depends on programs recognizing cultural identity and adapting to intercultural contexts rather than imposing standardized approaches.
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Strategy and Innovation of Mushroom Business in Rural Area Indonesia: Case Study of a Developed Mushroom Enterprise from Cianjur district, West Java, Indonesia
Mushroom farming in Indonesia's Cianjur district succeeds through dual strategies: technological innovations that boost yields and attract markets, and organizational innovations using contract farming agreements with local producers. These approaches reduce market failures and production risks while building community capacity. Success depends on cooperation with external sources and adaptation to local conditions.
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Creating a smart rural economy through smart specialisation: The microsphere model
This paper proposes the microsphere model, a framework for applying smart specialisation strategies to rural economies. The model shifts innovation focus from large-scale capital investment to entrepreneurial activity, helping policymakers support innovation among small rural firms. The author tests the framework using a Scottish rural region case study, demonstrating how smart specialisation can address economic stagnation and boost regional growth through demand-led innovation strategies.
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Value of Social Network for Development of Rural Malay Herbal Entrepreneurship in Malaysia
Rural Malay herbal entrepreneurs in Malaysia lag behind other ethnic groups due to weak social networks. The study of ten entrepreneurs reveals that developing network skills through government support, family, relatives, friends, and support groups is essential for their business success and competitiveness.
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Impediments to youth entrepreneurship in rural areas of Zimbabwe
Youth in rural Zimbabwe face significant barriers to starting businesses, including limited access to resources and lack of entrepreneurial skills. The study identifies specific challenges these young entrepreneurs encounter and documents the potential benefits entrepreneurship could bring to rural communities. The research recommends equipping Zimbabwean youth with entrepreneurial competencies to overcome these obstacles and enable business creation.
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Participatory Rural Entrepreneurship Development for Grassroots Transformation: A Factor Analysis
This study identified key factors influencing rural entrepreneurship development in Lagos State, Nigeria. Researchers surveyed 320 people across eight rural communities and found that social status, personal experience, functional infrastructure, and education most strongly drive participation in entrepreneurship programs. Credit access and high labor costs emerged as major barriers. Most rural entrepreneurs remained small-scale, with limited employment creation and preference for trading over production.
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The heterogeneous role of broadband access on establishment entry and exit by sector and urban and rural markets
Broadband access increases business formation and reduces closures overall, but effects vary significantly by sector and location. Construction and professional services gain establishments in both urban and rural areas. Finance, insurance, real estate, and information sectors grow only in cities. Retail shrinks in urban areas while manufacturing and hospitality decline in rural areas. Educational services shift from rural to urban locations.
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Agricultural specialization activates the industry chain: Implications for rural entrepreneurship in China
Agricultural outsourcing in China significantly increases rural entrepreneurship, with 9.1% more rural residents starting private enterprises or self-employment. The effect is stronger in non-grain-producing areas and primarily drives opportunistic entrepreneurship. Agricultural outsourcing activates the broader industry chain, extending it, creating off-farm jobs, and improving credit access. Policymakers should leverage outsourcing to drive rural innovation and industrial transformation.
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Factors Affecting Intention Toward ICT Adoption in Rural Entrepreneurship: Understanding the Differences Between Business Types of Organizations and Previous Experience of Entrepreneurs
Rural entrepreneurs' intention to adopt information and communication technology depends on social influence, perceived relative advantage, and ease of use. Online businesses and experienced entrepreneurs show different adoption patterns than offline businesses and novices. Highlighting ICT's competitive advantages particularly motivates offline businesses, while emphasizing simplicity appeals to inexperienced entrepreneurs.
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Socio-cultural factors as driving forces of rural entrepreneurship in Oman
This study examines why rural entrepreneurship participation remains low in Oman despite government diversification efforts. Through interviews with twenty rural entrepreneurs, the researchers identified three entrepreneurial community orientations driven by cultural values. Cultural factors—particularly Islamic and Omani traditions—prove far more influential than economic or infrastructure conditions in determining whether people pursue entrepreneurship. The findings suggest that understanding culture-specific values is essential for developing effective rural development policies in Oman and similar Gulf countries.
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Realizing common prosperity: The action logic of social entrepreneurship community mobilization in rural tourism
Village leaders in rural China use social entrepreneurship to mobilize residents into collective tourism ventures, improving quality of life and community transformation. Research in Shaanxi Province reveals a three-stage process where entrepreneurs shift residents' attitudes through strategic engagement. Success requires incorporating local people into value networks early and linking them to tangible benefits, enabling residents to act as both producers and collaborators in sustainable rural tourism development.
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Challenges for entrepreneurship development in rural economies: the case of micro and small-scale enterprises in Ethiopia
Government support programs for micro and small-scale enterprises in Ethiopia reduce entrepreneurial activity by encouraging market entry among entrepreneurs without sound business strategies. Direct government involvement, sector-specific incentives, and programs pursuing social or political goals undermine rather than strengthen early-stage entrepreneurship. The study shows that institutional environment and business formation processes critically shape entrepreneurial outcomes in low-trust, high-population contexts.
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Methods of State Support of Innovative Entrepreneurship. The Example of Rural Tourism
Kazakhstan's small business sector needs stronger state support systems to drive innovation, particularly in rural tourism. The authors analyze how developed countries support innovative entrepreneurship and propose tailored strategies for Kazakhstan that account for local cultural and institutional contexts. They emphasize that effective legal frameworks and corruption prevention are essential, and highlight how tourism and hospitality sectors were severely impacted by COVID-19.
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How Knowledge-Based Local and Global Networks Foster Innovations in Rural Areas
Rural micro-businesses in peripheral areas innovate by combining local and global knowledge networks. Analysis of three German case studies shows that extra-local knowledge sources spark initial ideas and support product marketing, while local ties prove essential for production. The findings challenge rural development policies that focus solely on local networks, demonstrating that global knowledge flows significantly enable innovation even in institutionally thin regions.
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Agroecological Entrepreneurship, Public Support, and Sustainable Development: The Case of Rural Yucatan (Mexico)
Rural entrepreneurs in Yucatan, Mexico pursue agroecological businesses to support sustainable development, but face significant barriers. Public institutions provide minimal support due to competing political priorities, entrepreneurs lack training in agroecological methods, distribution channels are inadequate, and bureaucratic obstacles hinder business formation. Low consumer environmental awareness and weak producer networks further constrain these enterprises from generating wealth and rural development.
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Macroeconomic Analysis of the Competitive Factors which Influence Innovation in Rural Entrepreneurship
This study identifies macroeconomic factors that drive entrepreneurial innovation in rural areas by analyzing competitiveness at regional levels. The research develops a descriptive model placing entrepreneurial innovation at the center of rural competitiveness, incorporating Porter's diamond framework and institutional influences. The model shows how four key elements interact with external institutions to foster innovation in rural entrepreneurship.
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Socio-cultural factors and the entrepreneurship of youths in rural regions
This paper examines how socio-cultural factors influence entrepreneurial activity among young people in rural regions. The authors demonstrate that specific cultural and social conditions significantly impact whether rural youth engage in entrepreneurship, identifying key socio-cultural drivers that shape entrepreneurial behavior in these communities.
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Fablabs as Drivers for Open Innovation and Co-creation to Foster Rural Development
Fablabs function as collaborative spaces where policymakers, businesses, and citizens jointly develop innovative products and services. The paper demonstrates how these makerspaces drive rural development by examining two case studies from rural Slovenian municipalities, showing how open innovation and co-creation platforms can generate economic opportunities in rural regions.
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Institutional Constraints to Innovation: Artisan Clusters in Rural India
Rural artisan clusters in India suffer from low innovation due to institutional constraints. Formal institutions—both public and private—remain disconnected from these informal enterprises, limiting access to finance, technology, and markets. The paper examines five handloom and handicraft clusters across Indian states, finding that sectoral approaches to cluster development fail to address underlying spatial and organizational problems. It questions whether innovation systems adequately serve poor rural producers.
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Enabling rural innovation in Africa: an approach for empowering smallholder farmers to access market opportunities for improved livelihoods
This paper presents the Enabling Rural Innovation approach, which helps smallholder farmers in Africa access market opportunities and build entrepreneurial capacity. The method combines participatory market research, farmer-led research, natural resource management, social capital building, and gender equity to link resource-poor farmers to domestic, regional, and international markets. The authors share lessons and impact findings from testing this approach across eastern and southern Africa.
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Sustainable innovations for rural Africa: Case studies from Nigeria and Tanzania
Two African startups in Nigeria and Tanzania developed sustainable business models for rural communities by engaging early adopters, leveraging existing networks, and providing education through community associations. The research found that this approach effectively increases innovation adoption rates. However, entrepreneurs must navigate political and cultural dynamics and build community trust to successfully diffuse innovations in rural African settings.
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The impact of digital development on non-agricultural employment of rural women: evidence from the broadband China strategy
Digital infrastructure development significantly increases non-agricultural employment opportunities for rural women in China. The effect is strongest among younger, educated, and married women in grain-producing regions. Digital development improves employment by enhancing women's skills and labor quality while simultaneously creating new industries and better job environments. These findings support expanding rural digital infrastructure and digital economy development to address women's employment gaps.
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Rural businesses and levelling up: A rural-urban analysis of business innovation and exporting in England's north and midlands
Rural and urban small businesses in England's North and Midlands show no significant differences in innovation or exporting rates, according to analysis of longitudinal survey data. The study challenges the assumption that cities provide better conditions for business growth, suggesting that levelling-up policies should not prioritize urban areas over rural ones.
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Digital Rural Construction and Rural Household Entrepreneurship: Evidence from China
Digital rural construction in China significantly boosts rural household entrepreneurship by enabling resource acquisition and opportunity identification. The effect is strongest among local entrepreneurs, risk-averse individuals, and lower-income families in regions with advanced digital development. All four dimensions of digital rural construction—infrastructure, services, governance, and culture—positively influence both entrepreneurial behavior and performance among rural households.
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Building a Culture of Entrepreneurial Initiative in Rural Regions Based on Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study of University of Applied Sciences–Municipality Innovation Partnership
Universities and municipalities can build entrepreneurial culture in rural regions through creative partnerships that extend beyond economic contributions. The study examines a university-municipality innovation partnership, showing that universities should integrate social, environmental, and economic dimensions across teaching, research, and community engagement. Governments should move beyond regulation to actively collaborate with universities in fostering regional entrepreneurial initiatives aligned with sustainable development goals.
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Research on Rural Entrepreneurship in Terms of the Literature: Definition Problems and Selected Research Issues
Rural entrepreneurship represents a critical research area amid significant socio-economic changes in rural regions. This paper reviews Polish and international literature on rural entrepreneurship, emphasizing geographical perspectives. The authors organize existing theoretical research, propose a definition of rural entrepreneurship, and identify future research directions and opportunities.
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Can public medical insurance promote rural entrepreneurship? Evidence from China
China's National Cooperative Medical Scheme, a subsidized public health insurance program for rural populations, increases rural entrepreneurship by reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses. The wealth effect from lower healthcare costs drives entrepreneurial investment. The effect is strongest among wealthier households, those with better insurance coverage, and those with younger household heads.
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Dynamics in rural entrepreneurship – the role of knowledge acquisition, entrepreneurial orientation, and emotional intelligence in network reliance and performance relationship
Rural farmer entrepreneurs in China who rely on business networks improve their performance primarily through acquiring knowledge. Emotional intelligence directly boosts knowledge acquisition, while entrepreneurial orientation strengthens the link between knowledge and performance. The study recommends that extension education prioritize knowledge-building programs and that policymakers focus on developing rural farmers' social capital and entrepreneurial capabilities to enhance business outcomes.
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Innovation in Rural Japan: Entrepreneurs and Residents Meeting the Challenges of Aging and Shrinking Agricultural Communities
In Japan's aging rural agricultural communities, entrepreneurs drive economic reconstruction by creating new business combinations that integrate elderly residents as a resource. Successful entrepreneurs in these shrinking regions demonstrate typical entrepreneurial traits alongside strong empathy for their communities and residents, enabling demographic challenges to become opportunities for local economic survival and redefinition.
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Exploring the potential of local food and drink entrepreneurship in rural Wales
Rural food and drink entrepreneurs in Wales create microenterprises and food tourism initiatives that address social and economic challenges in farming communities. Case studies show how these ventures deliver sustainable local food systems with community benefits, operating within Wales's One Planet Sustainable Development framework. The research demonstrates entrepreneurship's role in translating policy into rural development, particularly as European funding and Welsh Government increasingly support food heritage tourism for rural wellbeing.
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Entrepreneurship in organic production – an incentive for sustainable rural development
Organic production entrepreneurship drives sustainable rural development by combining economic growth with environmental protection. The paper argues that organic farming, integrated with tourism and related activities, creates an effective entrepreneurial strategy that meets urban demand while preserving soil, water, biodiversity, and landscapes. This approach increases rural competitiveness through ecological technology and comprehensive management of production processes.
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Beekeeping innovation for sustaining rural livelihoods. A success story
A beekeeping project in Vietnam successfully introduced modern practices to small farmers, exceeding adoption targets and increasing household incomes. Farmers gained unexpected benefits including improved health and stronger family relationships. Success resulted from the innovation's visible benefits, alignment with local sharing practices, and extension agents who simplified the technology and incorporated farmers' existing knowledge into training.
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Barriers to Youthful Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas of Ghana
Young people in rural Ghana face significant barriers to starting businesses, primarily lack of capital, insufficient skills, inadequate support systems, limited market opportunities, and perceived risk. The study surveyed 240 youth in the Komenda, Edina, Eguafo, and Abirem Municipal Assembly areas using questionnaires and interviews. Researchers recommend equipping Ghanaian youth with entrepreneurial skills to enable economic development.
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DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Rural tourism entrepreneurship in Romania drives economic development in rural areas through small businesses. Romanian rural tourism entrepreneurs demonstrate optimism and openness to learning since the post-1989 revival. Success depends on initiative, achievement motivation, and the ability to identify and capitalize on market opportunities.
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How returning home for entrepreneurship affects rural common prosperity
Returning home to start businesses significantly promotes rural prosperity in China, with effects varying across regions and driven by three mechanisms: access to financial credit, government support, and social networks. The impact is stronger in areas already experiencing higher prosperity levels, creating a Matthew effect where advantages concentrate in better-off rural regions.
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Social entrepreneurship and rural development in post-independence Indonesia
Social entrepreneurship initiatives and rural development programs in post-independence Indonesia have reinforced each other to address socio-economic challenges in rural communities. Government policies increasingly leverage social entrepreneurial approaches aligned with three strategic pillars of entrepreneurship programs. The research emphasizes local values, community participation, and women's economic engagement as critical factors in successful rural development through social entrepreneurship.
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Redefining rural entrepreneurship: The impact of business ecosystems on the success of rural businesses in Extremadura, Spain
Rural businesses in Extremadura, Spain succeed based on community connection and value creation, not just location or primary sector activity. The study finds that local business ecosystems lack sufficient resources tailored to rural entrepreneurship. Policymakers must develop new, place-based support strategies and resources that leverage endogenous rural assets to increase viable rural businesses and drive regional development.
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Fostering rural entrepreneurship: An ex-post analysis for Spanish municipalities
A Spanish policy promoting rural entrepreneurship through bottom-up ecosystem relationships reduced unemployment in treated municipalities, but showed no spillover effects. Infrastructure and innovation funding proved effective at lowering joblessness, while technology adoption alone did not. Female workers experienced smaller benefits, revealing that basic infrastructure matters more than technology alone for rural economic development.
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The Role of Women's Entrepreneurial Motivation in Mediating the Relationship Between Entrepreneurship Training and Entrepreneurial Intentions in the Rural
Entrepreneurship training for rural women in Indonesia significantly increases both their entrepreneurial motivation and intentions to start businesses. However, motivation does not mediate this relationship—training directly influences intentions without motivation acting as an intermediary factor. The study examined women managers in a village waste-management enterprise using structural equation modeling.
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Motivational factors and challenges of women entrepreneurship: insights from rural Uttarakhand
Women entrepreneurs in rural Uttarakhand face significant obstacles including individual, family, societal, and location-based challenges that threaten business sustainability. The study identifies four key themes: family and personal barriers, social constraints, geographic disadvantages, and motivational factors that keep women engaged in entrepreneurship. Understanding these motivators helps explain why women persist despite substantial obstacles to building successful ventures.
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Understanding the Relationship of Science and Mathematics Place-Based Workforce Development on Adolescents’ Motivation and Rural Aspirations
Place-based workforce development in science and mathematics classes strengthens rural adolescents' motivation and aspirations to remain in their communities. Students exposed to more local STEM-related content and assets showed higher expectancy beliefs, greater interest in STEM careers, and stronger intentions to stay. The study confirms that connecting classroom learning to community needs and local opportunities cultivates both career interest and rural retention.
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Self-employment and development of non-agricultural entrepreneurship in rural areas
Rural self-employment and non-agricultural entrepreneurship drive economic development in rural areas. The paper examines how farmers and rural residents shift toward business activities beyond agriculture, creating new income sources and employment opportunities. This diversification strengthens rural economies and reduces dependence on traditional farming.
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Rural Tourism Entrepreneurship Survey with Emphasis on Eco-museum Concept
Rural tourism and ecotourism entrepreneurship can address unemployment and economic stagnation in villages. This study examines how eco-museums—institutions that preserve traditional material and cultural heritage—support rural business development and sustainability. Evaluating Espidan village in Iran against three criteria (public participation, eco-museum activities, and social-cultural-natural conditions), the authors find the village has significant potential to become an eco-museum, which would generate entrepreneurial opportunities and rural economic growth.
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Entrepreneurship: Solution to Unemployment and Development in Rural Communities
Entrepreneurship can address unemployment in rural communities, but South African university students face significant barriers to starting ventures. The study identifies obstacles including weak entrepreneurship curriculum, lack of work-integrated learning, poor infrastructure, and unsupportive government and university policies. The researchers recommend making entrepreneurship a core module, establishing university-community partnerships for practical learning, and implementing policies that support student entrepreneurs from the undergraduate level.
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THE RURAL TOURIST ENTREPRENEURSHIP – NEW OPPORTUNITIES OF CAPITALIZING THE RURAL TOURIST POTENTIAL IN THE CONTEXT OF DURABLE DEVELOPMENT
Rural tourism entrepreneurship can revitalize economically disadvantaged communities by leveraging traditional agro-food products and regional food systems. The authors analyze how integrated rural tourism ventures create economic benefits at national levels across European Union countries. They develop metrics to measure rural tourism entrepreneurship potential, finding that mountainous and adjacent areas can achieve sustainable development by capitalizing on their distinctive food heritage and tourist appeal.
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Women’s Entrepreneurship in Rural Greece
In rural Greece, women entrepreneurs operate primarily as solo business owners or through cooperatives, focusing on direct consumer sales. While solo enterprises dominate, they struggle with survival and succession. Women's cooperatives, though created top-down, show promise as sustainable models. The paper recommends Greek policymakers reduce business registration bureaucracy, develop alternative financing, and improve information access to strengthen women's rural entrepreneurship.
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Impact of entrepreneurship training on rural poultry farmers adoption of improved management practices in Enugu State, Nigeria
Entrepreneurship training significantly increased rural poultry farmers' adoption of improved management practices in Nigeria. Before training, 70% of farmers were unaware of practices like record-keeping and vaccination; after training, 100% knew them and 85% adopted them. Education, farming experience, income, and farm size positively influenced adoption. High input costs, low capital, loan access difficulties, and poor extension services were major barriers. The study recommends more training and government-backed soft loans to boost adoption and food security.
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Rural Malay Involvement in Malaysian Herbal Entrepreneurship
Rural Malay youth show growing involvement in herbal entrepreneurship in Malaysia, but technical expertise remains weak. The study of ten rural herbal entrepreneurs reveals that while the number of Malay entrepreneurs increases gradually, technical-based entrepreneurship lags significantly. Government and development planners must prioritize human capital development, technical training, and financial resources to boost participation among rural youth in this sector.
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Development of Rural Herbal Entrepreneurship in Malaysia
This study identifies critical success and failure factors among rural herbal entrepreneurs in Malaysia through case studies of ten entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs possessed strong customer service knowledge and relevant past experience. Failures stemmed from limited access to government financial support, inadequate infrastructure, and corruption. The findings provide rural herbal entrepreneurs with insights into what drives business success or failure in their sector.
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Wealth, Entrepreneurship, and Rural Livelihoods
This paper examines the relationship between wealth, entrepreneurship, and rural livelihoods. The authors investigate how wealth accumulation and entrepreneurial activity shape economic opportunities and living standards in rural communities. The work connects financial resources to business creation and sustainability in agricultural and non-agricultural rural sectors.
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Rural Entrepreneurship through Electricity
Nepal shifted rural electrification from top-down government programs to community-based management, where local groups contribute 20% of costs and operate systems themselves. Between 2003 and 2008, this approach brought electricity to nearly 190,000 rural households annually through 450 community electricity organizations. The model increased economic activity, enabled productive use of electricity, fostered rural entrepreneurship, and advanced gender equality in participating communities.
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Lessons from the design of innovation systems for rural industrial clusters in India
Innovation systems for rural village industries in India fail when they adopt weak competitiveness models focused on poverty alleviation rather than business growth. The paper argues that small producers must form multi-sectoral collectives pooling resources and capabilities to achieve technological efficiency. Analysis of leather, fruit processing, and agro-processing sectors shows that successful innovation requires producers to cooperate in production at scale, not compete individually using primitive intermediate technologies.
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Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation in BRICS Economies: Secondary Evidence from Rural Areas in South Africa
Rural firms in South Africa are risk-averse and heavily dependent on government support and networks to engage in entrepreneurship and innovation. When external support ends, rural businesses fail. The study argues that government and networks must shift focus toward building independent, sustainable rural entrepreneurs rather than providing temporary assistance.
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Influencing Factors of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship: A Four-Dimensional Evaluation System Encompassing Entrepreneurs, Economy, Society, and Environment
This study develops a four-dimensional evaluation system for sustainable rural entrepreneurship covering entrepreneurs, economy, society, and environment. Using fuzzy DANP analysis, the researchers identify causal relationships among influencing factors and their weights. Economic dimensions prove most important, with entrepreneurial motivation, business type, financial backing, economic value, policy frameworks, and business environment as key indicators. Financial support, business type, economic value, and favorable policies drive progress, while motivation and business environment depend on other factors.
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A strategy for development and economic progress: challenges and opportunities of rural entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurship is critical for Bangladesh's economic development, where 85.7% of the population lives in impoverished areas. This study interviewed rural business owners to identify opportunities and challenges they face using the Economic Performance Model and Innovation Operations Approach. The research finds that innovation, not just finance, drives rural growth. The authors recommend government policies supporting small-scale farming and rural enterprises to reduce unemployment and economic hardship.
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Has Electronic Commerce Growth Narrowed the Urban–Rural Income Gap? The Intermediary Effect of the Technological Innovation
E-commerce growth in China reduces the urban-rural income gap, according to analysis of provincial panel data. Measured by per capita express volume, e-commerce expansion significantly narrows income disparities between cities and countryside, even after controlling for urbanization, industrial structure, and human capital. The effect persists in robustness tests using instrumental variables. E-commerce growth operates as a direct mechanism for adjusting income distribution rather than through technological innovation channels.
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Place‐based subsidies and employment growth in rural America: Evidence from the broadband initiatives programme
The Broadband Initiatives Program, a $3.4 billion USDA initiative launched in 2010, significantly boosted employment growth in rural areas through 2019. The subsidies had stronger effects on startup job creation than existing businesses, particularly in goods production and information technology sectors. Micropolitan areas saw greater employment gains than remote rural locations or metropolitan areas.
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Promoting ICT adoption in rural entrepreneurship: more neighbourhood effect or more institutional incentives?—Empirical evidence from China
Chinese rural entrepreneurs adopt ICT more through observing neighbors' success than through government incentives. Perceived personal well-being benefits drive adoption decisions, while government programs show inconsistent effects across industries. Effective ICT promotion requires combining government support with community influence and addressing both rational and emotional motivations.
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Developing social entrepreneurship in rural areas: A path mediation framework
Local wisdom strengthens social entrepreneurship development in rural microfinance groups in East Sumba, Indonesia. The study shows that incorporating traditional knowledge helps microfinance organizations overcome capital constraints and achieve sustainability. Local governments should design policies supporting social enterprise development that build on existing community wisdom and create environments where stakeholders can foster entrepreneurship.
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A new model of rural development based on human capital and entrepreneurship
Rural development depends heavily on entrepreneurship and human capital, which together drive economic growth in rural areas. The paper reviews academic literature on rural development and presents research findings on economic growth models for rural regions in the 21st century. The authors argue that connecting rural amenities with socio-economic development is essential and demonstrate how successful rural economic growth models can be implemented in Serbia.
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THE DIGITAL ACCOUNTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETENCY FOR SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE OF THE RURAL MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (MSMES): AN EMPIRICAL REVIEW
Rural micro, small, and medium enterprises need digital accounting competency to survive and thrive, especially during crises like Covid-19. This review of empirical research identifies seven key factors that drive sustainable performance: entrepreneurial competency, marketing capability, knowledge sharing, financial resources, technology usage, change management, and individual competency. Digital accounting entrepreneurship significantly strengthens rural MSMEs' ability to operate online and reach customers.
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Rural Women Entrepreneurship and Media Literacy: Experience from Japan and Turkey
Rural women in Japan and Turkey use media and digital technology to build entrepreneurial capacity in agriculture. The study compares policies and activities in both countries between 2010 and 2020, showing how media literacy helps women entrepreneurs adapt to technology despite different economic contexts. The research highlights agriculture-specific evidence for rural women's entrepreneurship development.
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Rural Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship Development
Rural women in agriculture and allied activities constitute a major workforce but remain underempowered. The paper argues that microenterprises offer an effective path for women's economic empowerment by leveraging their existing skills and available time. Technical training and enterprise development enable rural women to increase productivity and drive family and community development while contributing to national economic growth.
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Social entrepreneurship in a rural context: an over-ideological 'state'?
This study examines how social entrepreneurs operate in rural Scotland and what challenges they face. Researchers surveyed thirty stakeholders in the Scottish Highlands and Islands and identified major constraints limiting social entrepreneurship development, factors that support it, and conditions that act as both barriers and promoters depending on context. The findings reveal issues specific to remote rural areas alongside problems affecting Scotland's broader social economy.
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Entrepreneurship and institutional change in Post-socialist rural areas: Some evidence from Russia und the Ukraine
Rural entrepreneurs in post-socialist Russia and Ukraine differ significantly from their urban counterparts, operating within weaker institutional frameworks. The study examines three regions—Novosibirsk and Bashkortostan in Russia, and Transcarpathia in Ukraine—finding that while urban areas show increased entrepreneurial diversity following transformation, rural areas lag behind. Even within these rural regions, divergent development pathways are emerging, raising questions about the pace and direction of institutional change.
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Promoting the 'Civic' in Entrepreneurship: The Case of Rural Slovakia
Rural Slovakia successfully developed entrepreneurs through a mini-grants program that built civic capacity before economic entrepreneurship. The approach emphasized social and cultural norms alongside individual characteristics and networks. This model proved effective in post-communist Eastern Europe, where institutional support for entrepreneurship had been neglected during the transition to capitalism.
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Understanding the impact of internet use on farmer entrepreneurship: evidence from rural China
Internet use significantly promotes farmer entrepreneurship in rural China, with stronger effects in less developed northern Jiangsu than in the more developed south. The study identifies two mechanisms: internet access improves farmers' ability to obtain loans and expands their social networks, both of which drive entrepreneurial activity. These findings highlight internet connectivity as essential infrastructure for rural economic development.
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Rural Entrepreneurship Development in Southwest China: A Spatiotemporal Analysis
Rural entrepreneurship in Mianyang, southwest China grew significantly from 2011 to 2020 as part of government vitalization efforts. The study maps where enterprises emerged and finds that physical geography and institutional support—particularly government policies and infrastructure—shaped entrepreneurship patterns across the region. Rural entrepreneurship develops unevenly and requires analysis at regional scales to understand how local conditions drive business formation.
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Rural Development and Entrepreneurship: Exploration of Entrepreneurial Intention in Rural Area Among Chinese University Students
Chinese college students show stronger entrepreneurial intentions for rural areas when they experience positive emotions, feel capable of succeeding, and receive government support. Perceived control and desire to start a business directly influence entrepreneurial intent. These findings help policymakers design strategies to attract educated young people back to rural communities, addressing talent shortages and supporting national rural revitalization goals.
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Societal Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Asian Rural Societies: A Multi-Sectoral Social Capital Approach in Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan
Small-scale farmers in Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan collaborate across public, private, and third sectors to address agricultural crises including aging producers, falling prices, and biodiversity loss. The paper identifies how different types of social capital—solutions, advocacy, and reconciliation—drive these multi-sectoral initiatives and enable sustainable community development and scaling of solutions, with distinct drivers emerging in each country context.
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Investigating the possibility of producing animal feed from sugarcane bagasse using oyster mushrooms: a case in rural entrepreneurship
Researchers processed sugarcane bagasse with oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus florida) to create animal feed. Laboratory and animal feeding trials showed that mushroom-treated bagasse improved nutritional quality, increasing protein content and digestibility while reducing fiber compared to raw bagasse. The treated material performed as well as wheat and barley straw, making it a viable alternative roughage for feeding livestock.
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The Role of Social Entrepreneurship for Rural Development
Social entrepreneurship can drive sustainable rural development in Bulgaria by addressing poverty, migration, and depopulation while creating employment. The paper analyzes economic, social, and institutional factors that enable or hinder social enterprises in rural areas. Results show that social entrepreneurship effectively solves socially significant problems and should be promoted to retain working populations in rural communities.
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Innovation Network for Entrepreneurship Development in Rural Indian Context: Exploratory Factor Analysis
Rural entrepreneurs in Gujarat, India identify three critical types of innovation networks: connections with private organizations, NGOs, and public organizations. These networks help rural entrepreneurs access scarce resources and create development opportunities. The study finds that rural entrepreneurs value innovation networks primarily for production enhancement, information accessibility, skill development, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
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Drivers of Innovation in Rural Tourism: the Role of Good Governance and Engaged Entrepreneurs
Good governance and engaged entrepreneurship drive innovation in rural tourism. Research in Ontario identified seven success factors: governance, human resources, investments, research, marketing, communication, and coordination. Engaged entrepreneurs enable incremental innovation that helps rural businesses survive economic challenges, while strategic governance—including bottom-up planning and federal coordination—creates conditions for sustainable tourism development. Local entrepreneurial leadership proves critical for product development and training.
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Significance of Microfinance Institutions in Rural Development of India
Microfinance institutions in India provide credit to rural poor people excluded from formal banking, enabling them to start small businesses and increase economic participation. The study finds that microfinance schemes significantly boost women's involvement in economic activities and decision-making. Microfinance programs deliver essential credit access and motivate rural populations to improve living standards, offering practical lessons for rural development in developing countries.
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A TV white space broadband market model for rural entrepreneurs
This paper develops a market model enabling rural entrepreneurs to provide broadband internet using TV white space spectrum. The model treats spectrum allocation as a pricing game between a WiMAX base station (seller) and WiFi access points (buyers), with throughput determining quality of service. The approach enables cost-effective mesh networks to deliver broadband to rural schools and remote areas, offering a practical spectrum management solution for underserved regions.
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Rural Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Opportunities
Rural entrepreneurship is critical for Sweden's development, where 15.3% of the population lives in rural areas. Previous research focused narrowly on economic perspectives of rural development. This paper identifies new challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs in small rural firms, moving beyond purely economic analysis to provide a more comprehensive understanding of rural entrepreneurship.
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The innovation performance of small rural enterprises and cooperatives in Tehran province, Iran
Small rural enterprises in Tehran province, particularly those processing and packaging food products, struggle with sustainability. This study examined innovation as a sustainability driver and found that regional cooperatives significantly outperform private enterprises in both product/service and market innovation, suggesting cooperative structures better support rural enterprise innovation.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS: CASE OF ROMANIA
Romania's EU accession in 2007 shifted rural development focus from agriculture to entrepreneurship and tourism. The paper examines how this transition created opportunities for small family tourism businesses in peripheral rural regions, particularly encouraging women entrepreneurs. Rural tourism emerged as a new survival strategy for rural communities adapting to globalization and EU integration.
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Entrepreneurship in Rural Tourism? Australian Landcare Programs as a Destination Marketing Tool
Landcare programs in Australia represent a bottom-up community approach to environmental management that creates educational tourism opportunities. Two case studies show that rural enterprises running Landcare-based tourism initiatives lack understanding of tourism industry mechanics, missing significant business opportunities. The paper demonstrates that bridging environmental conservation with tourism requires better industry knowledge among rural operators.
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Alleviating poverty: entrepreneurship and social capital in rural Denmark 1800-1900
Social capital—built through formal cooperative associations with written rules—motivated rural entrepreneurs to organize collective action in 19th-century Denmark. Peasants formed cooperative groups that provided public goods and drove economic growth in poor agricultural areas, solving the puzzle of why individuals voluntarily contribute to collective efforts despite negative personal economic incentives.
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Internationalization, innovation, and resilience: Financial performance of agricultural cooperatives in southeastern Spain's rural economy
Agricultural cooperatives in southeastern Spain that expand into international markets achieve stronger financial resilience, increased profitability, and greater innovation capacity than non-internationalized enterprises. Digital innovation proves essential for successful export performance. The study demonstrates that internationalization strengthens cooperative governance and positions these organizations as drivers of sustainable rural economic development, particularly in the post-pandemic context.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Rural Women Farmers Through Mobile Technology in Kerala
Mobile technology significantly empowers rural women farmers in Kerala's Palakkad district by improving access to agricultural information, market engagement, and social connectivity. A study of 192 women farmers found that mobile phones enhance self-reliance, market participation, and quality of life. However, digital literacy gaps and inadequate infrastructure remain major barriers to technology adoption and equitable agricultural development.
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Theoretical cognition and application innovation of Chinese rural tourism resources under the goal of common prosperity
This paper examines how rural tourism resources in China can be theoretically understood and practically developed to support common prosperity goals. The authors analyze cognitive frameworks for rural tourism innovation and propose applications that leverage local resources for economic development. Their work connects tourism resource management to broader rural development objectives in China.
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Rural Entrepreneurship as a Sustainable Livelihood Alternative for the Returnee Migrants: Reviewing the Potentials and Challenges
Rural entrepreneurship offers returnee migrants in Bangladesh a sustainable livelihood alternative, particularly following pandemic-related job losses. While remittances historically remain underinvested, the study finds that entrepreneurship can build migrant resilience if supported by adequate skills training and solutions to infrastructure and socio-political barriers. Success requires local development organizations, incubation centers, and peer support networks.
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Digitalization Technology for Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship and Inequality
Digitalization transforms rural entrepreneurship by creating decent work and local economic growth, but simultaneously increases inequality and threatens traditional markets. The study finds that social solidarity economic models grounded in local wisdom can mitigate these negative effects. The research combines surveys, interviews, and ethnographic observation to show how digital transformation affects rural entrepreneurial behavior and sustainable development outcomes.
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Appalachian social entrepreneurship ecosystem: A framework for rural development
Social enterprises in rural Appalachian Ohio create economic development by leveraging regional champions, university partnerships, and multiple forms of capital. The study shows that successful rural social enterprise ecosystems depend on integrating community and economic development while preserving ecosystem services. This approach represents a fourth wave of rural economic development that moves beyond traditional models.
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Influencing factor modeled examination on internet rural logistics talent innovation mechanism based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method
China's rural logistics system lags behind urban development, limiting talent innovation in e-commerce. This paper identifies factors hindering rural e-commerce talent innovation and proposes countermeasures to improve practitioner skills. Using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and system analysis methods on company data, the authors achieve a 98% recognition rate and 20% faster processing speed than existing approaches, aiming to boost agricultural development.
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Innovation and Development of Rural Leisure Tourism Industry Using Mobile Cloud IoT Computing
This paper demonstrates how mobile cloud IoT computing improves rural leisure tourism in China by enabling data analysis and intelligent guidance systems. The research shows that IoT applications help optimize tourist distribution across regions, reducing geographical concentration and spreading economic benefits more evenly throughout rural areas. Better information systems allow tourists to make smarter decisions, supporting sustainable rural economic development.
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Innovative Rural Entrepreneurship in Chile
Rural areas in Chile show high entrepreneurship rates despite economic disadvantages, challenging stereotypes that innovation requires high-tech sophistication. The paper argues that middle-income countries can foster more innovative rural entrepreneurship through systemic, amenity-based territorial policies that improve local public goods and living conditions, rather than assuming rural entrepreneurship must remain unsophisticated.
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Innovation, Spatial Loyalty, and ICTs as Locational Determinants of Rural Development in the Catalan Pyrenees
Information and communication technologies enable rural and mountain development by dispersing economic activity from cities and connecting local territories to global markets. In the Catalan Pyrenees, companies leverage local identity and lower costs while performing high-value activities like design locally and manufacturing elsewhere. ICTs support education, workforce development, and new business creation in these areas, offsetting labor shortages through small company structures and spatial loyalty among clustered firms.
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Relationship Between Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Dimensions of Rural Women in Fars Province
Entrepreneurship and empowerment reinforce each other in rural development. A survey of 393 rural women entrepreneurs in Fars Province found that entrepreneurship motivation, development, training participation, knowledge, information use, business environment, supportive policies, and business planning skills predicted 56% of women's empowerment gains. Entrepreneurship motivation had the strongest effect. The study recommends improving access to materials, enacting supportive laws, expanding training, enhancing product sales conditions, and addressing women's professional needs.
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Application of Internet of the Things(IOT) for the Water Conservation and Entrepreneurship in the Rural Area
This paper proposes using Internet of Things technology to address water management and create entrepreneurship opportunities in rural Indian villages. The authors argue that IoT-enabled smart village systems can improve water conservation despite adequate rainfall, reduce unemployment, and prevent rural-to-urban migration by generating local economic opportunities. The approach treats water management as a priority domain where digital tools can deliver measurable improvements in rural living standards and economic conditions.
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Innovation in the Rural Nonfarm Economy: Its Effect on Job and Earnings Growth, 2010-2014
Rural nonfarm businesses innovate at lower rates than urban establishments, but certain rural industries show high innovation intensity. Using nationally representative data from 2010-2014, the study finds that local innovation significantly influenced job and earnings growth during the post-recession recovery period, suggesting innovation drives economic resilience in rural areas.
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A New Role for Land Grant Universities in the Rural Innovation Ecosystem?
Land grant universities play a limited role in fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship in rural America, contributing to persistent economic inequality and reduced wealth-creation opportunities. The authors identify why this gap exists and propose a new vision for how these institutions can more effectively support rural innovation and economic development through concrete actions.
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Scaling-up of Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) Cultivation in Agroforestry for Entrepreneurship and Economic Strengthening of Rural Community of India
Neem trees have multiple medicinal, religious, and agricultural uses documented in ancient Indian texts and recognized globally, yet remain underutilized in Indian agroforestry despite successful intercropping research with various crops. The paper argues that scaling up neem cultivation through agroforestry systems can create rural entrepreneurship opportunities and strengthen rural economies in India, moving beyond current limited adoption by farming communities.
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Models of entrepreneurship development in rural tourism destinations in Vojvodina
Rural tourism in Vojvodina can drive economic development through entrepreneurship models centered on farm stays, village experiences, traditional events, organic food production, and eco-tourism. The paper identifies key rural tourism products and argues that targeted investment in these entrepreneurial ventures aligned with current market demand will increase tourism income and boost rural economic growth.
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Investigating the Roles of Knowledge Management Practices in Empowering Rural Youth to Bridge the Digital Divide in Rural Sarawak
Rural youth in Sarawak who completed an ICT training program gained knowledge and skills through knowledge acquisition, utilization, and sharing practices. These graduates established home-based ICT service centers, improved digital services, and trained community members, directly reducing the rural-urban digital divide while generating income and employment for themselves.
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The influence of entrepreneurship ecosystem for sustainable growth on the rural small and micro retail businesses : case study
This study examines how entrepreneurship ecosystems influence sustainable growth in rural small and micro retail businesses in South Africa's eThekwini Municipality. The research surveyed 64 rural retailers and found that both internal and external ecosystem factors affect business success. The paper recommends that retailers develop business and financial management skills, while provincial governments, local municipalities, and traditional leaders should provide infrastructure and entrepreneurship support to enable sustainable growth.
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A Comparative Study of Rural Entrepreneurship Romania – Greece
This comparative study examines rural entrepreneurship in Romania and Greece using statistical data on rural development indicators and country reports. The research documents how the economic crisis affected rural and urban areas differently across these European nations, while also identifying general improvements in various development domains despite persistent regional disparities.
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Modes of entry to male immigrant entrepreneurship in a rural context: Start-up stories from Northern Norway
This study examines how nine male immigrants started businesses in Finnmark, northern Norway. The research fills gaps in entrepreneurship literature by focusing on rural immigrant entrepreneurs and their entry strategies. The analysis of their start-up narratives reveals how these men navigated business creation in a remote, sparsely populated region.
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SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION IN THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT OF AUSTRALIA'S DROUGHT STRICKEN RURAL COMMUNITIES
Small businesses in drought-affected rural Australian communities implemented innovations to survive economic hardship. Most changes were incremental, focusing on protecting markets, accessing resources, and improving efficiency. However, some businesses pursued radical innovations including mergers, acquisitions, and product diversification. These high-risk strategies contributed significantly to their communities. Planning and resource access reduced risks associated with major innovations.
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INNOVATION IN RURAL TOURISM: A MODEL FOR HUNGARIAN ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS
Rural tourism accommodation providers in Hungary succeed by innovating continuously to meet shifting guest demands for experiences and knowledge rather than simple leisure. The authors developed a maturity model identifying five innovation capability areas—market knowledge, training, managing possibilities, guest orientation, and rationality—that drive success for rural accommodation providers in Veszprém County. The model helps providers understand innovation and better satisfy customer needs.
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Rural entrepreneurship in India
Rural entrepreneurship in India faces significant barriers despite its potential to drive economic development. The paper identifies challenges that prevent rural people from accessing central markets and becoming entrepreneurs, particularly in impoverished eastern states like Bihar. Government, private sector, and social organizations struggle to reach remote areas and implement innovations effectively. The paper discusses these obstacles and proposes improvements to foster rural entrepreneurship and create employment opportunities.
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Impact of Microfinance Innovation in Pushing Back Rural Poverty in Tamil Nadu
Microfinance innovations reduce rural poverty in Tamil Nadu by providing financial access to poor households. The study examines how microfinance programs enable rural residents to start businesses, increase income, and escape poverty. Results show microfinance effectively addresses poverty through credit availability and financial inclusion in rural communities.
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Pioneering Micro-Entrepreneurship Through Poultry Breeding and Distribution in Rural India (<i>Innovations Case Narrative</i>: Keggfarms)
Keggfarms, established in rural India, creates income opportunities for rural communities by breeding and distributing poultry stock adapted to local conditions. The enterprise increases protein availability in rural areas while building a sustainable business. Over two decades, Keggfarms gained leadership status among poultry producers and government recognition, operating within India's self-sufficiency economic policy.
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iShakti--Crossing the Digital Divide in Rural India
iShakti is a web-based platform deployed across 1,000 rural kiosks in India, reaching 1 million people in 5,000 villages. The system provides community development services, market access, and brand engagement to previously isolated regions. Using adaptive technology and computational intelligence, iShakti empowers rural entrepreneurs with revenue opportunities and gives residents greater control over their lives through improved access to information and markets.
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Technology Adoption Intention and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Ability of Rural Women in Bangladesh
Rural women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh adopt ICT when they have access to materials, mental support, skills training, usage opportunities, and microfinance services. ICT adoption significantly improves their business skills. The study surveyed 315 women and identifies key access points policymakers should target to empower rural female entrepreneurs and advance gender equality goals.
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Challenges for tourism-related lifestyle migrant entrepreneurship in rural areas of the Algarve, Portugal
Lifestyle migrant entrepreneurs in rural Portugal's Algarve region face significant barriers when starting and running tourism businesses. Bureaucratic complexity, unclear legal procedures, and inadequate specialized support create the biggest obstacles. The study reveals that better cooperation and communication among stakeholders—including government agencies, local authorities, and support organizations—is essential to help these entrepreneurs succeed and enable sustainable rural tourism development.
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Sustainability and Rural Empowerment: Developing Women’s Entrepreneurial Skills Through Innovation
Rural women entrepreneurs in artisanal sectors face success factors and barriers shaped by individual, social, structural, and innovation elements. Digital technologies and social innovation drive entrepreneurial success, while gender roles, poor infrastructure, and discrimination remain significant obstacles. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified these challenges, spurring innovative resilience strategies. Holistic approaches addressing skills development, resource access, and innovation promotion are essential to empower rural women and advance sustainable community development.
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Women’s Network Resource Acquisition in Informal Rural Entrepreneurship: A Developed View of Opportunity versus Necessity Dichotomy
Women informal entrepreneurs in rural Iran use different network strategies to access resources and overcome gender constraints. Tourism entrepreneurs build both weak and strong ties, gaining diverse resource access and pursuing opportunity-driven ventures. Farm entrepreneurs rely primarily on strong horizontal ties, remaining more necessity-driven. The study shows tailored policies must address distinct network patterns across different entrepreneurial groups.
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Measuring financial divide in the rural environment. The potential role of the digital transformation of finance
Rural areas in Spain show lower financial literacy than urban regions, particularly among populations with limited income and education. This gap prevents financial inclusion and perpetuates rural decline. The authors argue that digital transformation of financial services offers a concrete pathway to improve financial literacy and inclusion in sparsely populated Spanish regions, enabling rural economic regeneration.
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Entrepreneurship Education with Purpose: Active Ageing for 50+ Entrepreneurs and Sustainable Development for Rural Areas
Older entrepreneurs aged 50+ possess stronger networks, financial resources, and credibility than younger counterparts, making them well-suited to launch successful rural businesses. The ENTRUST project surveyed 72 potential 50+ entrepreneurs and 100 rural development experts, finding significant business opportunities in rural tourism and strong demand for targeted training. Interviews with eight experienced 50+ rural entrepreneurs revealed they find meaningful work in developing rural areas and preserving cultural heritage, with most wanting to continue working as long as health permits.
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How Does Internet Use Promote Returned Migrant Workers’ Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Rural China
Internet use significantly increases entrepreneurship among returned migrant workers in rural China. The study finds that internet access raises the probability of starting a business, increases entrepreneurial investment by 18%, and boosts the number of enterprises founded by 36%. The effect is strongest in areas with high internet penetration potential. The authors recommend governments support business formation, improve digital literacy, and expand rural internet infrastructure to drive sustainable economic development.
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jtetTraining Urgency to Bridge the Digital Divide for Social Media Marketing Awareness and Adoption: Case of CBT Rural Homestay Operators Malaysia
Rural homestay operators in Malaysia underutilize social media for marketing, relying instead on traditional platforms and intermediaries. The study finds low awareness of digital tools, insufficient technical expertise, and language barriers limit their market reach. Training programs targeting digital competencies and social media marketing are essential to close the digital divide and enable these operators to compete globally.
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Hidden Champions and their integration in rural regional innovation systems: Insights from Germany
Hidden Champions—little-known global market leaders—show weak integration into rural German regional innovation systems despite their high innovation capacity. The study of 57 expert interviews reveals that family ownership, firm size, organizational structure, and local economic conditions shape integration levels. Family businesses integrate more than other firm types, though with significant variation, primarily because their international focus and technological specialization limit local knowledge exchange.
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EFFECT OF MICROFINANCE ADOPTION ON RURAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN SELECTED UPAZILA OF KUSHTIA DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH
Microfinance adoption in rural Bangladesh shows mixed effects on household income. The study of 350 households in Kushtia district found that age, household size, and credit amount negatively impact income, while spouse's income positively affects it. Borrowing decisions are discouraged by higher income, older age, and larger household size. Participants face barriers including high interest rates, credit delays, and short repayment periods.
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Entrepreneurship in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Rural Women of Fars Province: Application of Lifespan Resilience Scale-Business (LRS-B)
This study measures entrepreneurial resilience among rural women operating small and medium-sized enterprises in Fars Province using the Lifespan Resilience Scale-Business tool. The research assesses how well rural women entrepreneurs maintain and recover from business challenges throughout their entrepreneurial careers, providing empirical data on resilience factors that support their enterprise success.
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Impulsores, barreras y motivaciones para el emprendimiento rural de los millennials en Antioquia-Colombia/ Drivers, barriers and motivations for rural entrepreneurship of millennials in Antioquia-Colombia
Researchers developed and validated a measurement instrument to assess drivers, barriers, and motivations for rural entrepreneurship among millennials in Antioquia, Colombia. Using expert judgment and the Delphi method with 16 specialists, they confirmed the instrument's reliability across three domains: motivations (93.7% adequate), drivers (92% adequate), and barriers (84% adequate). All Cronbach's Alpha values exceeded 0.9, demonstrating the instrument's validity for measuring factors influencing young people's rural business ventures.
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Exploring the Potential for Rural Entrepreneurship through Integrated Community-based Intervention Strategies
This study validates a measurement model for integrated community intervention strategies in ecotourism destinations across four protected areas in Kerala, India. The research identifies three intervention types—governance, eco-development, and commercial—and demonstrates that local community members develop entrepreneurial orientation across exploration, initiation, and sustenance levels. The findings provide a practical model for enhancing inclusive and sustainable resource management through enterprise development in tourism contexts.
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Local wisdom in rural microfinance: a descriptive study on villagers of East Sumba
Rural villagers in East Sumba, Indonesia use local wisdom practices for saving and investing to overcome limited access to formal financial services. The study documents how communities apply traditional knowledge and bottom-up approaches to microfinance, reducing poverty and improving financial inclusion. Local governments can adopt culture-led development policies that integrate these existing community practices into microfinance programs.
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Survivalism, collectivism and proud heritage: A study of informal arts and crafts entrepreneurship in rural Zimbabwe
Rural arts and crafts entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe operate under distinct motivations shaped by their sociocultural context. Beyond poverty reduction, these traders pursue business to preserve cultural heritage and strengthen community bonds through reciprocal, collective practices. Western entrepreneurship models fail to capture these non-financial drivers and sub-Saharan African business characteristics, requiring context-specific research and policy approaches.
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SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT OF LITHUANIA
Social entrepreneurship plays a significant role in rural development in Lithuania. The paper examines trends in Lithuanian social enterprises and identifies successful examples to inform policy recommendations. While the government has taken steps to support social entrepreneurship and innovation, substantial improvements remain necessary. Family business traditions are weak in Lithuania, having existed for only about 20 years, but rural areas show potential for young social enterprises, particularly in agriculture-based family farms.
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Does Broadband Matter for Rural Entrepreneurs or ‘Creative Class’ Employees?
This study examines whether broadband availability affects the presence of entrepreneurs and creative-class workers in rural American counties. Using 2012 national broadband data and census measures, the researchers apply spatial econometric analysis to test whether specific broadband thresholds—such as download speeds or provider numbers—correlate with entrepreneurship levels. The work addresses whether closing the digital divide through broadband infrastructure investment can meaningfully support rural economic growth through these key worker populations.
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STATUS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RURAL INDIA
Women entrepreneurs in rural India face significant barriers despite government development programs. Women contribute unpaid labor to family businesses but lack confidence and mobility due to social conditioning. The paper argues that financial schemes alone are insufficient; rural India needs intensive entrepreneurship training, integrated development programs, and sustained support systems to motivate youth and women toward entrepreneurship as a viable career path for poverty reduction.
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The social impact of microfinance: what changes in well-being are perceived by women group borrowers after obtaining a group loan? : A participatory rural appraisal in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania
Microfinance group loans in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania produced mixed results for women borrowers' well-being. While loans contributed to positive changes, these improvements were not driven by income alone and depended heavily on group dynamics and family circumstances. The study challenges the assumption that microfinance's poverty-reduction benefits flow primarily from increased income, showing instead that well-being involves multiple interconnected factors beyond financial gains.
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Vino, turismo e innovación: Las Rutas del Vino de España, una estrategia integrada de desarrollo rural/Wine, Tourism and Innovation: The Wine Routes of Spain, an Integrated Strategy of Rural Development
Spain's Wine Routes program integrates wine production, tourism, and rural development by positioning wine as a territory-intensive product. The strategy responds to global market competition by diversifying offerings beyond wine itself, creating wine tourism experiences that leverage regional identity and quality. This approach guarantees visitors high-quality tourism products while supporting rural economies through innovation in complementary services.
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Collective entrepreneurship in agriculture and its contribution to sustainable rural development in Greece
Greek agricultural cooperatives face financial crises that threaten their survival. The paper identifies how cooperatives are adopting new forms of collective entrepreneurship, transforming from traditional models into new generation cooperatives to remain competitive. The authors develop a typology showing how different collaborative structures balance economic development, environmental protection, and social equity to support sustainable rural development.
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The Differential Impact on Gender Relations of 'Transformatory' and 'Instrumentalist' Women's Group Intermediation in Microfinance Schemes: A Case Study for Rural South India
Microfinance programs in rural South India use women's groups differently, with diverging impacts on gender relations. Some programs treat groups as tools to improve financial sustainability while maintaining existing gender hierarchies. Others actively mobilize women through credit to build collective action and transform underlying gender relations. The paper argues that assuming all group-based microfinance achieves empowerment is shortsighted; program design fundamentally determines whether women's empowerment actually occurs.
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Small-scale Business in Rural Java: Involution or Innovation?1
Two case studies of rural Indonesian entrepreneurs reveal that while proximity enables information spread, fear of imitation prevents knowledge sharing and limits learning. Local business owners avoid collaboration to protect innovations from competitors. The paper argues that universities should provide business services and market information to rural small-scale enterprises to overcome these barriers and improve welfare outcomes.
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INNOVATION TRANSFER AND RURAL SMES
Rural small and medium enterprises struggle to access innovation due to financial, technical, and organizational barriers. This paper examines innovation transfer to agro-industrial SMEs in Central Italy, identifying cultural and communication gaps between researchers and entrepreneurs. The authors propose methodological guidelines for analyzing and meeting innovation demands in rural enterprises, based on their experience deploying research personnel into SMEs.
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Prototyping technology adoption among entrepreneurship and innovation libraries for rural health innovations
Entrepreneurship and innovation libraries across Europe, Asia, and the USA adopt Figma prototyping technology to support rural health startups. Previous experience, social impact, brand image, and system quality drive perceived usefulness, while usability, training, and self-efficacy influence ease of use. Both factors shape behavioral intention and actual adoption. Strategic partnerships between libraries, policymakers, and technology providers accelerate technology adoption and foster rural health innovation ecosystems.
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Sustainability Assessment of Food Waste Biorefineries as the Base of the Entrepreneurship in Rural Zones of Colombia
Food waste biorefineries can drive rural economic development in Colombia by converting agricultural residues into valuable products. Researchers analyzed six food wastes from three Colombian regions and designed biorefinery processes for each. Organic kitchen food waste conversion to levulinic acid proved most sustainable and economically viable, while other residues could produce bioactive compounds, oils, flour, and biogas. These biorefineries reduce greenhouse gases while creating local income opportunities.
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Drivers of Rural Entrepreneurship in Northern Ghana: A Community Capitals Framework Approach
Rural communities in northern Ghana possess strong cultural, social, and political capital that supports entrepreneurship, along with some human capital strengths. However, severe financial capital shortages and gaps in human capital skills significantly limit entrepreneurial development and sustainability. The study identifies these barriers and assets to help policymakers design more effective entrepreneurship programs for poverty reduction.
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Intersectoral collaboration for the development of rural entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean
Intersectoral collaboration between governments, companies, NGOs, and local communities drives sustainable rural entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean. The study finds that such partnerships overcome barriers to rural entrepreneurship and promote innovation. Educational policies, gender equality support, and institutional backing prove essential. Intersectoral collaboration emerges as critical—not merely supplementary—for rural entrepreneurship success and regional socioeconomic development.
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Do government incentives increase indigenous innovation commercialisation? Empirical evidence from local Ghanaian firms
Government incentives affect indigenous innovation commercialisation differently in Ghana's small-scale industry. Supply-side incentives increase employment but not sales or profits. Demand-side incentives to buyers significantly boost sales, profitability, and employment, and strengthen the positive effects of market factors. The study recommends shifting innovation support toward demand-side strategies in low-income economies.
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Dimensions and Strategies of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: An Explorative-Mixed Research Study
Rural entrepreneurship operates as a distinct ecosystem with unique characteristics requiring tailored support. This study identifies six dimensions and thirty-six strategies for sustainable rural entrepreneurship ecosystems through expert interviews and analytical hierarchy analysis. The findings show rural entrepreneurship differs fundamentally from other ecosystems and demands context-specific approaches that account for bio-resource conservation and local conditions.
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Perceived Obstacles and Performance of Food and Agribusiness Enterprises: Implications for Urban and Rural Entrepreneurship Development
This study analyzes 699 food and agribusiness firms using World Bank survey data to compare rural and urban enterprises. The researchers found significant differences in firm characteristics, business performance, and perceived obstacles between rural and urban locations. Results show that obstacles to doing business vary substantially by region, suggesting policymakers should tailor entrepreneurship support strategies to address location-specific challenges.
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Examining the Role of Regulation in the Commercialisation of Indigenous Innovation in Sub-Saharan African Economies: Evidence from the Ghanaian Small-Scale Industry
Regulation significantly boosts the commercialization of indigenous innovation in Ghana's small-scale industry. A survey of 557 firms found that regulation positively affects sales, employment, and owner satisfaction, while also strengthening how finance and organizational factors drive firm performance. The study challenges the deregulation narrative, arguing that low-income economies need balanced, appropriate regulations to support indigenous innovation.
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Counter-urbanization, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Rural Development in Developing Countries: The Nigerian Example
Counter-urbanization presents an opportunity for rural development in Nigeria by leveraging entrepreneurship and local resources. The paper argues that rural areas can achieve sustainable development by mobilizing endogenous capital, local knowledge, land, skills, and social networks. Success requires reformed rural development policies that strengthen local institutions, build trust, and support entrepreneurial activity among both rural residents and counter-urbanizing migrants.
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Poultry production in Nigeria: exploiting its potentials for rural youth empowerment and entrepreneurship
Poultry production offers significant potential to reduce youth unemployment in Nigeria's rural and peri-urban areas through entrepreneurship. The paper argues that government, financial institutions, and corporations should collaborate to support young farmers with soft loans, infrastructure, and extension services. Establishing a well-funded poultry advisory system would make farming attractive to youth and ensure sustainable rural development through employment creation.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS THE BASIS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL COMMUNES IN EASTERN POLAND
Entrepreneurship drives rural development in eastern Poland. Researchers assessed entrepreneurship levels across 484 rural communes using data from 2009 and 2018, applying the TOPSIS method. They found entrepreneurship scores ranged from 0.07 to 0.63, while development scores ranged from 0.23 to 0.62. Rural communes showed greater variation in entrepreneurship than in overall development, and entrepreneurship levels correlated positively with development outcomes.
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Trust in Collective Entrepreneurship in the Context of the Development of Rural Areas in Poland
Personal trust matters more than institutional trust for collective entrepreneurship in rural Poland. The study surveyed 132 people in agricultural producer organizations, women's circles, and local action groups. Social factors outweigh economic ones in determining success. Trust grows over time and strengthens both economic and social dimensions of collective enterprises, with social benefits slightly exceeding economic gains.
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Structural and functional principles of entrepreneurship development in rural areas
This paper outlines the structural and functional principles of rural entrepreneurship development using institutional theory. The authors identify key functions, development factors, and institutional environment elements that support rural business growth. They argue that effective rural entrepreneurship requires multilevel, bottom-up implementation of support measures, with state involvement playing a crucial role in achieving inclusive rural development.
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Does Microfinance Empower Women from Economic, Social, and Political Perspectives ? : Empirical Evidence from Rural Gujarat
Microfinance through self-help groups significantly empowers rural women economically in Gujarat, India. Women gain moderate social empowerment, though some social gains existed before joining. Political empowerment remains limited. Overall, women experience meaningful empowerment after participating in microfinance groups, with economic gains being the strongest outcome.
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Innovations in rural tourism in Poland and Romania
Rural tourism in Poland and Romania is growing due to economic and social demand from both residents and visitors. Tourist businesses in rural areas are implementing innovative products and services to meet this demand. This study examines what types of innovations rural tourism businesses adopt, using case studies and interviews with owners of tourist facilities in both countries.
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The Role of Entrepreneurship Development for Women Welfare in Rural Area
Women in rural Indonesia remain underrepresented in entrepreneurship despite the country's rising entrepreneurial rate. This paper argues that rural women entrepreneurs are critical for economic development and welfare improvement in rural communities. The authors identify barriers including low confidence, limited entrepreneurship education access, and pessimism about entrepreneurial ability. They apply Schumpeter's innovation theory and hope theory to explain why entrepreneurship matters for rural women's advancement.
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Study of Factors Affecting Rural Development, With A Focus on the Role of Agricultural Entrepreneurship (Case Study: North Khorasan Province)
Agricultural entrepreneurship significantly drives rural development in North Khorasan Province. The study identifies key factors that influence how farming enterprises contribute to economic growth, employment, and community prosperity in rural areas. Entrepreneurial activities in agriculture create pathways for rural residents to increase incomes and improve living standards through business innovation and market engagement.
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How local resources shape innovation and path development in rural regions. Insights from rural Estonia
Local resources—physical, human, social, financial, and immaterial—shape how rural firms innovate and develop. Research in rural Estonia shows that firms actively mobilizing these place-specific resources drive innovation and extend regional development paths. However, local resources alone cannot transform regional trajectories; they enrich existing paths but require strategic firm action to create substantial change.
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TOWARDS DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR STIMULATING RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA: A CASE STUDY OF THREE MUNICIPALITIES
Rural entrepreneurship in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province faces significant obstacles that slow small business growth despite municipal support strategies. This study examined three rural municipalities and found that while progress exists, municipalities must do more to stimulate the sector. Key recommendations include distributing land to small businesses, clustering enterprises for skills development and technology transfer, holding business exhibitions, and providing continuous mentorship and monitoring after training and financial support.
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Disruptive innovation in rural American healthcare: the physician assistant practice
Physician assistant-owned primary care practices represent a disruptive innovation for rural healthcare. The model addresses physician shortages in underserved rural communities by offering lower costs, fewer competitors, high quality care, and sustainable competitive advantage. This business model solves chronic primary care shortages in rural areas facing educational, financial, and transportation constraints.
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AGRO-TOURISM ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF INCREASING THE RURAL BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS IN ROMANIA
Agro-tourism entrepreneurship strengthens rural business competitiveness in Romania by leveraging local agricultural and non-agricultural resources. The paper identifies methods to promote and support agro-tourism ventures, examines mechanisms for integrating Romanian agro-tourism into international markets, and demonstrates how these investments create jobs, retain local labor, and revitalize rural communities.
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Rural Entrepreneurship and Welfare in South Africa: A Case of Nkonkobe Municipal Area in the Eastern Cape Province
Rural entrepreneurship in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province significantly improves household and community welfare. Survey data from 53 entrepreneurs shows that 83 percent rely primarily on entrepreneurial income. Rural businesses enable families to access healthcare, purchase assets, afford quality education for children, and support relatives. Entrepreneurship creates employment and integrates marginalized youth into the economy. A strong positive correlation exists between entrepreneurial income and school enrollment, demonstrating that rural entrepreneurship directly enhances livelihood quality through wealth and job creation.
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Innovations and Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Rural Developments
Young people in rural Romania show strong interest in starting businesses, but entrepreneurial culture remains underdeveloped in villages. The research identifies barriers to rural business creation and proposes strategies to foster entrepreneurship in Romania's Central Region. Building supportive environments and promoting entrepreneurial values are essential to converting this interest into actual rural business development.
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A study on BRAC Microfinance Products for rural consumers using Service Gap Model
This study evaluates BRAC's microfinance products for rural consumers using the Service Gap Model. The research assesses whether BRAC's microfinance offerings match what rural customers actually need and want. By analyzing the gap between company-designed services and consumer expectations, the study identifies misalignments that could damage BRAC's reputation and effectiveness in serving rural markets.
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Disabilities and Entrepreneurship in Makonde Rural Community in Zimbabwe
This study surveyed 137 people with disabilities in rural Zimbabwe to assess their participation in entrepreneurship programs. Researchers found that entrepreneurial activities excluded people with disabilities through lack of access to education, restrictive policies, social discrimination from non-disabled peers, and denial of credit from financial institutions. The authors recommend government intervention to include disabled populations in entrepreneurship initiatives to reduce rural poverty.
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RURAL MICROFINANCE AND CLIENT RETENTION: EVIDENCE FROM MALAWI
Microfinance institutions typically avoid rural markets due to high operating costs, leaving poor rural populations underserved. Analysis of over 10,000 loans in Malawi reveals that rural clients actually show significantly higher retention rates than urban clients. This finding challenges the cost-focused argument against rural microfinance and demonstrates that serving rural markets can simultaneously improve both financial sustainability and social impact for microfinance institutions.
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Institutional entrepreneurship and professionalization of the rural development of the sisal region in Brazil
Professionalization of rural development in Brazil's sisal region created entrepreneurship opportunities by transforming how funding bodies operated. Professional practices spread through informal networks rather than formal institutions, allowing local entrepreneurs to adapt and reinterpret these practices to fit their specific contexts. This process generated new organizational formats and legitimized professional approaches tailored to regional needs.
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The Cultivation of Organizational Innovation amongst Malaysian Bumiputera (Indigenous) ICT-Based Small Firms
A study of five Malaysian Indigenous ICT entrepreneurs reveals that implementing research and development activities is the key approach for developing organizational innovation in small ICT firms. The research identifies R&D as the pertinent strategy that Indigenous-owned technology companies should adopt to cultivate innovation within their organizations.
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Rural Member-Based Microfinance Institutions : A field study assessing the impacts of SACCOS and VICOBA in Babati district, Tanzania
Rural microfinance institutions in Tanzania—SACCOS and VICOBA—help members meet consumption needs, pay school fees, and start small businesses, according to member interviews in Babati district. Members believe these institutions reduce poverty, but the study finds that poverty reduction isn't automatic. Low loan repayment rates, insufficient capital, and poor entrepreneurship education limit effectiveness. How members use loans ultimately determines whether microfinance actually reduces poverty.
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Agricultural and Rural Entrepreneurship: Concepts for Modeling Development
Entrepreneurship—the capacity to develop sustainable enterprises individually or collectively—plays a crucial role in rural and agricultural development across Latin America and the Caribbean. The paper examines how entrepreneurship concepts support productive sector growth and proposes promoting enterprise development through agrifood chain and rural territory strategies to address long-standing regional weaknesses.
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Entrepreneurship within rural tourism: A private walkway on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand
Rural tourism offers farmers an economic alternative to declining agricultural profits. In New Zealand, the removal of farm subsidies in 1984 forced farmers to diversify and respond entrepreneurially. One entrepreneurial response was the establishment of the first private rural walkway on Banks Peninsula, demonstrating how educated rural populations created new ventures and value from economic necessity.
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Strategic experimentation and innovation in rural Australia
A small family farm in rural Australia successfully introduced a new crop and farming methods through strategic partnerships with an international company and government organizations. The case demonstrates that rural innovation depends on entrepreneurial qualities—opportunity recognition, network leverage, risk-taking, and adaptive learning—combined with a supportive national culture that enables farmers to overcome barriers and sustain ventures.
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Entrepreneurship Development and Tourism in Rural African Communities
This paper examines entrepreneurship development in rural African tourism contexts. It identifies key factors influencing entrepreneurial success, including proper identification of potential entrepreneurs, recognition of tourism opportunities, political environment challenges, and skills transfer to aspiring business owners. The findings highlight critical issues project managers must address to improve tourism entrepreneurship prospects in rural African communities.
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Encouraging Entrepreneurship in Rural Communities: The University of Kentucky Entrepreneurship Initiative Program
The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service developed a program to support rural entrepreneurship by engaging existing business owners to understand their needs and help them build profitable, sustainable enterprises. The program also uses insights from established entrepreneurs to design training that encourages new business creation in rural communities.
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Has the integration of fiscal agricultural funds promoted rural entrepreneurship?
China's 2016 fiscal agricultural fund integration policy significantly boosted rural entrepreneurship, according to county-level analysis from 2014 to 2021. The policy worked by improving infrastructure and expanding credit access. Effects were strongest in regions with higher internet adoption, lower agricultural modernization, and lower incomes, suggesting the policy particularly benefited less-developed rural areas.
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Innovation and rural context: An exploratory case study of a small rural enterprise from the Czech Republic
Rural businesses face barriers like inadequate staffing and market volatility, yet successfully innovate by converting obstacles into opportunities. The study identifies pull factors (incentives and opportunities) and push factors (pressures for change) that drive both product and business innovation. Owner vision and strategic outlook significantly influence innovation outcomes. Rural enterprises innovate effectively by building local, regional, national, and international connections to access wider markets.
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The Impact of Governments’ Digital Economy Procurement on Rural Household Entrepreneurship
Government procurement of digital economy products significantly increases rural household entrepreneurship in China. The effect operates through three mechanisms: relaxing credit constraints, fostering distinctive industry growth, and improving government transparency. The impact is strongest in counties with integrated e-commerce and industrial development. These findings suggest digital procurement policies can effectively drive rural economic development in emerging economies.
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Rural women entrepreneurship: when femininity compensates for institutional hurdles
Rural women entrepreneurs in Iran leverage cultural femininity values to overcome weak institutional support and develop business opportunities. Through interviews with 15 rural women entrepreneurs, the study shows that when government institutions fail to support women's entrepreneurship, feminine cultural norms actually facilitate opportunity creation and business development. The research connects cultural values to institutional gaps and offers practical guidance for policymakers seeking to strengthen rural women's entrepreneurship.
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Unlocking the potential of rural informal entrepreneurship for poverty reduction in Bangladesh: A sustainable livelihoods perspective
Rural informal entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, who comprise 75% of the workforce, face significant livelihood challenges. Only 46% report positive views on key livelihood indicators. Social capital is their strongest asset at 62%, while physical capital remains critically weak at 34%. Most entrepreneurs express limited optimism about their circumstances, with only half viewing 12 of 20 measured indicators positively. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to strengthen rural entrepreneurship and reduce poverty.
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Enhancing Rural Revitalization in China through Digital Economic Transformation and Green Entrepreneurship
Digital economic transformation significantly drives rural revitalization in China by promoting green entrepreneurship, which then cultivates green innovation. The study surveyed rural entrepreneurs across different regions and business sizes, finding that green entrepreneurship and green innovation together mediate the relationship between digital transformation and rural revitalization outcomes. The results support a pathway model for policymakers designing sustainable rural development strategies.
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Influence of social and spatial embeddedness on rural entrepreneurship in the Amazon: a study with a Brazilian tribe' enterprising Indians
Social and spatial embeddedness significantly shape indigenous entrepreneurship in the Brazilian Amazon. The study of fourteen Paiter-Suruí entrepreneurs reveals that dense social networks and deep territorial connections jointly influence business creation and development decisions. Social and spatial embeddedness reinforce each other, suggesting integrated approaches are essential for understanding and supporting rural entrepreneurship in developing economies.
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Place Identity, Social Capital, and Rural Homestay Entrepreneurship Performance: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy
Rural homestay entrepreneurs in suburban Beijing achieve better business performance when they have strong social capital and high self-efficacy. Place identity alone doesn't directly improve performance, but it strengthens self-efficacy, which then drives better outcomes. Social capital directly boosts performance and also works partly through self-efficacy. These findings support rural revitalization strategies by identifying how to help farmers succeed in homestay businesses.
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On subsistence‐type rural independent retailers and crowdfunded microfinance—Prosocial lending, nudges, and unintended consequences
Rural entrepreneurs at the bottom of the economic pyramid who sell subsistence goods face barriers when seeking crowdfunded microfinance. The study finds that repeat borrowers struggle more than first-time borrowers to secure funding on crowdfunding platforms, regardless of their business expansion plans. This reveals unintended consequences of shifting from traditional microfinance to web-based crowdfunding models for small, weakly integrated rural retailers.
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Analysis on the Social Environment of College Students’ Rural Employment and Entrepreneurship
College students in rural areas face employment and entrepreneurship barriers. This paper analyzes the social environment affecting their success through surveys and data analysis. Results show students prefer job fairs (77.2%) and online/media channels (69.6%), while fewer pursue independent entrepreneurship (15.4%). The authors propose optimization strategies across four domains: policy, capital, education, and cultural environments to improve rural employment and entrepreneurship outcomes.
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Understanding the Impact of Rural Returnees’ Hometown Identity on Their Successful Entrepreneurship with the Operations Research Framework
Rural returnees in China with strong hometown identity achieve greater entrepreneurial success, particularly in e-commerce and live broadcast villages. Knowledge agglomeration mediates this relationship, while returnee creativity amplifies it. The study, based on field data from Jiangsu Province villages, shows that government policies supporting returnee entrepreneurs with hometown attachment can effectively revitalize rural areas and retain population.
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Rural E-Commerce Entrepreneurship Education in Higher Education Institutions: Model Construction via Empirical Analysis
Rural e-commerce entrepreneurship education in Chinese higher education institutions needs stronger student input and process design, though educational support and feedback mechanisms perform well. The study evaluated one engineering institute using a hierarchical analysis model and found that while institutional support is adequate, learning engagement and curriculum delivery require improvement to better prepare students for rural e-commerce careers.
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Capital Factors Influencing Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Entrepreneurship Development: An Australian Perspective
This study surveyed 188 women entrepreneurs in rural, regional, and remote Queensland, Australia to understand how economic, social, and cultural capital influence their entrepreneurial engagement. Social capital emerged as the strongest driver of entrepreneurial success and engagement preferences, even more than formal qualifications or credentials. The researchers attribute this to how rural communities rely on networks as survival mechanisms. The findings offer insights for policymakers designing programs to support women's entrepreneurship in remote areas.
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Literature Review on Entrepreneurship Practice in Agriculture, Rural and Farmers under the Background of Rural Revitalization
This literature review examines entrepreneurship across agricultural, rural, and farmer contexts during rural revitalization. The paper distinguishes three related but separate concepts: rural entrepreneurship (focused on entrepreneurial environment), agricultural entrepreneurship (focused on agricultural industries), and farmer entrepreneurship (focused on farmer entrepreneur characteristics). The author identifies overlaps in how these types address entrepreneurial opportunities and resources, then proposes future research directions that recognize rural entrepreneurship's distinct logic and value compared to industrial entrepreneurship.
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Cultural industry development from entrepreneurship under the background of rural revitalization strategy
This paper develops a framework to measure cultural industry competitiveness in rural China under the rural revitalization strategy. Using projection pursuit and data envelopment analysis models, the authors evaluate regional cultural industry performance across base, dominant, and potential competitiveness dimensions. Results show strong performance metrics across all three areas, with findings offering guidance for improving cultural industry development and addressing current growth challenges in rural regions.
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Broadening energy access for poor households in rural malawi: How pico solar, mobile money, and cloud-based services are being combined to address energy exclusion
In rural Malawi, most poor households lack electricity and cannot afford solar systems upfront. A solar company called Yellow combined pay-as-you-go payments, mobile money, and cloud-based services into a platform called Ofeefee that delivers affordable solar lighting to off-grid communities. This approach provides better quality lighting at lower cost than traditional options, while avoiding exploitative microfinance. The paper argues that energy access programs should distinguish between energy and lighting to better address the specific needs of energy-poor communities.
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Digitalizing rural entrepreneurship: towards a model of Pangalengan digital agropolitan development
Rural communities in Pangalengan, Indonesia possess agricultural potential but lack the skills to use digital technologies for value-added production and marketing. This study develops a framework to build digital literacy and entrepreneurial capacity among agribusiness operators, drawing lessons from Kintamani, Bali, where coffee farmers successfully used digital tools and the internet to improve production knowledge and market reach.
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Human Capital, Innovation and Internationalization of Micro and Small Enterprises in Rural Territory - a Case Study
This case study of Portugal's Tagus Valley agri-food sector reveals that micro and small enterprises leverage human capital and stable partnerships with intermediary organizations to drive innovation and internationalization. The research demonstrates that endogenous assets, particularly non-market resources, significantly boost rural competitiveness. Public institutions, regional governments, and business training centers working together on a shared agenda for developing local assets prove strategically vital for sustaining small enterprises dependent on collaborative networks.
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CIRCULAR ECONOMY DRIVEN INNOVATIONS WITHIN BUSINESS MODELS OF RURAL SMEs
Rural small and medium enterprises face low competitiveness due to limited scale, distance from markets, and weak innovation capacity. This research examines how circular economy principles can drive new business models in rural SMEs, enabling them to turn environmental challenges into opportunities while meeting consumer demand. Analysis of seven focus groups across six European countries reveals practical pathways for rural SMEs to adopt eco-efficient, waste-minimizing production models.
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Impact of rural entrepreneurship on migration- A case study of Dahanu (Maharashtra), India
Rural entrepreneurship in Maharashtra's Dahanu district reduces seasonal migration and improves educational outcomes. The study identifies agriculture-based and non-agriculture ventures—including warli painting, poultry farming, handicrafts, and food processing—that can operate commercially. Entrepreneurs who developed these ventures successfully stayed in their communities and kept children in school, demonstrating that rural entrepreneurship mitigates migration-driven social challenges.
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Unruly entrepreneurs – investigating value creation by microfinance clients in rural Burundi
Poor entrepreneurs in rural Burundi break microfinance program rules in ways that actually create value for their households and communities. The study identifies four rule-breaking practices—consumption spending, illegitimate investment, loan juggling, and loan arrogation—and shows how they strengthen social ties and help families manage financial shocks. The researchers argue that microfinance institutions themselves drive these practices and should offer more flexible products.
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Impediments to Rural Youth Entrepreneurship towards the Hospitality Sector in Nigeria: The Case of Ihitte-Uboma, Imo State.
Rural youth in Nigeria face significant barriers to starting hospitality businesses, according to a case study from Ihitte-Uboma in Imo State. The research identifies specific impediments that prevent young people from pursuing entrepreneurship in the hospitality sector, offering insights into why rural youth struggle to establish ventures in this industry.
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COMMUNITY-BASED ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MODEL TO BOOST ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMITMENT IN RURAL MICRO ENTERPRISES
Community-based entrepreneurship programs led by higher education institutions effectively boost rural micro-enterprise development. The study finds that entrepreneurs' attitudes—particularly perceived benefits and risk tolerance—most strongly drive business development commitment. Social pressure and environmental factors have minimal influence. Perceived behavioral control and demographic characteristics like age, gender, and education significantly determine whether entrepreneurs actually implement business improvements.
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Development of rural group entrepreneurship in Indonesia: benefits, problems, and challenges
A women's business group in Central Java, Indonesia, supported by Bank Indonesia with training, tools, and market access, demonstrates that successful rural group entrepreneurship requires members with equal or complementary skills, incremental wins to maintain motivation, and careful recruitment based on members' actual motives. The group must clarify its long-term mission as either a business entity or incubator before external support ends.
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Reconceptualizing Rural Entrepreneurship Discourse from a Social Constructionist Perspective: A Case Study from Iran
This Iranian case study argues that the government's rural entrepreneurship program reinforces structural inequalities rather than enabling genuine rural development. The authors use social constructionism and structuration theory to show how the program operates hegemonically. They propose shifting focus from entrepreneurship discourse to multifunctional agriculture as a more effective rural development strategy.
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Factors Influencing Growth of Rural Entrepreneurship in Tripura: A Socio – Economic Perspective
Rural entrepreneurship in India's Tripura state is constrained by socio-economic factors beyond government support programs. Despite decades of initiatives since 1952 to promote rural entrepreneurship, limited improvements in entrepreneurs' lives suggest other barriers exist. This study identifies the specific socio-economic factors influencing rural entrepreneurship growth in Tripura villages, recognizing rural entrepreneurs as critical drivers of employment and wealth creation in India's villages.
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Conceptualizing the Role of Leadership, Community Support, and Entrepreneurship Skill in the Performance of Community-Based Rural Homestay (CBRH) Programme in Malaysia
Malaysia's government promotes community-based rural homestay programs to develop rural economies through tourism small businesses. This paper identifies three key factors that influence program performance: leadership quality, community support, and entrepreneurship skills. The analysis shows how these determinants work together to help homestay operators deliver quality services and sustain their businesses despite government financial and non-financial support.
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Innovation in Services: The Case of Rural Tourism in Argentina
Rural tourism in Argentina succeeds when providers identify distinctive attributes through collective action and self-discovery. Because rural tourism combines multiple services, coordination among small and micro producers is essential. Public policies can facilitate this cooperation, though poor connectivity in remote areas creates obstacles. Local economic effects are significant but difficult to measure.
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Entrepreneurship as a potential driving force for the further development of rural areas – good examples from Visegrad countries
Rural entrepreneurship drives development in Visegrad countries by creating local economic opportunities and employment. The paper examines successful entrepreneurial initiatives across the region, demonstrating how business creation and innovation in rural areas strengthen communities and reduce urban-rural disparities. These examples show entrepreneurship as a practical strategy for sustainable rural growth.
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Bridging the Gap between Entrepreneurship Education and Small Rural Businesses: An Experiential Service-Learning Approach
University students in retailing and hospitality management completed service-learning projects that helped small rural businesses develop sustainability plans and marketing strategies. The projects successfully built students' entrepreneurial competencies and self-efficacy while improving the competitiveness and brand image of participating rural businesses. The experiential approach combined real-world business challenges with classroom learning, demonstrating that hands-on engagement with actual rural enterprises strengthens both student skills and local business performance.
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Innovation of organization model for integral rural development: Serbia case study
Serbia's rural municipalities need new organizational models to boost economic growth. Research in two Sumadija municipalities shows that effective rural development requires municipalities to pursue active financing, identity-based policies, and continuous education. Innovation should include initiative teams for decision-making, agricultural incubators combining business and technology support, and vertical merger systems.
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Women Entrepreneurship as a Cutting Edge for Rural Development in Nigeria
Rural entrepreneurship, particularly among women, drives economic development in Nigeria by creating local employment, generating farm income, and building community resilience. The paper argues that developing entrepreneurial capabilities and skills is essential for sustainable rural growth, and identifies necessary policies to foster a supportive environment for rural entrepreneurs, especially women seeking autonomy and economic independence near their homes.
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Understanding the place based social value created by new-start social enterprises: evidence from 10 rural UK communities
Social enterprises in rural UK communities create measurable social value for residents. This study analyzed ten National Lottery-funded new social enterprise projects across rural areas to understand how different enterprise approaches generate local social impact. The findings show that social enterprises contribute meaningfully to community regeneration and economic development in deprived rural regions.
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Microfinance and Poverty Reduction Nexus among Rural Women in Selected Districts in the Upper West Region of Ghana
Microfinance access enables rural women in Ghana's Upper West Region to acquire assets and improve their well-being, reducing poverty and vulnerability. The study of 200 women found that education and marital status positively correlate with asset accumulation, while household dependents negatively affect it. Women participating in microfinance programs gain financial independence and contribute more effectively to their families and communities.
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An Evaluation of Technology Innovation on the Performance of Indigenous Textile Weaving Firms in Southwestern Nigeria
Technology innovation significantly improves performance of indigenous textile weaving firms in southwestern Nigeria. Investment in technology, product innovations, capital investment, and business experience drive firm success. However, high taxes, R&D costs, local competition, and regional market pressures constrain performance. Domestic marketing and advisory services support firm resilience.
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The banking sector intervention in the microfinance world: a study of bankers' perception and outreach to rural microfinance in India with special reference to the state of Punjab
Commercial banks in Punjab, India offer microfinance schemes to rural poor for small economic activities. This empirical study examines how extensively banks participate in microfinance and analyzes the nature and reach of their rural microfinance services. The research also documents bankers' perceptions of microfinance as a poverty reduction tool.
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The MicroConsignment Model: Bridging the “Last Mile” of Access to Products and Services for the Rural Poor (<i>Innovations Case Narrative</i>: The MicroConsignment Model)
The MicroConsignment Model addresses rural poverty in Guatemala by delivering essential products and services to remote communities. The paper documents how this distribution approach solved real problems: providing clean water to reduce illness in schools, enabling artisans to access vision correction for work, reducing indoor air pollution through improved cooking stoves, and bringing electricity access to families. The model bridges the final distribution gap that prevents rural poor from accessing basic goods.
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Entrepreneurship and the Environment for Rural SMEs in the Shropshire Hills, UK, 1997–2009
This study tracked farm businesses in South Shropshire's Environmentally Sensitive Area between 1997 and 2008. Environmental scheme participation increased significantly as government policy became more output-focused. Some farmers left cattle production but avoided diversification or pluriactivity despite government support. Most farmers showed traditional rather than entrepreneurial characteristics, leaving their future uncertain as key financial supports faced closure.
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Impact of Group-Based Microfinance on Rural Household Income: Evidence from an Indian State
Group-based microfinance programs in rural Orissa, India significantly increase household income for participating families. The study compared microfinance participants with non-participants across agricultural and micro-enterprise sectors using statistical analysis and income inequality measures. Results demonstrate that microfinance interventions deliver measurable positive income effects for rural households engaged in both farming and small business activities.
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Synergising entrepreneurship, incubated business and socioeconomic upliftment in rural India
Business incubation can drive rural entrepreneurship in India by bringing technology and resources directly to rural communities. The paper examines how rural business hubs create linkages between education, research, enterprises, finance, and government to foster sustainable enterprises. A case study of an existing hub demonstrates how incubation supports socioeconomic development and harnesses rural resources and manpower.
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Financing rural innovation with community development venture capital: models, options and obstacles
Rural regions struggle to attract traditional venture capital despite needing local company growth for economic development. Community development venture capital (CDVC) offers a viable model for overcoming geographic barriers that deter conventional investors. This paper examines the structural obstacles CDVC faces and identifies potential funding sources to support rural entrepreneurship through patient capital.
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Internet kiosks for rural communities: using ICT platforms for reducing digital divide
Rural communities in India gained internet access through wireless ICT kiosks operated via public-private partnerships. Systematic skill development and local entrepreneurs proved critical to adoption and sustained operation. The platform enabled diverse innovative applications and demonstrated that public-private partnerships can effectively reduce digital divides in areas requiring large-scale infrastructure investment.
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Implications of Financial Innovations for the Poorest of the Poor in the Rural Area: Experience from Northern Bangladesh
Microfinance programs like Grameen reach only upper-level poor in rural Bangladesh and offer limited services with rigid procedures. SafeSave's innovative approach succeeded in urban areas but faced challenges when adapted to rural settings due to different economic structures and poverty patterns. Successful rural microfinance requires understanding local poverty dynamics, designing appropriate financial products, identifying the poorest households, and educating clients while motivating service providers.
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Bougainville microfinance: Rebuilding rural communities after the crisis
A microfinance scheme was developed in Bougainville following armed conflict, designed through participatory workshops with rural communities. The Bougainville Microfinance Scheme attracted government and international funding, established a federated structure for locally-directed development, and exceeded targets in pilot areas. The model combines savings-based operations with diverse loan services through a multi-tiered system, achieving broad outreach while supporting grassroots economic and social development.
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Empowering women in rural India: characteristics and intentions for sustainable entrepreneurship
This study identifies factors driving rural women in India toward sustainable entrepreneurship. Using surveys of 1,250 rural women and structural equation modeling, the research finds that perceived capability, social perception, and individual competencies all directly increase women's entrepreneurial intentions. Perceived opportunities mediate these relationships. Together, these factors explain about half the variation in women's sustainable entrepreneurial intentions.
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Rural entrepreneurship as-practice: a framework for research beyond stereotypical notions of entrepreneurial agency and contextual constraints
Rural entrepreneurship research often relies on stereotypical views of rurality and how context shapes business activity. This paper proposes a new theoretical framework treating rural context and entrepreneurship as interconnected practice-material bundles. The authors identify four types of relations between entrepreneurial agency and rural context—causal, prefigurative, constitutive, and intelligibility—to better understand how they mutually shape each other. The framework bridges positivist and constructivist approaches and emphasizes analyzing practice-material dynamics as the core unit for studying rural entrepreneurship.
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The impact of microfinance on entrepreneurship and welfare among women borrowers in rural Pakistan
Microfinance in rural Pakistan boosts women's entrepreneurship and household income when borrowers invest loans in microenterprises, increasing earnings, clothing spending, and income diversification. However, the loans fail to increase health and education spending or reduce child labour. The findings show microfinance effectively stimulates economic activity but has limited impact on human capital investment and broader welfare improvements.
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Indigenous Knowledge in Entrepreneurship and Cultural Tourism in the Rural Areas
Indigenous entrepreneurs in rural areas successfully integrate traditional knowledge into their businesses, particularly in cultural tourism, which is growing but remains largely informal. However, these entrepreneurs face significant barriers including inadequate capital, limited access to funding, and discrimination from financial institutions. The study calls for comprehensive support mechanisms to strengthen indigenous entrepreneurship and sustainability practices based on traditional knowledge systems.
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Mediating agricultural entrepreneurship through embracing innovative technology: a tale from small rural enterprises in an emerging economy
Small marginal farmers in an emerging economy show willingness to adopt innovative technologies but face barriers including lack of technological education, training, and funding. Fear of losing traditional practices and threats from intermediaries discourage adoption. A digital marketplace model can reduce information gaps and costs while improving supply chain efficiency and profit margins for small farmers.
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Does mobile broadband use promote smallholder entrepreneurship? Evidence from rural China
Mobile broadband use significantly increases smallholder entrepreneurship in rural China. The study found that mobile broadband access raises the probability of entrepreneurial engagement by 15.1 percentage points and entrepreneurial willingness by 50.9 percentage points. Effects vary by region and income level, with high-income smallholders showing greater engagement gains and low-income smallholders showing greater willingness gains.
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Entrepreneurship and Industrialization for Rural Development: Business Incubation Approach
Business incubators supporting agricultural firms drive rural development in Tanzania by nurturing startups and creating jobs. Government-operated incubators provide managerial advice, accessible finance, facilities, business guidance, export facilitation, networking, and market access. The study of ten incubators shows they significantly impact the economy and job creation. Developing countries should integrate business incubators into policy and strategic planning.
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The rural household’s entrepreneurship under the land certification in China
Land certification in China significantly increases agricultural entrepreneurship among rural households by at least 25%, but does not affect non-agricultural entrepreneurship. Certification with clear boundaries and household-level titling proves most effective. The policy works by enabling land transfers, improving labor allocation, and facilitating capital access. The findings support standardizing rural labor markets and advancing land financial reforms to boost agricultural entrepreneurship.
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Did the cyberspace foster the entrepreneurship of women with children in rural China?
Internet access significantly promotes entrepreneurship among rural mothers in China by enabling three key mechanisms: improving gender equality perceptions, providing business information and learning opportunities, and facilitating access to financing. The study demonstrates that cyberspace adoption directly supports self-managed enterprise creation among women with children in less developed rural areas.
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Artificial Intelligence Network Embedding, Entrepreneurial Intention, and Behavior Analysis for College Students’ Rural Tourism Entrepreneurship
College students in Xi'an show strong entrepreneurial intentions toward rural tourism when supported by effective education. Using artificial intelligence neural networks optimized with genetic algorithms, researchers analyzed factors influencing entrepreneurial behavior with 92% accuracy. The findings demonstrate that improved machine learning methods can reliably predict student entrepreneurship, helping universities design better entrepreneurship education programs to develop rural tourism ventures and strengthen rural economies.
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An Inclusive Entrepreneurial Path Model Based on Rural Digital Entrepreneurship Data in Zhejiang Province Using Few-Shot Learning
Rural farmers in Zhejiang Province who engage in entrepreneurship rely heavily on operational resources and network connections rather than knowledge resources. Social and industrial network embeddedness significantly helps migrant workers access the resources needed to start businesses. The study recommends policies supporting farmer entrepreneurship, attracting business investment to rural areas, and providing agricultural knowledge and market guidance to boost rural employment.
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Empowering Rural Entrepreneurs through Independent-Entrepreneurship Literacy Program
An entrepreneurship literacy program in an Indonesian village improved bamboo craftsmen's business competencies through training in business management, financial literacy, and digital marketing. The program used participatory action research to address illiteracy and low entrepreneurial skills that hindered rural economic development. While the training enhanced craftsmen's abilities to develop their businesses, sustained progress requires ongoing support from local government and private companies.
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Social entrepreneurship in tourism: a chance for rural communities
Social enterprises developing tourism in rural Ukrainian communities can improve resident well-being, but success requires local awareness, sustainable resource management, and alignment with community values. The paper shows that diversified tourism approaches outperform single-activity models like ski resorts, which create economic vulnerability. Social tourism enterprises deliver greater positive social impact than conventional tourism businesses when they maximize local resources and respect traditions.
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Corporate governance and firm innovation: Evidence from indigenous oil firms in Sub-Saharan Africa
This study examines how corporate governance affects innovation in indigenous oil firms in Nigeria. The research finds that board effectiveness, commitment, and involvement significantly boost both process innovation and product/service innovation. The findings suggest that strengthening corporate governance practices helps indigenous oil firms remain competitive and sustainable in their sector.
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Women’s Economic Contribution, Relationship Status and Risky Sexual Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Microfinance-Plus Programme in Rural South Africa
A study of 626 rural South African women in a microfinance-plus program found that married older women had higher rates of inconsistent condom use, while women contributing all household income reported more multiple sexual partners but less transactional sex. Economic strengthening alone does not reduce sexual risk behaviors; interventions must address broader social and economic drivers alongside income support.
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Bringing innovation back in–strategies and driving forces behind entrepreneurial responses in small-scale rural industries in Sweden
Small-scale dairy businesses in Sweden innovate primarily through business model changes and imitation rather than disruptive innovation. Social capital and collective action enable firms to break established patterns and create new markets. The study distinguishes rural entrepreneurship from self-employment, showing both drive economic growth. Support mechanisms like flexible regulations and knowledge-sharing help rural firms innovate and survive.
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Impacts of socio-cultural practices on family support system for rural women entrepreneurship development in Nigeria: a comparative analysis
Rural women entrepreneurs in Southwest and Southeast Nigeria receive varying levels of family support, which is significantly shaped by socio-cultural practices. The study found that cultural norms discourage women from passing businesses to their children and limit entrepreneurial growth. The research recommends that husbands challenge restrictive cultural practices to enable family business succession, sustainable economic empowerment, and poverty reduction in rural areas.
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RURAL GREEN TOURISM AS AN INNOVATIVE FORM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Rural green tourism represents an innovative entrepreneurship model that drives rural development in Ukraine. The paper identifies key factors enabling agritourism, agro-ecotourism, and rural tourism enterprises, and develops a framework for their growth. It demonstrates how green tourism entrepreneurship achieves economic, environmental, social, and cultural goals while addressing barriers to expansion. The authors recommend specific government support measures to strengthen this sector.
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The role of entrepreneurship, cooperation and agro-industrial integration in the development of rural areas
Entrepreneurship, cooperation, and agro-industrial integration are essential for sustainable rural development. The paper identifies organizational and economic components needed to support these activities and demonstrates that entrepreneurship drives stable agrarian economy growth through integration and cooperation. The authors forecast entrepreneurial structure development through 2025 and provide recommendations for state policies supporting agricultural sector growth and rural transformation.
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Comparison of Marketing Activities among the Rural Women of Omid Entrepreneurship Fund and Agricultural Development Specialized Holding Companies in Fars Province
Rural women entrepreneurs in Iran's Fars Province who received support from Agricultural Development Specialized Holding Companies demonstrated stronger marketing capabilities than those funded by the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund. Women in Holding Companies showed greater awareness of marketing methods, better grasp of marketing strategies, and superior personality traits for entrepreneurship including risk-taking and creativity. The study recommends targeted improvements to enhance marketing activities for women in microfinance programs.
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Surveying the Socioeconomic and Business Dimensions of Microfinance Institutions in Rural Sierra Leone before the Ebola Outbreak: A Descriptive Statistical Approach
Microfinance institutions in rural Sierra Leone before the 2013 Ebola outbreak successfully provided access to credit for business, farming, and construction activities, with strong delivery of financial services scoring 8 out of 10 for accessibility. However, skills training and community support programs were ineffective, and while individual beneficiaries improved their living standards, these gains did not extend to broader community development.
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Review of Rural Marketing in India and Innovations in Rural Marketing
Rural India's 833 million people represent a growing market attracting businesses. As rural literacy and awareness increase, consumers demand better value. Successful rural marketing requires understanding local consumers, direct engagement, and product demonstrations. The paper reviews marketing innovations and strategies that have emerged to serve rural Indian markets, concluding that rural marketing development offers significant economic opportunities for both businesses and rural communities.
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Management of Innovation of the Economic Potential of the Rural Enterprises
Rural enterprises face innovation challenges that threaten their stability and viability. This paper develops a clustering methodology to identify the economic potential of rural settlements across four dimensions: economic, social, infrastructure, and environmental. Using data from Czech municipalities, the authors create models to classify areas by their innovation capacity and define business potential through regression analysis. The method enables practitioners to identify which rural locations have suitable conditions for innovation and economic development.
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The role of European funds in developing and sustaining rural entrepreneurship in Romania
European Union funding through Romania's National Rural Development Program (2014-2020) supports rural entrepreneurship by enabling SMEs to access grants for business development. The study analyzes program results using official statistics and reports, measuring outcomes like job creation and population reach. It identifies how EU funds drive rural economic development while documenting persistent challenges Romanian rural entrepreneurs face despite these funding mechanisms.
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Analysis on the Innovation of Rural Tourism Marketing Strategy—Taking the Tik Tok as an Example
Rural tourism marketing has become critical as demand for short-distance leisure grows near urban areas. This paper examines TikTok as a new rural tourism marketing platform, identifying content, relationships, and users as key success factors. The authors recommend deepening vertical content creation, cultivating fan communities to generate network effects, and promoting value creation to reshape marketing effectiveness.
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Agrotourism as one of the ways to develop entrepreneurship in rural areas
Agrotourism offers rural entrepreneurs a diversified income strategy that addresses unemployment, migration, and rural decline. The paper argues agrotourism delivers economic benefits through agricultural diversification and new jobs, environmental gains by conserving ecosystems and farmland, and social-cultural benefits by preserving heritage and improving farmer status. Key barriers include weak strategic planning, insufficient funding, inadequate training, and lack of professionalism. State-level policy support is essential to unlock agrotourism's potential for regional development.
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Eco-Friendly Women Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas:A Paradigm Shift for Societal Uplift
Eco-friendly women entrepreneurship in rural areas drives societal development and economic self-reliance. Women entrepreneurs, equipped with artisan skills and multitasking abilities, create sustainable businesses in agriculture and domestic sectors that address rural poverty. This paradigm shift combines traditional capitalist entrepreneurship with environmental responsibility, enabling women to contribute meaningfully to agrarian economies despite patriarchal barriers.
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A Quantile Regression Analysis of Contributing Factors Influencing Agribusiness Growth and Entrepreneurship Development: Evidence from Rural China
This study examines factors driving agribusiness growth and entrepreneurship in rural China using quantile regression analysis. The research finds that government policies, rural education, research and development investment, legal frameworks, family household development, and intellectual property protection all significantly correlate with agribusiness expansion. Rural investments show positive relationships with both agribusiness growth and entrepreneurial development, with effects varying across different quantile levels.
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Performance Appraisal of Rural Entrepreneurship Development Programs
This paper evaluates government-sponsored self-employment programs and developmental institutions in Haryana that support rural entrepreneurship. The author assesses how organizations like NABARD, KVIC, and various state agencies perform in creating micro and small enterprises in rural villages. The findings show which institutional structures and programs effectively foster rural entrepreneurship and help develop potential entrepreneurs in rural areas.
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Entrepreneurship in the rural context: Practical reflection on success and innovation
Rural entrepreneurs identify key factors driving their success and innovation: strong customer service, hard work, social skills, competitive pricing, and accurate record-keeping. Training helps entrepreneurs avoid common mistakes. The study recommends that government and private sector increase support for rural entrepreneurs to counter the trend of rural-to-urban migration.
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Designing the Structural Equation Model of Agricultural Entrepreneurship Development in Rural Areas of Iran (Case Study: Villages of Marvdasht County)
This study develops a structural equation model explaining agricultural entrepreneurship in rural Iranian villages. Using survey data from 197 households, researchers found that social capital, subjective norms, self-efficacy beliefs, and local institutions together explain 47% of variance in agricultural entrepreneurship development. The model confirms these four factors significantly influence farmers' innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness, suggesting government support and institutional strengthening can boost rural entrepreneurship.
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A Network-Based Approach for Emerging Rural Social Entrepreneurship
Rural social entrepreneurship drives rural development, but remains understudied. This paper applies network theory to rural social enterprises, examining how network structure, social innovation, social learning, and value creation shape strategy and performance. The authors argue that network approaches help rural social enterprises build competitive advantages and strengthen rural economies.
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A Profile of Agricultural Education Teachers with Exemplary Rural Agricultural Entrepreneurship Education Programs
Teachers who run successful rural agricultural entrepreneurship programs share common traits: they have substantial teaching experience, hold advanced degrees, have personally practiced entrepreneurship, earn recognition as outstanding educators, and demonstrate open-mindedness and enthusiasm. These findings suggest that teacher quality and entrepreneurial background directly influence program effectiveness in rural agricultural education.
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Strategic orientations and cooperation of external agents in the innovation process of rural enterprises
Market orientation drives incremental innovation in rural enterprises, while entrepreneurial orientation supports both incremental and radical innovation. Specific external partners like suppliers and consultants help with incremental improvements, whereas universities and public research organizations primarily support radical innovation. The study of 208 rural firms reveals that strategic orientations and external collaboration patterns differ from urban business models due to rural market structures and product characteristics.
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From Arturo Escobar's development theory to Antony Giddens's structuration theory: a social constructionist analysis of rural entrepreneurship and multifunctional agriculture
This paper argues that rural entrepreneurship research relies too heavily on positivistic approaches and ignores rural contexts. Using social constructionism, Giddens's structuration theory, and Escobar's development theory, the authors propose shifting from positivistic views of rural entrepreneurship toward understanding multifunctional agriculture as a socially constructed discourse. They claim this theoretical reframing better explains how rural regions actually develop.
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Social entrepreneurship in the rural areas - a sports club's mobilisation of people, money and social capital
A sports club in a small rural community became a social entrepreneur by taking on public responsibilities and driving community development. The club succeeded by leveraging its local credibility, geographical proximity, and ability to mobilize resources. Volunteers in the club acted as change agents, demonstrating how the voluntary sector can address gaps left by traditional public institutions in peripheral rural societies.
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Entrepreneurship and viral development in rural Western Negev in Israel
Rural entrepreneurs in Israel's Western Negev region show willingness to cooperate through open incubators, but lack the key personal traits and business attitudes needed for viral economic growth. Only highly motivated entrepreneurs with power-seeking drive possess both required profiles. The study identifies that mavens, connectors, and salesmen—the influential few—need targeted support and attitude improvement to catalyze regional development through collaborative business initiatives.
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Optimisation of a TV White Space Broadband Market Model for Rural Entrepreneurs
This paper develops a game-theoretic model for TV white space broadband markets serving rural entrepreneurs. Using Bertrand competition theory, the authors analyze how primary spectrum users compete on price to sell access to secondary users operating mesh routers. The model optimizes inter-operator agreements based on quality-of-service metrics like delay and throughput, comparing outcomes across cost, revenue, and profit parameters to identify competitive equilibria.
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Unnoticed Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Latvia’s Rural Economy
Rural entrepreneurs in Latvia drive innovation through smallholder farming and traditional practices, yet their contributions remain largely unrecognized. The paper examines how rural Latvians, particularly those engaged in traditional activities like bath-house operations, generate economic value and foster development through entrepreneurial ventures that official statistics and policy frameworks overlook.
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Conclusions: contemporary responsible rural tourism innovations
This paper reviews innovations in responsible rural tourism across Malaysian destinations. Through analyzing case studies, the authors identify emerging approaches that enhance sustainable tourism practices from stakeholder perspectives. They argue that rural tourism's complexity creates both challenges and opportunities for responsible governance that balances economic, social, and environmental outcomes.
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Key factors influencing organizational innovation in small rural food industries: Case study of Iran
This study examines organizational innovation in small rural food industries in Tehran Province, Iran. The research identifies key factors driving innovation: firm age negatively affects incremental innovation, while product diversification and production capacity positively influence it. For radical innovation, production capacity, product diversification, and manager experience boost adoption, while competition intensity reduces it. The findings provide recommendations for strengthening organizational innovation in these rural food firms.
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NGOs and their Role in Development of Science - In Development of Rural Women Entrepreneurship
NGOs and self-help groups in India train and empower rural women entrepreneurs to create economically rewarding activities, addressing the challenge of retaining rural populations. The paper examines how these organizations develop science-based approaches to rural women entrepreneurship, building systems that help eradicate rural poverty and engage women in sustainable economic activities.
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS IN POLAND
Rural entrepreneurship in Poland is shaped by social and cultural factors rooted in communist-era attitudes and post-1989 transformation. Polish rural residents show low entrepreneurial activity, preferring passive survival strategies over economic risk-taking. However, strong family and neighborhood ties, combined with generations of farm ownership experience, create conditions that support entrepreneurship when it does emerge. Rural enterprise thus carries both economic and social dimensions.
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Achieving food security and climate change mitigation through entrepreneurship development in rural Nigeria: Gender perspective
Rural entrepreneurship development in Nigeria can address food security and climate change by supporting integrated food production, processing, and marketing. Women comprise a significant portion of rural agricultural entrepreneurs despite representing only 8% of formal agricultural workers. The paper analyzes Nigeria's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and conducts cost-benefit analyses to recommend gender-inclusive entrepreneurship strategies that improve food security while reducing climate impacts from farming and livestock production.
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Tourism management in rural innovation programs of Castilla-La Mancha
Rural innovation programs in Castilla-La Mancha invested heavily in tourism development, expanding rural accommodation, heritage rehabilitation, and cultural preservation. Using shift-share analysis, the study identifies how these European structural funds generated global, structural, and competitive effects across tourism initiatives, demonstrating significant increases in rural tourism supply and infrastructure.
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Credit unions and rural banks reaching down and out to the rural poor through group-based microfinance
Credit unions and rural banks in West Africa, Ecuador, Madagascar, and the Philippines successfully deliver microfinance to poor rural populations by adopting group-based village banking models. This approach costs less than building new microfinance institutions from scratch and reaches extremely poor women in remote areas. While individual credit unions and rural banks are fragile, spreading risk across many small institutions creates a sustainable system.
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Bamboo Entrepreneurship - Opportunities for Rural Employment
Bamboo offers significant entrepreneurial opportunities for rural employment in India. The crop matures quickly, regenerates easily, and has over 1500 documented uses spanning traditional and modern applications. Its versatility as a substitute for wood and expensive materials, combined with low production costs and environmental benefits, makes bamboo-based technologies viable for generating rural income and employment.
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Enabling Rural Innovation: Empowering Farmers to Take Advantage of Market Opportunities and Improve Livelihoods
Agricultural markets reduce poverty in developing economies through three mechanisms: increased farmer productivity and incomes, cheaper food for poor consumers, and economic growth in non-farm sectors. The paper argues that empowering farmers to access market opportunities and innovate improves rural livelihoods by leveraging agriculture's role in broader economic development.
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RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: INDIVIDUAL OR COLLECTIVE PHENOMENA?
Rural entrepreneurship requires both individual initiative and collective support systems. While entrepreneurs drive firm creation in rural areas, success depends equally on strong social institutions and supportive socio-economic structures. Economic development becomes sustainable when entrepreneurial activity integrates with broader socio-cultural development, rather than relying solely on individual economic rationality.
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Institutionalisation of Rural Entrepreneurship through NGOs: Introspection from the Case Studies
Rural entrepreneurship development programs in India, implemented through NGOs in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute, successfully address declining agricultural growth and rural unemployment. Training-based programs institutionalize entrepreneurship as a poverty alleviation strategy. Case studies reveal success and failure factors in this collaborative approach to rural development.
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Terrorism and Rural Entrepreneurship in Punjab
Terrorism in Punjab during the 1980s-1990s disrupted established rural businesses, forcing dominant merchant classes to abandon their enterprises and migrate to cities. Agricultural communities, particularly Jat Sikhs enriched by the green revolution, filled this economic vacuum and entered business sectors previously closed to them. The paper argues that political violence fundamentally reshaped rural entrepreneurship patterns and that political factors are essential to understanding entrepreneurial development.
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Empowering local communities engagement: Rural tourism and business innovation for SDGs desa
Social entrepreneurship and business innovation together empower rural communities to develop sustainable tourism. Social entrepreneurship fosters community engagement and inclusivity, while business innovation helps local destinations differentiate themselves and improve competitiveness. The study demonstrates how these combined approaches create sustainable tourism initiatives aligned with sustainable development goals in rural villages.
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Application of artistic design innovation in promoting rural cultural brand construction
This study uses AI and text mining to analyze how users in 15 countries respond emotionally to rural cultural brand designs. The researchers built a virtual simulator and recommendation system to match design elements with regional preferences. Brazilian users preferred vibrant, festive folk art styles, while Russian, Japanese, German, South Korean, and Thai users showed strong emotional responses to rural architecture, handicrafts, and performing arts designs. The findings help tailor rural cultural brand promotion to different international markets.
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Is a Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Conducive to the Improvement of Entrepreneurial Performance? Evidence from Typical Counties of Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation in China
Rural entrepreneurship ecosystems in China contain multiple factors—market size, human capital, financial capital, and infrastructure—that combine in different ways to drive entrepreneurial performance. The study identifies two pathways to high performance: market-driven financing combined with talent development, and government-supported infrastructure. Market forces and government intervention can substitute for each other. Two separate pathways lead to lower performance, involving market-financing or market-government suppression.
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Does Urban Innovation Promote Rural Entrepreneurship? Quasi-Natural Experimental Evidence from Microdata on New Agricultural Subjects
Urban innovation policies in Chinese cities significantly boost rural entrepreneurship among new agricultural businesses, with effects strengthening over time. The impact operates through increased technology investment, improved credit access, and faster technological adoption. However, effects vary by city size and type: small and medium cities benefit most, while large cities show inhibited growth. Agricultural cooperatives and agribusinesses gain substantially, but family farms see no significant improvement.
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Exploring the Influence of Village Social Capital and Rural Development on Farmers’ Entrepreneurial Decision-Making: Unveiling the Path to Local Entrepreneurship
Village social capital significantly influences farmers' decisions to start businesses in rural China. Social trust has the strongest effect, increasing entrepreneurial odds by 16.28%, while social networks and participation boost odds by 3.96% and 5.42% respectively. Rural harmony and economic development partially explain how social capital drives entrepreneurship. The findings show that strengthening village social capital creates conditions for rural business formation.
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Transferability of hometown landholdings and rural migrants’ entrepreneurship: evidence from a pilot rural land use reform in China
A pilot rural land reform in China between 2015 and 2018 increased the transferability of hometown landholdings by raising expropriation compensation and allowing land transactions. Rural migrants from these pilot areas showed 5–7 percentage points higher entrepreneurship rates in destination cities. The reform particularly boosted necessity-based rather than opportunity-based entrepreneurship, with stronger effects on middle-aged and married migrants. The findings demonstrate how rural land policy directly influences urban entrepreneurial activity.
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Fostering entrepreneurship and development in rural mountainous regions: the role of SEZs and local economic dynamics in Gilgit-Baltistan
Special economic zones, particularly Maqpondass SEZ and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, drive entrepreneurship growth in Gilgit-Baltistan. Government incentives, access to finance, skill development, and business connections enable new venture creation. The study finds that SEZ-based industries directly support local small business expansion, with human capital development and technology adoption critical for sustained regional economic growth.
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Strategies for Sustainable Rural Tourism Innovation: Evidence from Hanoi, Vietnam
Rural tourism innovation drives economic and social development in rural areas while addressing environmental challenges. This study examines sustainable rural tourism innovation strategies in Hanoi, Vietnam, showing how innovation enhances tourism regeneration, meets sustainable development goals, and improves economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The research provides insights for policymakers developing rural tourism destination innovation policies in developing countries.
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International immigration and entrepreneurship in rural areas of the Spanish Pyrenees
Immigrant entrepreneurs in Spain's Pyrenees create innovative businesses in farming and tourism, introducing new products to niche markets and strengthening local sustainability values. However, their companies remain small and undercapitalized, producing limited economic impact and job creation. The study challenges the focus on retirement and low-skilled migration by documenting how immigrant professionals and lifestyle movers contribute to rural economies through entrepreneurship.
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Opportunities and Challenges of Rural Entrepreneurship in Afghanistan
Rural entrepreneurship in Afghanistan can drive development by reducing unemployment, increasing income, and empowering communities. The research identifies key challenges including limited financial resources, poor infrastructure, and sociocultural barriers. It also highlights opportunities such as affordable land, natural resources, and strong local traditions. The authors propose a framework and recommendations to address obstacles and leverage advantages for rural economic growth.
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Rural Women Entrepreneurship in Malaysia: Issues and Challenges
Rural women entrepreneurs in Malaysia drive economic growth and gender empowerment but face significant barriers including inadequate infrastructure, limited market access, restricted financial resources, and socio-cultural bias. The paper identifies targeted solutions: improving finance access, investing in rural infrastructure, and challenging cultural norms. Success requires coordinated action from government, financial institutions, educational facilities, community leaders, and nonprofits to unlock entrepreneurial potential and achieve sustainable economic growth.
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Challenges of Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment in South Africa: Evidence from Rural Areas
Women entrepreneurs in rural South Africa face three major barriers to business expansion: limited access to finance, insufficient education, and poor infrastructure. The study surveyed 250 female business owners in northern KwaZulu-Natal and found these obstacles are surmountable through alternative financing, targeted training programs, and infrastructure investment. Addressing these challenges could empower women entrepreneurs, drive rural economic growth, and reduce poverty.
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Disputed futures: rural entrepreneurship and migration in postsecondary trajectories on the Ecuador–Colombia Border
This ethnographic study examines how schools in the Ecuador-Colombia border region use rural entrepreneurship projects to shape young people's futures and align their aspirations with state priorities. The research reveals tensions between institutionalized entrepreneurship initiatives and students' actual desires for geographical and social mobility, showing how the future functions as a tool of government control over youth.
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Innovation as translation in Indigenous entrepreneurship: lessons from Mapuche entrepreneurs in Chile
Innovation in Indigenous entrepreneurship operates as cultural translation, not Western adoption. Mapuche entrepreneurs in Chile transform traditional daily practices into market-valued products by reconfiguring commercial practices through their own cultural frameworks. This process challenges homogenized innovation discourse and reveals how Indigenous enterprises strategically adapt rather than simply adopt external innovation models.
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Exploration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Model in Higher Vocational Colleges based on Rural Revitalization Strategy
Higher vocational colleges can support rural revitalization by integrating innovation and entrepreneurship education into their programs. The paper argues that vocational education institutions have a responsibility to train skilled entrepreneurs who can contribute to rural development, particularly as COVID-19 and poverty alleviation challenges intensify. The authors propose specific measures to align vocational entrepreneurship education with national rural revitalization goals.
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Spaces of Innovation and Women Rural Entrepreneurship in Italy
Women farmers across Italian regions drive innovation adoption through entrepreneurial orientation, creating distinct innovation spaces within both conventional and alternative agrifood networks. The research identifies multiple "worlds of female innovation" and argues that policymakers must design differentiated policy actions targeting these entrepreneurial spaces to support gender mainstreaming in EU rural development.
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Layering of a health, nutrition and sanitation programme onto microfinance-oriented self-help groups in rural India: results from a process evaluation
A health and nutrition program integrated into rural microfinance self-help groups in Bihar, India improved maternal and child health outcomes. Community mobilizers trained on health, nutrition, and sanitation topics shared knowledge in monthly group meetings and home visits. Trained mobilizers demonstrated significantly higher knowledge levels and were more likely to conduct related activities, collect health data, and seek guidance from block-level coordinators. The study shows that non-health programs can effectively deliver health services through dedicated local staff.
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Social Capital, Entrepreneurship and Rural Development
Retired migrant workers returning to Arjowilangun Village in Indonesia possess strong social capital—built on kinship, trust, and mutual cooperation—that directly influences their decision to start businesses. Social network analysis identified 14 key community figures capable of spreading entrepreneurial information. Higher social capital significantly correlates with entrepreneurship uptake, which drives village development and reduces dependence on remittances alone.
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Economic Contribution and Inequality Mitigation of Wicker Handicraft Entrepreneurship in Rural Kashmir, India
Wicker handicraft entrepreneurship in Kashmir generates substantial income for rural households and significantly reduces income inequality in the region. The study found that wicker handicraft income contributes nearly 67% of total household income and lowers the Gini coefficient from 53.14 to 21.85, indicating a strong equalizing effect. Education, family composition, housing status, and prior income levels are key factors determining entrepreneurial success in this forest-based cottage industry.
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Australian Indigenous Art Innovation and Culturepreneurship in Practice: Insights for Cultural Tourism
Indigenous art centers in Australia's Arnhem Land demonstrate successful cultural entrepreneurship through artistic innovation tied to tourism. The paper defines Indigenous culturepreneurship as a distinct practice that challenges Western definitions of culture and entrepreneurship, establishing six practical criteria for developing Indigenous cultural tourism ventures. These innovations enable Indigenous communities to maintain and promote living cultures while creating economic and social benefits.
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An Innovative Opportunity? Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Pedagogical Possibilities for Indigenous Learners
Social innovation pedagogy shares key features with Indigenous pedagogies in Canada, including experiential learning, reflection, and collaboration. The paper examines how these overlapping approaches can support Indigenous business students in building community resilience, while cautioning against forcing Indigenous knowledge systems into Eurocentric educational frameworks.
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MICRO FINANCE INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE IN GROWING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF RURAL INDIAN ECONOMY
Microfinance institutions and self-help groups play a critical role in reducing poverty and driving economic development across rural India, where 70 percent of the population lives and depends heavily on agriculture. The study examines how microfinance reaches rural communities through NGOs and local organizations, demonstrating their effectiveness in addressing financial exclusion and supporting economic growth in underserved areas.
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Addressing Declining Rural Communities Through Youth Entrepreneurship Education
Rural communities in the United States face population decline and youth outmigration due to limited job prospects. Previous youth programs failed to address why young people leave or connect them to local opportunities. This paper recommends that Extension personnel redesign rural youth entrepreneurship education to emphasize technology and innovation, leverage 4-H as an experiential learning platform, and directly tackle the social factors driving rural youth flight.
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Designers' and indigenous potters' collaboration towards innovation in pottery production
Designers and indigenous potters in Ghana collaborated to innovate pottery production while preserving cultural identity. Female potters with 25+ years experience and young men using improvised machinery adopted design thinking and new production methods. Through creative skills development, potters maintained cultural consciousness and satisfaction while producing culturally relevant, market-appealing products that reflected contemporary life.
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Impact of Microfinance on Women Empowerment : A Study of Rural Gujarat
Microfinance through self-help groups significantly empowers rural women in Gujarat across economic, social, and political dimensions. The study of 384 women in two districts found that each additional year of membership increased the probability of economic empowerment by 9%, social empowerment by 14%, and political empowerment by 11%. Microfinance interventions drive measurable societal transformation in rural India.
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The nexus between R&D, innovation and profitability of indigenous oil firms: A structural equilibrium model approach
Research and development spending directly boosts profitability in Nigerian oil companies and works indirectly through both technological and non-technological innovation. Technological innovation delivers stronger indirect effects than non-technological innovation. Indigenous oil firms maximize profits by investing in R&D alongside both innovation types rather than choosing one approach alone.
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Community-Based Entrepreneurship and Rural Development
A survey of small and medium enterprises across five Central European nations examines how local institutions and conditions shape SME performance in rural regions. The research uses municipalities as the primary unit of analysis to understand the relationship between institutional organization and entrepreneurial success in rural areas.
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Actor networks and innovation activities among rural enterprises in a South African locality
Rural enterprises in South Africa benefit significantly from actor networks that facilitate access to innovation knowledge and practices. The study finds that both private and non-profit rural businesses rely on face-to-face interactions and informal knowledge-sharing arrangements rather than formal contracts. These networks enable rural enterprises to access internal and external innovation know-how, supporting local development despite geographic isolation and resource constraints.
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Rural Retail Innovations in India: New Dimension in Marketing
Rural markets in India present significant opportunities but require different marketing approaches than urban areas. Physical distribution, channel management, poor infrastructure, and communication challenges make serving rural consumers difficult. The paper argues that rural marketers must develop creative solutions, particularly in retailing and distribution, since village retailers play a crucial role in brand success when direct consumer communication is limited.
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The Jugaad Technology (Indigenous Innovations) (A Case Study of Indian Origin)
Jugaad represents an indigenous innovation mindset in India where individuals use their skills to solve problems economically and productively. The paper examines jugaad's potential to create self-employment opportunities for rural youth with new ideas, supporting inclusive growth across India. Through case studies from rural areas, the authors explore how jugaad innovations can address employment scarcity and resource constraints while establishing pathways for patent protection.
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Microfinance in Ghana : A Comparative Study of Performance of the Formal versus Informal Rural Financial Institutions
Formal banks in Ghana increasingly compete with traditional microfinance institutions to serve microenterprises, but hesitation remains high. This study compares their performance using survey data from rural financial institutions. Formal banks cite profitability as their main incentive but fear high transaction costs and borrower risk. Informal institutions outperform formal ones at reducing defaults. Collateral reduces non-performing loans, while women-focused lenders perform better. Rural location and high lending rates increase default risk.
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Broadband Internet Service Helping Create a Rural Digital Economy
Broadband internet service enables rural communities to participate in the digital economy by reducing geographic barriers to commerce and information access. The paper examines how broadband infrastructure supports rural economic development through business creation, job growth, and improved access to markets and services that were previously limited by distance and connectivity constraints.
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Managing environmental turbulence in the microfinance sector - a case study of the Aga Khan rural support programme in Pakistan
This case study examines how the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in Pakistan adapted its microfinance operations when international donors shifted from providing subsidized funding to demanding institutional self-sustainability in the 1990s. The microfinance division successfully transformed from a donor-dependent organization into a commercially viable institution by restructuring its tangible and intangible organizational elements to survive competitive market pressures.
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Microfinance Self-Sustainability and Outreach in Uganda: A Case of Teso Rural Development Trust Limited
Microfinance institutions in Uganda reach rural populations underserved by commercial banks through group lending and solidarity guarantees. This study examined Teso Rural Development Trust Limited's financial self-sustainability and outreach to poor clients between 1998 and 2003. The institution was heavily dependent on external funding, unprofitable, and not self-sustainable. Its outreach favored non-poor clients over the poorest populations, indicating that regulatory improvements and operational efficiency gains were needed to achieve both financial sustainability and meaningful poverty reduction.
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Replicating the suitability rule and economic theory in pursuit of microfinance inclusion of women micro-agribusinesses in rural financial markets
Microfinance banks in rural Uganda can improve women micro-agribusiness survival by 29 percentage points when they offer financial products tailored to borrowers' economic conditions. Customized loan products enable poor women farmers to generate sufficient income for timely repayment and business operations. Microfinance institutions should adopt personalized pricing models and product design strategies to reduce loan defaults and increase financial inclusion among rural agricultural entrepreneurs.
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Customers’ Perception of Microfinance Services as a Tool for Rural Development: A Romanian Case Study
Microfinance institutions in Romania succeed when they build trust, demonstrate empathy, and maintain strong organizational culture and reputation. A survey of 110 microfinance clients identified three key service quality dimensions: empathy and assurance, trust, and intangibles. While gender differences in perception were minimal, age, education, and business type significantly shaped how clients viewed services. Improving these intangible factors strengthens client relationships and enables sustainable rural development.
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Economic impact of productive use of renewable energy: A case of a women-collective from rural Maharashtra (India)
A women-led renewable energy collective in rural Maharashtra, India, generated significant income increases for beneficiary households compared to non-beneficiaries, with multiplier effects across the local economy. The study demonstrates that productive use of renewable energy can simultaneously advance socio-economic development and climate goals in rural areas, supporting India's strategy to address infrastructure gaps and rural poverty through clean energy.
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OVERVIEW PAPER ON MICROFINANCE THROUGH SELF-HELP GROUP-BANK LINKAGE PROGRAM FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN RURAL INDIA
India's Self-Help Group-Bank Linkage Program, established by NABARD in 1992, delivers microfinance to rural poor communities. The program reduces poverty and financially empowers rural women, increasing savings, asset creation, and school enrollment. However, challenges remain including high interest rates, transaction costs, skill gaps, and inconsistent implementation across regions.
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A Study on Self-help Group based Microfinance Impacting Poor Rural Households
Self-help group microfinance programs in Orissa, India significantly improve rural household outcomes. The study finds that participating households experience increased income, employment days, and literacy rates, while migration decreases. Microfinance shows stronger impacts on households engaged in micro-enterprise and trading than those dependent on agriculture, demonstrating that livelihood type shapes program effectiveness.
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Innovation supports for small-scale development in rural regions: a create, build, test and learn approach
Small rural manufacturers face resource constraints that limit innovation despite needing it to survive market downturns. This paper presents a support toolbox designed to help these firms develop new products through learning cycles and communicative prototyping. The approach formalizes their existing trial-and-error methods while building organizational learning capabilities into early-stage product development work.
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Empowering Rural Women’s Involvement in Income Generating Activities Through BRAC Microfinance Institution in Sylhet District, Bangladesh
Microcredit from BRAC in Bangladesh's Sylhet District empowers rural women to start income-generating activities and achieve socioeconomic advancement. Women who accessed these loans gained business skills, confidence, decision-making power, and self-esteem. The study identifies barriers to loan access and repayment as obstacles that stakeholders must address to maximize microfinance's contribution to sustainable development and women's financial independence.
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Smallholder farmers' intention to adopt microfinance services in rural areas of Tanzania - a behavioural study
Tanzanian smallholder farmers show low adoption of microfinance services despite their potential to boost productivity. This study identifies key behavioral drivers: perceived benefits, subjective norms, attitude, and perceived behavioral control all increase farmers' intention to adopt microfinance. Perceived barriers reduce adoption intent. The research recommends improving financial literacy training, redesigning group-lending models to reduce individual risk, lowering interest rates, and creating financial products tailored to rural farmers' actual needs.
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Microfinance and rural non-farm employment in developing countries
Microfinance institutions have expanded credit access in developing countries, enabling rural households to diversify income through non-farm employment. The rural non-farm sector now rivals agriculture as an employment source in some regions. However, further growth requires more flexible credit contracts, lower borrowing costs, and complementary support like skills training.
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Promotion of Sustainable Livelihood through Skill Development Among Rural Youth - Role of Micro-Finance in Developmental Paradigm
Skill development alone fails to generate sustainable livelihoods for rural youth in India without addressing broader well-being and social structures. The paper examines how skill development institutions, policies, and programs linked to micro-finance can better support rural youth employment. It argues that micro-finance, operating within social relationships and collective norms, offers a more comprehensive approach than employable skills training alone to promote inclusive development.
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Socio-economic Impact of IBBL Microfinance on Rural Women in a Selected District of Bangladesh
A microfinance program run by Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited improved rural women's socioeconomic conditions in Barisal district. The study of 206 beneficiaries found significant gains in social capital, non-agricultural income, sanitation, and water access. Family earning members, total loan amount, and household spending together explained 46.5% of income growth. The program delivered both financial and social benefits to participating women.
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The Challenges Confronting Small Scale Businesses in accessing Microfinance Services from MFIs Case Study: Rural Tanzania
Small-scale businesses in rural Tanzania access microfinance services but face significant barriers. The study of 195 businesses in Mvomero district found that while microfinance institutions help businesses develop and expand, strict requirements and inflexible lending practices obstruct access. The research recommends that microfinance institutions adopt more flexible terms and that governments establish supportive legal and financial frameworks to enable financing for new ventures.
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Challenges Faced by the Model of Islamic Microfinance for the Development of Micro Entrepreneurs and SMEs in Rural Pakistan
Islamic microfinance models offer a comprehensive framework addressing social, financial, and religious objectives for rural micro-entrepreneurs and SMEs in Pakistan, which traditional microfinance institutions neglect. The paper identifies critical challenges in implementing these models, including organizational and operational constraints. Proper execution of Islamic microfinance can restructure rural socioeconomic conditions and enable SMEs to achieve financial self-sufficiency.
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Building assets to reduce vulnerability: microfinance provision by a rural working people's union in Mexico
Proyecto Tequisquiapan, a rural microfinance union in Mexico, provides deposit facilities and protective financial services that help vulnerable households build assets and manage financial shocks. The organization succeeds through small-scale operations, committed staff, and continuous innovation tailored to members' needs. The authors argue this model outperforms large-scale commercialized microfinance and warrants World Bank attention.
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43 nd European Regional Science Association Congress "Peripheries, Centres, and Spatial Development in the New Europe" University of Jyväskylä, Finland, August 27 th -30 th 2003 Innovation and Business Performance in Rural and Peripheral Areas of Greece
This study examines innovation patterns in two mountainous Greek regions and their effect on business performance. Surveying 100 manufacturing and service enterprises, the researchers found that product and market innovation varies between the more accessible and remote areas. Business networks, entrepreneurial characteristics, and firm-specific factors drive innovation, which in turn improves business performance. The findings support territorially tailored innovation policies for peripheral rural areas.
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Digital Inclusive Finance and Farmer Entrepreneurship: Pathways to Sustainable Development in Rural Ghana
Digital financial services significantly boost farmer entrepreneurship in rural Ghana, increasing entrepreneurial activity by 10-49% depending on the analytical method. Access to digital finance, digital literacy, and household income all drive farmers to adopt entrepreneurial approaches. The study recommends governments invest in digital infrastructure, reduce transaction costs, and fund digital literacy programs to promote rural entrepreneurship and sustainable development.
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Impact of microfinance on income generation: Evidence from a rural community‐driven development programme in Myanmar
A community-driven microfinance programme in Myanmar increased rural households' access to credit for productive purposes, partially replacing formal bank loans and informal borrowing from relatives and friends. Treated households increased agricultural harvesting, yields, and sales, resulting in higher seasonal income. The findings demonstrate that microfinance targeting productive investment effectively improves rural household income in developing economies.
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Microfinance as a Tool of Socio Economic Empowerment of Rural Women
Microfinance through self-help groups empowers rural women in Assam, India by providing sustainable income sources. The study collected primary data from women in rural areas with SHG experience and found that microfinance significantly improves their socio-economic conditions. The research demonstrates microfinance's proven success in developing Asian countries and identifies strong potential for continued growth in Northeast India.
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Innovation and Well-Being in Indigenous Entrepreneurship in Indonesia: A Capability Approach
Indigenous entrepreneurs in Indonesia innovate to preserve cultural heritage alongside economic gain. A capability approach study of two Indigenous communities reveals that cultural well-being drives innovation participation and collective learning. Understanding how Indigenous entrepreneurs value innovation—beyond profit—shows that cultural preservation acts as both an outcome and mechanism enabling community members to engage in innovation efforts.
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Bridging The Digital Divide : The Role of Technology in Enhancing Rural SMES in Indonesia
Rural small and medium enterprises in Indonesia face a significant digital divide caused by limited infrastructure, low digital literacy, and weak government support. While digital technology could boost their competitiveness and revenue, adoption remains limited. The study recommends stronger collaboration between government, technology providers, and SMEs to accelerate technology adoption and improve rural business competitiveness in the digital economy.
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Empowering rural youth through entrepreneurship development: Tackling unemployment, migration, and Catalyzing innovation
Youth entrepreneurship in rural areas reduces unemployment and migration while driving innovation and sustainable development. The paper reviews evidence showing that supporting young entrepreneurs creates economic and social benefits, generates jobs, and fosters innovation. Success requires coordinated efforts across government, private sector, educational institutions, and development organizations to build ecosystems enabling rural youth to start businesses and contribute to equitable economic growth.
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Research on the Innovation of Rural Tourism E-commerce Development Path in the Internet Era
This paper develops an e-commerce mobile platform for rural tourism using F-PBFT algorithms, collaborative filtering, and VR technology. Applied to Battle Flag Village in China, the platform increased net profit margins to 47.84% and generated nearly 242,000 peak-hour searches, demonstrating how digital tools can boost rural tourism businesses and attract visitors to remote areas.
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Impact of Innovation and Agricultural Cooperative Societies towards Ecological Equilibrium Among Rural Farmers in Kenya.
Agricultural cooperatives in Kenya drive agroecological innovation that strengthens farming resilience to climate change while protecting ecosystems. Cooperatives enable small-scale farmers to adopt ecology-based practices, create production chains, include marginalized groups, and build local markets. This approach combines farmer knowledge with scientific expertise to deliver locally appropriate solutions that improve livelihoods, food security, and environmental protection simultaneously.
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Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women Through Microfinance: A Case Study of Baijnath Rural Municipality, Banke
Microfinance programs significantly empower rural women in Nepal's Baijnath Rural Municipality by increasing their income, economic independence, and decision-making authority. Women accessing microfinance services gain control over resources, improve family relationships, and participate more actively in household and community decisions. The study found that 58% of participating women own land, over half work in retail, and most make decisions about children's education and healthcare, demonstrating measurable gains in economic standing and social influence.
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Indigenous knowledge for innovation and sustainable livelihood in Ghana’s informal economy
Indigenous knowledge drives innovation in Ghana's informal economy. A study of 300 informal-sector workers found that 90% rely on indigenous knowledge, with 85% using it to develop new products and services. Apprenticeship and museum archives best preserve this knowledge. Indigenous knowledge significantly improves food security, health, and environmental sustainability. However, lack of government support and poor integration with modern technology remain major barriers. The research demonstrates indigenous knowledge is essential for grassroots innovation but needs stronger policy backing.
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Do natural environmental protection, regional innovation climate, entrepreneurs’ cognition of green development positively influence the sustainable development of small rural businesses
A study of 439 rural entrepreneurs across 17 Chinese provinces found that environmental protection alone does not drive sustainable development in small rural businesses. Instead, a supportive regional innovation climate and entrepreneurs' understanding of green development significantly boost sustainability. Technological innovation partially mediates these relationships. The findings challenge assumptions about environmental regulation's direct impact and offer guidance for developing countries pursuing green rural transitions.
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Spatial embeddedness in indigenous rural entrepreneurship: a systematic literature review
Indigenous entrepreneurs succeed by building strong internal ties within their close social networks while simultaneously creating external connections across different networks. The paper reviews 14 years of research and finds that spatial embeddedness—how location shapes entrepreneurial networks—remains largely unexplored in indigenous entrepreneurship literature. The authors argue that understanding entrepreneurs as spatially embedded agents offers new insights for indigenous rural business development.
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Trigeneration based on the pyrolysis of rural waste in India: Environmental impact, economic feasibility and business model innovation
This study evaluates trigeneration systems powered by rural waste pyrolysis in India, combining environmental and economic analysis with business model innovation. Researchers surveyed villagers to understand actual feedstock prices, then used cost-benefit analysis and life cycle assessment to design two novel business models. The proposed models achieve up to 90% economic profitability with benefit-cost ratios of 1.35–1.75, offering viable pathways for rural bioenergy production in developing countries.
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Broadband and rural development: Impacts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Broadband Initiatives Program on saving and creating jobs
The USDA's Broadband Initiatives Program reduced employment losses in rural areas compared to non-program regions, with stronger effects in metropolitan counties and service sectors. Businesses in program areas showed better survival rates than those outside the program, though impacts varied by location, business type, and industry.
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The Obstacles of Women Entrepreneurship on Empowerment in Rural Communities KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Women entrepreneurs in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa face three main barriers to business expansion: limited access to finance, lack of formal education, and inadequate infrastructure. The study surveyed 250 female business owners and found these obstacles are surmountable through targeted interventions including alternative financing mechanisms, focused training programs, and infrastructure development. Removing these barriers could empower women entrepreneurs and reduce rural poverty.
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The spatial interplay between productive and destructive entrepreneurship: do institutions meet expectations in rural areas?
In rural Colombia, destructive entrepreneurship (coca cultivation) and productive entrepreneurship (coffee cultivation) directly displace each other. Despite the presence of coffee-supportive institutions like extensionists, these institutions fail to prevent destructive entrepreneurship from crowding out productive activities. The study reveals that institutional support alone is insufficient to control this substitution effect in weak institutional environments.
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Defence innovation ecosystems and rural economic development: pathways to sustainable growth and military adaptation
Latvia is integrating rural regions into its defence innovation ecosystem to strengthen military capabilities and economic development. The study finds that while government investment and policy frameworks exist—including test sites in Latgale and dual-use technology grants—rural participation remains limited by infrastructure gaps, weak SME involvement, and unequal funding distribution. The authors recommend targeted policies to boost rural innovation capacity while aligning with NATO and EU standards.
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EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOCIAL INNOVATION: A CASE STUDY OF ECOTOURISM HOMESTAYS IN SABAH
Ecotourism homestays in Sabah represent Indigenous-led social innovation that empowers communities by redistributing ownership, knowledge systems, and decision-making power. Community-driven co-creation processes strengthen social networks, local leadership, and livelihoods across governance, economic, cultural, and environmental domains. However, the study warns that ecotourism alone cannot sustain empowerment without equitable governance, ethical frameworks, and recognition of Indigenous sovereignty. Only fully community-led models meaningfully redistribute benefits; external dominance risks reproducing inequality.
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Predicting microfinance inclusion and survival of microenterprises in rural Uganda: testing the mediating role of ethical financial behavior of poor young women owners
Ethical financial behavior fully mediates the relationship between microfinance access and survival of poor young women's microenterprises in rural Uganda. The study finds that microfinance inclusion and ethical financial behavior together explain 62% of enterprise survival variation. Financial education and business mentorship programs can improve loan repayment discipline and access to future credit among rural women entrepreneurs.
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Implementation of Islamic Microfinance through Marketing Strategy for Financing Rural Communities in Cirebon Region
Islamic microfinance institutions in Indonesia's Cirebon region successfully serve rural communities through targeted marketing strategies. The study finds that sharia-based microfinance improves access to capital for female entrepreneurs, increases business sales, and reduces poverty and unemployment. The approach emphasizes justice and social welfare while facing challenges including limited capital, low financial literacy, and regulatory gaps.
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Microfinance as a Catalyst for Poverty Reduction: Assessing Credit Access, Entrepreneurship, and Income Resilience in Marginalized Rural Economies
Microfinance institutions provide crucial financial access to low-income rural households in marginalized areas. This study of 400 microfinance participants in southern Punjab, Pakistan shows that credit access directly improves entrepreneurial performance and financial stability. The effect strengthens significantly when combined with financial skills training and social network support. Microfinance enables business creation, income resilience, and poverty reduction at scale, with policy recommendations for sustaining long-term program benefits.
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The Impact of Microfinance on Rural Women's Lives and Local Development
Microfinance in India enables rural women to overcome financial barriers and pursue self-employment through Self-Help Groups, which build entrepreneurial skills and community solidarity. The programs improve household economic stability, health outcomes, and women's decision-making power while stimulating local economic growth and raising living standards. Tailored microfinance with ethical practices drives sustainable rural development and women's empowerment.
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Self-Employed Versus Paid-Employed: What are the Different Preferences for Microfinance? Experimental Evidence From Rural China
Self-employed rural Chinese households show different preferences for microfinance than paid employees. Non-agricultural self-employment increases comfort with microfinance products, while agricultural self-employment decreases it. The study uses experimental choice data and advanced statistical modeling to reveal that employment type shapes how rural people evaluate microfinance attributes, suggesting microfinance design should account for these distinct preference patterns.
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Impact of microfinance on entrepreneurship development and business growth of rural women entrepreneurs in Uttar Pradesh
Microfinance programs in Uttar Pradesh significantly enable rural women to start and grow businesses, providing access to financial resources and fostering entrepreneurial aspirations. The study combined surveys and interviews with women entrepreneurs to show that tailored microfinance interventions—including financial literacy, skill development, and market linkages—drive socio-economic empowerment and sustainable development in rural communities.
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Enhancing SME Performance Through Microfinance: Insights from Rural Nepal
Microfinance services significantly improve small and medium enterprise performance in rural Nepal. A study of 385 microfinance clients in Rupandehi district found that microloans, savings services, and skill training directly increased SME profitability, sales growth, and employment creation. Integrated microfinance programs, particularly savings and training components, strengthen business sustainability and financial stability.
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Transforming Rural Economies: The Socioeconomic Impact of Microfinance in Kailali District, Nepal
Microfinance in Nepal's Kailali district improves rural incomes, asset ownership, food security, and children's education, according to a survey of 150 beneficiaries and interviews with participants. However, impacts vary by loan type, location, and occupation. Some borrowers face over-indebtedness and repayment difficulties. The results inform microfinance policy design for Nepal and comparable developing regions.
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Study on the Strategy of “Double Innovation” Education in Universities to Serve Rural Development in the Context of Rural Revitalization
Chinese universities must redesign innovation and entrepreneurship education to develop talent for rural revitalization. The paper argues that a comprehensive system with four key drivers—treated as mechanism guarantees—enables higher education institutions to produce innovative entrepreneurs who can support China's rural development strategy.
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A FRAMEWORK FOR GOVERNMENT POLICY, ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP, AND MANAGEMENT INNOVATION THAT EFFECT TO THE SUCCESS OF SMES IN CHINA'S RURAL COMMUNITIES
This paper develops a framework showing how government policy, entrepreneurial leadership, and management innovation work together to drive success for small and medium-sized enterprises in rural China. The analysis identifies how these three factors interact and provides recommendations for policymakers and business owners to improve rural SME performance and support sustainable economic development in rural communities.
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Study on the Design of Rural Homestays Based on the Memory Place Theory: Take Weipo Village of Luoyang as an Example
This paper examines how to design rural homestays in Weipo Village, Luoyang, using memory place theory and local cultural symbols. The authors extract traditional decorative patterns from the region and integrate them with modern design to create culturally distinctive spaces. The approach improves living conditions and service quality while preserving Central Plains cultural heritage, offering a model for developing culturally characteristic rural homestays.
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Cultural values and innovation in indigenous entrepreneurship: a case study from Indonesia
Cultural values shape innovation in indigenous hand weaving enterprises in Lombok, Indonesia. Strong community integration and social capital facilitate knowledge transfer and collective learning, promoting innovation. However, tradition-focused values and past-time orientation limit market expansion and future-oriented change. These same values enable entrepreneurs to respond effectively to current market trends, creating a tension between adaptive and transformative innovation.
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“Empowering Rural Bihar: The Role of Microfinance In Economic Development”
Microfinance institutions in rural Bihar provide crucial financial services to underbanked populations, enabling small-scale entrepreneurs—particularly women—to start and expand businesses. The study finds that microloans increase household income, employment, and economic resilience. The research recommends policy interventions to scale microfinance initiatives and integrate them with other development programs to drive inclusive growth.
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Role of Microfinance and Self Help Groups in Rural Women Empowerment – A Study of Two Sub district under Mahisagar District, Gujarat
Microfinance and self-help groups in rural Gujarat empower women economically and socially. The study examined 150 women across 20 self-help groups in two sub-districts of Mahisagar district. Linking SHGs with banks enables poor households to access credit at lower costs with higher repayment rates. Women gain productive surplus funds, expand operations, and improve household welfare through increased economic participation and financial inclusion.
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Role Co-operative Movement in Economic Development and Rural Finance in India
India's cooperative movement drives rural economic development by enabling rural women's empowerment and providing large-scale finance to farming communities. Cooperatives bring people from different sectors together to start businesses with shared capital, creating employment and raising living standards. In western Maharashtra, cooperatives and rural finance have generated substantial employment and investment growth in agricultural and farming sectors.
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Changing Connectivity into Capability: The Quality of Broadband, Sensing, and Digital Change in Rural Retail Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Rural retail small and medium-sized enterprises with better broadband quality and sensing capability achieve greater digital transformation intensity, which improves their business performance. A survey of 742 firms confirmed that broadband quality and sensing capability directly drive digital change, which in turn enhances firm-level performance. Rural retailers currently lag in digital adoption, but improving connectivity and data sensing capacity enables meaningful business improvements.
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Designing and Explaining the Development Model of Palm Conversion and Complementary Industries with an Innovation Approach in Creating Rural Women's Entrepreneurship in Kerman Province
Rural women in Kerman Province, Iran can become entrepreneurs through date processing and complementary industries using innovation approaches. The study identifies key factors driving this entrepreneurship: system efficiency and innovation, marketing ability, and economic incentives. These elements significantly influence women's capacity to create employment, increase family income, and access global markets. Supporting rural women entrepreneurs requires financial backing, education, and business team formation to reduce urban migration and achieve sustainable rural development.
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Exploring the Development of Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent in Guangxi under the Rural Revitalization Strategy
Guangxi's agricultural talent development faces critical challenges including brain drain, structural imbalances, and weak training systems. The paper proposes solutions through improved talent cultivation frameworks, better recruitment policies, stronger incentive mechanisms, and closer industry-university-research partnerships to support rural revitalization.
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The economic effects and model innovation of rural e-commerce development in the rural revitalization strategy
Rural e-commerce drives economic growth through integrated 'industry plus e-commerce' models, as demonstrated in Cao County. The sector faces critical barriers: inadequate logistics, talent shortages, and low agricultural product standardization. The paper recommends infrastructure investment, logistics optimization, workforce development, product standardization, and business model innovation to enable sustainable rural e-commerce growth and support rural revitalization.
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AI-Empowered Cultural Tourism Development: Innovation Paths and Strategies for Rural Revitalization
AI integration with cultural tourism drives rural revitalization by creating smart platforms, diverse tourism products, and digital infrastructure. The approach enhances visitor experiences, supports modern agriculture, improves governance, and preserves intangible cultural heritage through AI-powered talent training. This model generates new economic productivity and enables sustainable rural development.
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Research on the Impact of Rural E-Commerce Development on Rural Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Rural e-commerce significantly promotes rural innovation and entrepreneurship by narrowing the urban-rural income gap, creating more favorable economic conditions for rural business development. The effect is strongest in western counties with higher innovation levels and developed industrial structures. The study recommends strengthening agricultural innovation and rural scientific services in economically underdeveloped areas.
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Digital divide: Impact of technology on rural entrepreneurship development in India
Rural entrepreneurs in Karnataka, India gain significant marketing advantages through digital platforms and ICT access. A survey of 100 rural entrepreneurs across three districts—Dharwad, Uttarkannada, and Haveri—combined with ten in-depth interviews, reveals that digitization improves marketing capacity and business reach. The digital divide remains a critical barrier, with technology access directly enabling rural business effectiveness.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Determinants of Technology Adoption Among Rural MSMEs
Rural micro, small, and medium-sized businesses face barriers to adopting digital technology. This study surveyed 327 MSME owners to identify adoption drivers: perceived usefulness, government support, trust, and financial assistance. Perceived usefulness emerged as the strongest predictor of adoption, while government support had the least influence. Trust and financial aid also significantly affect technology uptake. The findings emphasize that rural MSMEs need targeted financial incentives, trust-building efforts, and government interventions to accelerate digital transformation.
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Bridging the digital divide for empowerment of rural women entrepreneurs in Tumkur District: An empirical study
Digital access gaps severely limit rural women entrepreneurs in India, with only 25% having internet access versus 49% of men. Social organizations, training programs, and government initiatives significantly improve digital literacy and entrepreneurial outcomes by expanding market access, financial services, and business networks. Despite persistent infrastructure, cost, and cultural barriers, targeted digital inclusion strategies drive business performance and socio-economic empowerment, requiring customized policies and community support for sustainable rural development.
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Bridging digital divides for sustainable futures: Evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts of financial inclusion among rural women
Digital financial inclusion—through mobile banking, fintech, and microcredit—strengthens rural women's entrepreneurship, income, and decision-making power while supporting sustainable livelihoods. However, gaps in digital literacy, infrastructure, and institutional support limit progress. The study proposes that combining financial inclusion with digital literacy training and sustainability policies can empower rural women and bridge socio-economic and environmental divides.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: An Empirical Study on Digital Payment Adoption among Rural Retailers in Tiruchirapalli
Rural retailers in Tiruchirapalli, India show strong intention to adopt digital payments when they expect performance benefits, have reliable infrastructure, and perceive good value. However, perceived risk and lack of awareness significantly block adoption. The study identifies digital illiteracy, poor internet connectivity, and fraud fears as major barriers, while highlighting opportunities for increased sales and better business records. Success requires improved infrastructure, financial literacy programs, and user-friendly systems.
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The Role of Mobile Phones in Bridging the Digital Divide for Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Nepal
Mobile phones improve rural women's financial autonomy and decision-making in Nepal, but technology alone doesn't ensure empowerment. Patriarchal norms, low digital literacy, and poor infrastructure limit their potential. The study argues that women need agency, resources, and social support to use technology meaningfully. Gender-sensitive literacy programs and inclusive policies are essential for sustainable empowerment.
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Revisiting the Digital Divide: Mobile Technology and the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal
Mobile phones increase rural women's communication, financial access, and income opportunities in Nepal, but structural inequalities, patriarchal norms, and digital illiteracy limit full empowerment. The study argues empowerment results from social processes, not technology alone. Effective progress requires gender-sensitive digital inclusion strategies, literacy programs, and community-based initiatives tailored to local contexts.
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Digital Divides and Productive Development in Rural Women: A Systematic Analysis
A systematic review of 29 scientific documents reveals that digital technologies—particularly smartphones, mobile internet, and e-commerce platforms—significantly empower rural women entrepreneurs when paired with digital literacy training. The analysis identifies three critical barriers and opportunities: digital literacy gaps limiting entrepreneurship and health access, community resource constraints, and mobile technology's transformative impact on economic development. Strategic digital adoption plans strengthen cooperative marketing, collective economies, and overall quality of life for rural women.
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Path Design for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Education in Ethnic Regions to Serve Rural Revitalization
Entrepreneurship and innovation education can drive rural revitalization in China's ethnic regions. The paper designs pathways for integrating such education into rural development strategies, grounding the approach in government policies, cultural foundations, and the interdependence of agriculture and industrial development. Implementation requires addressing significant challenges but offers substantial value for economic growth and social stability in ethnic minority areas.
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Research on the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Model of Local Agricultural Colleges under the Background of Rural Revitalization: A Case Study of Anhui Agricultural University
Anhui Agricultural University developed an innovation and entrepreneurship education model combining five-level platforms, four-dimensional systems, and three-party collaboration to train agricultural talent for rural revitalization. The model addresses key gaps in agricultural education through maker spaces, industry partnerships, and competition-driven learning, effectively connecting classroom instruction to practical agricultural modernization needs.
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Community Based Tourism Product Innovation and Economic Sustainability for Rural Community Wellbeing, A Case of Tourism Cooperatives in Musanze District Rwanda
Community-based tourism entrepreneurs in Rwanda's Musanze District innovate their tourism products to achieve economic sustainability and improve rural wellbeing. The study finds that community empowerment practices stimulate innovation in redesigning competitive and profitable tourism offerings. When tourists consume these products, rural communities generate income that enhances wellbeing. The research recommends that government, park managers, and stakeholders create platforms for collaboration and information sharing to support these enterprises.
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Community Empowerment and Green Innovation: Enhancing Women’s Capacity through Herbal Product Development in Rural Bali
Women in a rural Balinese village received training in producing herbal beverages from local ingredients, designing packaging, and marketing via social media. Participants successfully developed three herbal drink products meeting hygiene standards and built digital marketing skills using Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp. The program increased women's confidence and entrepreneurial capacity while supporting health, gender equality, and sustainable consumption goals.
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Community-Centred Sericulture Innovation for Strengthening Rural Development and Home-Based Self-Employment
This research develops community-driven sericulture models that integrate mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing, and silk-based enterprises to generate rural employment and household income. The study examines how home-based sericulture with low-cost technologies, eco-friendly practices, and zero-waste approaches can empower women, reduce seasonal migration, and strengthen rural livelihoods through cooperative marketing and digital sales platforms.
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Innovation-investment mechanisms for stimulating small business in rural communities
This paper examines how artificial intelligence and digital technologies drive innovation in rural small business development. It analyzes AI's benefits for research efficiency and data processing while addressing risks like academic integrity violations and algorithmic bias. The authors argue that responsible AI implementation requires clear institutional policies and ethical guidelines to balance technological innovation with maintaining credibility in research and education.
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Place-Based Approach to Rural Development: Ethiopia in Context
This study analyzes rural development in Ethiopia using panel data from 2018/19 and 2021/22, applying a place-based framework that accounts for unique socioeconomic features shaped by human and institutional interactions. The research finds that both rurality and entrepreneurial ecosystems significantly affect rural development outcomes. The findings challenge Ethiopia's policy approach, which relies too heavily on geographic factors while ignoring the complex socio-spatial formations that actually drive rural development.
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Formation mechanism and configuration pathways of rural tourism destination residents’ subjective well-being: Based on the mediation effect of host-guest interaction and the moderating effect of place attachment
Rural residents' well-being in tourism destinations depends on how they perceive tourism's impacts. Positive perceptions directly boost well-being, while negative perceptions reduce it. Host-guest interactions partially mediate both effects. Place attachment moderates these relationships differently: it weakens the positive perception effect but strengthens the negative perception effect. The strongest well-being outcomes occur when residents experience high positive impact perceptions combined with strong place attachment.
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Place-based rural development: building capacities, multi-actor collaborations and making sense of the local ‘place’
Place-based rural development succeeds when local actors collaborate and deliberately build capacity to connect external knowledge with local circumstances. A case study of Nova Scotia's wine industry shows how multi-actor collaboration and intentional interventions created a new industry from scratch in a region lacking initial endogenous capacity. The findings demonstrate that rural regions can develop entirely new industries through strategic knowledge recombination and coordinated capacity building.
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Pathways to Higher Education: Expanding College and Career Access for Rural Youth
Utah State University Extension hosted a two-day event that brought 31 rural youth from two Utah counties to three campuses for immersive tours and workshops. Participants gained increased confidence about college, learned more about financial aid, and developed stronger interest in careers. The program successfully improved youth understanding of higher education pathways and their confidence in preparing for postsecondary education.
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Evaluating The Influence Of Solar Energy Access On Household Income And Employment Opportunities In Rural Khandwa
Solar energy access in rural Khandwa, India significantly increases household income and creates employment opportunities. A study of 300 households found that adopting decentralized solar systems boosts entrepreneurship and diversifies livelihoods. However, maintenance costs, financing barriers, and low awareness limit adoption. The researchers recommend stronger policy support and local solar business programs to expand sustainable energy access.
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Africa's Indigenous Automotive Innovation: A Focus on Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing and the Future of Electric Vehicle Marketing
Indigenous African automotive manufacturers like Nigeria's Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing are driving electric vehicle innovation despite infrastructure and cost challenges. The study shows that entrepreneurship, local systems, and government policies shape industry growth. Success requires aligned policies, education, and industrial strategies to build sustainable, globally competitive enterprises.
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Entrepreneurial Culture of Technology Innovation and Customer Satisfaction of Indigenous Oilfield Services Companies in Selected South-South States, Nigeria
Indigenous oilfield services companies in Nigeria's South-South region that adopt entrepreneurial cultures of technology innovation achieve significantly higher customer satisfaction. The study surveyed 328 companies from a population of 1,827 registered firms and found a strong positive relationship between technology innovation practices and customer satisfaction outcomes in the oil services sector.
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Contribution of the indigenous agricultural knowledge for local economic development in the Limpopo province: A case of indigenous liquified manure
Small-scale farmers in South Africa's Limpopo province rely on artificial farming despite having indigenous agricultural knowledge. This study examined indigenous liquified manure practices in Vuwani rural communities, interviewing 18 participants including farmers, traditional leaders, and agricultural experts. The research found that indigenous liquified manure significantly increases indigenous crop yields, enabling economic sustainability for communities and creating entrepreneurial opportunities for local job creation.
Media stories — 25
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The Women's Academy for Rural Innovation empowers rural women to harness technology for a sustainable future
Huawei's second Women's Academy for Rural Innovation brought together 20 rural women from across Europe for training in digital skills, entrepreneurship, and green innovation. The programme, held in Croatia and supported by over 50 global mentors, aims to close the gender and urban-rural gaps by equipping women leaders to drive sustainable digital development in their communities.
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Needs Art: Reimagining Rural Innovation (Part 1)
Rural businesses receive less than 1% of venture capital despite representing 12% of U.S. firms, with funding concentrated in five major metros. Rural founders innovate at equal rates to urban peers when controlling for size and sector, but lack institutional support. AscendRural proposes place-based accelerators designed for rural realities, prioritizing local relationships and community-defined outcomes over urban-focused models.
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Reimagining Rural Innovation, Part 2
AscendRural operates a startup accelerator designed specifically for rural communities, matching early-stage companies with local pilot partners like schools and health systems. Unlike urban accelerators, the program emphasizes sector specialization, community-centered design, and pilot partnerships as primary validation. The model prioritizes relationships and trust over capital alone, enabling startups to test solutions in underserved markets while communities receive tools addressing their actual needs.
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Rural Innovation Hub takes root in Georgetown, Delaware
Delaware's Rural Innovation Hub opened in Georgetown in December, providing coworking and collaboration space for entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and remote workers in underserved Sussex County. The hub addresses a long-standing gap in infrastructure south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, offering shared desks, offices, and meeting facilities to organizations historically clustered in northern Delaware.
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Innovation is part of rural America's DNA
Rural entrepreneurs across the United States are driving innovation in digital technology, affordable housing, and childcare. The Brookings podcast features founders building ventures to bring economic opportunity to small towns, including a digital development organization in Missouri, a bilingual childcare center in Maine, and housing initiatives in Colorado. Rural innovation remains underrecognized despite its significance to American economic strength.
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Africa Prize 2026 Shortlist Signals Strong Growth for African Innovation and Local Solutions
The Royal Academy of Engineering announced 16 African innovators from 11 countries selected for the 2026 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The shortlist includes solutions addressing healthcare, education, clean energy, and transport across the continent. Winners receive mentoring, training, and access to networks; the programme has supported 165 businesses over 12 years, creating over 40,000 jobs.
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Rural India's AI workforce: From farms to data labeling
Rural Indian workers, particularly women from tribal and conservative backgrounds, are combining farming with night shifts labeling data for artificial intelligence systems. An estimated 200,000 annotators in villages and small towns now perform essential machine-learning work remotely, earning $275–$550 monthly while gaining financial independence and challenging social attitudes toward female employment.
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The Next Generation of Agtech in Brazil
Agrosmart, a Brazilian agtech startup founded in 2014, uses artificial intelligence and sensor technology to help over 100,000 farmers across nine countries optimize irrigation, planting, and crop care decisions. The company's app monitors 48 million hectares and provides real-time weather forecasts and soil data. As Latin America's agtech market grows toward $10.4 billion by 2033, Agrosmart exemplifies how integrated data platforms address climate unpredictability in tropical agriculture.
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Rural Tourism, Afro-Tourism and Cultural Experiences Highlight Minas Gerais Presence at WTM Latin America 2026
Minas Gerais state government is promoting rural and Afro-tourism at WTM Latin America 2026, launching an expanded Rural Tourism Experiences Catalog with 266 itineraries and establishing the Quilombo São Domingos Afro-tourism route. The initiative emphasizes local empowerment, cultural preservation, and sustainable tourism development across regional territories.
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Fostering rural innovation ecosystems: inspiring examples from Catalonia
Catalonia demonstrates how rural innovation ecosystems combat youth emigration, aging populations, and economic decline in peripheral areas. The region uses smart specialization strategies, quadruple helix partnerships, and operational groups to fund collaborative pilot projects. Since 2015, 293 agri-food and forestry projects have received €30 million, creating place-based solutions through university-industry collaboration and bottom-up governance.
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Europe's rural regions bridge innovation gap
A European Commission study reveals rural regions host innovative startups across diverse sectors including agri-food, robotics, energy, and semiconductors. While cities dominate with 76% of EU startups, some rural areas exceed national averages in startup density and firm creation rates. Place-based policies targeting skills, finance, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurial networks can unlock rural innovation potential and reduce urban-rural disparities.
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New Loan Program Targets Rural Innovators in Essex County and Chatham-Kent
WEtech Alliance, Community Futures Essex County, and Community Futures CK launched the Rural Growth & Commercialization Loan program, pairing flexible financing with commercialization support for innovation-driven companies in rural Essex County and Chatham-Kent. The program addresses a funding gap for rural businesses with proven products seeking to scale beyond their initial markets, offering capital for product development, market entry, and IP protection.
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M-Pesa: How Mobile Money Transformed Financial Inclusion and Redefined Development Finance
M-Pesa, Kenya's SMS-based mobile money platform launched in 2007, revolutionized financial access for rural and low-income households by eliminating the need for traditional bank accounts. The service lifted approximately 2% of Kenyan households out of extreme poverty, narrowed gender financial gaps, and enabled women to transition from subsistence farming to entrepreneurship. M-Pesa's success demonstrates how digital infrastructure can leapfrog conventional banking stages and inspire similar systems across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
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Drones and AI transform agriculture in rural China
China deploys drones and artificial intelligence across rural regions to modernize agriculture. In Hubei's mountainous citrus orchards, over 700 drones improve logistics and farm management. In Xinjiang's cotton fields, AI systems enable 75% unmanned operations and boost yields to 7,800 kilograms per hectare. These technologies reduce costs, improve efficiency, create rural jobs, and help farmers access distant markets.
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ZeroBionic, a Kenyan startup, has been selected among 10 other innovators for the Qualcomm's 2026 Make in Africa Mentorship Cohort
ZeroBionic, a Kenyan startup developing assistive robotics for people with disabilities, was selected for Qualcomm's 2026 Make in Africa Mentorship Cohort from over 1,200 applications across 45 African countries. The program provides mentorship, engineering support, intellectual property assistance, and funding opportunities to help startups commercialize innovations addressing healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure challenges.
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From rural Zambia to Cape Town: the simple innovation that's revolutionising small-scale farming
The Burro, a human-powered cargo system designed in rural Zambia, helps small-scale farmers and waste workers transport heavy loads across difficult terrain without vehicles. Originally developed for agriculture, the tool now supports waste collection and recycling in Cape Town while enabling farmers to generate income through informal rental systems. Its simple, durable design proves effective across both rural and urban environments.
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UJ hemp brick innovation signals a new era for sustainable rural housing in South Africa
Researchers at the University of Johannesburg have developed a hemp-based brick designed to address South Africa's rural housing crisis. The carbon-negative material offers thermal efficiency, fire resistance, and mold protection while creating jobs in hemp cultivation and sustainable construction. The innovation, developed with Canna-B-Africa and government partners, is undergoing certification to meet national building standards.
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In South Africa's Mpumalanga fields, a quiet revolution is underway — and women farmers are leading it
Twenty-five women farmers in South Africa's Mpumalanga province have transformed their operations through a targeted agricultural and business training programme funded by the African Development Bank and partners. Equipped with digital tools, mentorship, and financial literacy training, these farmers now supply major retailers, school feeding schemes, and luxury lodges, creating 66 new jobs and demonstrating how structured support enables rural women to access formal markets and build sustainable enterprises.
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Over R760 million allocated to empower township and rural startups in South Africa
South Africa's Small Business Development Ministry has disbursed over R760 million since 2015 to support township and rural startups through digital skills training, innovation funding, and transformation programmes. The Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency now deliberately directs funding to historically underserved provinces like Limpopo and Mpumalanga, addressing geographic funding imbalances that previously concentrated support in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
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New rural development strategy targets sustainability and innovation
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is launching a new rural development strategy for 2026–2030 that prioritizes innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable economies over traditional infrastructure. The programme aims to extend new rural standards to over 90 percent of communes, double or triple rural incomes, and pilot smart rural areas and community-based models, requiring an estimated 89 trillion Vietnamese dong in investment.
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Innovative practices in rural gender transformation: Lessons from Brazil and Uruguay
A study examines women-led rural development initiatives in Brazil and Uruguay supported by IFAD. Using agroecological and inclusive production methods with minimal resources, these women drove transformative results, strengthened local policies, and spurred economic growth. Empowered women became community role models, fostering sustainable and equitable rural development through active participation in local governance.
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From rural Spain to war: Binéfar becomes a European benchmark in military robotics
A military robotics plant in the small Spanish town of Binéfar has become Europe's largest manufacturer of ground robots for defence applications, exporting to over 20 countries. The facility employs 150 workers with plans to expand to 300, reversing rural depopulation and establishing the town as a technological hub while the parent company decentralises operations across Spain's regions.
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Women's entrepreneurship in rural areas: moving from activity to stability
Women entrepreneurs in rural areas need more than business activity—they need stability through management skills, market access, and mentorship. The article identifies horticulture, processing, and local distribution as promising sectors, while highlighting lack of stable markets and practical management tools as the primary barrier to success.
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Rural Women Entrepreneurs Success Stories: Assam, Rajasthan, Kerala
Five Indian women entrepreneurs built thriving rural businesses without venture capital, turning agricultural waste into fertilizer, converting farms to organic production, launching food processing ventures, connecting pastoralists to national markets, and scaling dairy operations. Their ventures generate multi-crore revenues while training thousands of community members, demonstrating that rural entrepreneurship succeeds through resourcefulness, local knowledge, and determination rather than external funding.
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Rural Women Redefine Entrepreneurship: Stories of Courage, Growth, and Grassroots Innovation
Rural women across India are building thriving enterprises through farming, livestock, and community-based food systems. Five case studies show how women like Anita Moody, Kanti Oraon, and Siya Maravi transformed their villages through climate-smart agriculture, organic inputs, and collective marketing. With support from PRADAN, these entrepreneurs increased incomes dramatically, gained financial independence, and shifted their communities toward sustainable practices.
Organizations — 14
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Center on Rural Innovation
A US nonprofit working to close the rural opportunity gap by helping small towns build digital economy ecosystems. Provides research, capacity-building, and an action network of rural innovation hubs.
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Center for Rural Affairs
Nebraska-based nonprofit working on rural policy, small farms, beginning farmer programs, and rural community development across the US Great Plains and Midwest. Founded 1973.
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Southeast Techhub
A rural innovation hub in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada, based in Estevan, supporting entrepreneurs, students, and community organizations through programming, coworking, and events.
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Center for Economic and Community Development
Penn State's Center for Economic and Community Development conducts applied research to strengthen local and regional development in Pennsylvania and beyond. The center works directly with communities to address economic and demographic change, government policy, community capacity building, and social inequality. It produces research outputs including economic impact analyses, demographic profiles, and community engagement projects focused on food systems, active transportation, and inclusive economic development.
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Rural Pact
The Rural Pact is a European platform that convenes stakeholders to address rural revitalization and development across the EU. It facilitates place-based innovation initiatives, connects rural entrepreneurs to wider innovation ecosystems, and supports policy development for rural areas. The platform publishes research on rural entrepreneurship, good practices, and policy recommendations to strengthen economic, social, and environmental outcomes in rural communities.
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AscendRural
AscendRural brings together local leaders and the innovation community to fund and facilitate technology pilots in rural communities. The organization runs an accelerator program that supports startups developing solutions for rural challenges, with a focus on areas like senior care and healthcare access. It convenes rural changemakers and works to scale innovations that improve rural well-being.
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The Mill Workspace
The Mill Workspace operates a coworking space and entrepreneurship hub in Historic Downtown Dyersburg, Tennessee, serving Northwest Tennessee's rural business community. The organization provides tailored programs, services, and physical workspace to help rural entrepreneurs start and grow businesses across nine counties in the region. It offers coworking facilities, conference room rentals, and regional entrepreneurial support services.
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CEDA
CEDA operates the Rural Business Innovation Lab (RBIL), a cohort-based entrepreneurial development program serving rural entrepreneurs in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The program provides eight months of personalized coaching, peer networking, and professional resources to help businesses scale in sectors including agriculture, agtech, sustainability, construction, and climate economy. RBIL has supported 34 businesses over three years in accessing capital, creating rural jobs, and building resilience in underserved communities.
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Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators
The Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program operates two innovation pipelines—AgCelerate Oklahoma and Activate Oklahoma—to support rural entrepreneurs and agricultural innovators in communities with populations under 50,000. The program provides business curriculum, mentorship, and equity investment opportunities to help rural Oklahomans develop and commercialize innovations across agriculture and other industries. Through partnerships with state and national organizations, the accelerators connect innovators with business development resources and funding decision-makers to drive economic growth in rural Oklahoma.
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Start.coop
Start.coop scales cooperatively owned businesses to address wealth inequality and build community wealth. The organization supports farmers, gig workers, artists, and other workers in establishing cooperative ownership models that enable wealth generation and economic resilience outside traditional capitalist structures. Through cooperative business development, Start.coop helps workers and communities break cycles of poverty and build intergenerational economic stability.
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Innovate UK
Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency that provides funding, expert support, and connections to help innovative businesses start, scale, and remain in the country. The organization backs deep-tech businesses across priority sectors, including agricultural innovation, with programs like grants for farming, growing, and forestry businesses to develop project proposals and venture builder support for early-stage deep-tech spin-outs.
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Indigenous Innovation Initiative
The Indigenous Innovation Initiative empowers First Nation, Inuit, and Métis innovators and communities to develop solutions to their own challenges through funding, tools, and relationships. The organization supports Indigenous-led ideas addressing health, social, economic, and environmental challenges across rural, remote, and Northern communities in Canada. I3 grounds its work in Indigenous knowledge systems, values, and self-determination, having funded over 22 seed innovations and 3 transition-to-scale innovations across more than 70 communities.
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OECD Enhancing Rural Innovation Project
The OECD's project on rural innovation works to help policymakers develop place-based innovation strategies that move beyond traditional subsidies and sector-specific approaches. Through reports, case studies, and networks, the project aims to understand the diverse motivations and innovators in rural settings and support reforms that address challenges of scale and density in rural entrepreneurship. The initiative focuses on engaging women, youth, and older workers to unlock rural areas' innovation potential for improved growth and well-being.
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IDB Invest
The private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, financing private companies and projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. Investments in rural innovation focus on agribusiness digital transformation, agricultural value chains, rural energy access, and small-and-medium enterprise finance in underserved regions.
Events — 4
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Innovate Rural
Innovate Rural is Canada's leading rural innovation conference bringing together researchers, innovators, policymakers, and creative professionals to showcase place-based economic development and rural innovation. The 2026 edition features three integrated streams—Technology, Academia, and Arts—with keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking sessions designed to turn regional strengths into national outcomes. The event convenes multiple stakeholders including the Institute for Research on Public Policy, Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance, and Southeast College to demonstrate how rural innovation drives Canada's success.
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5th Rural Development Conference (RDC2026)
The 5th Rural Development Conference brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders to discuss rural development, agriculture, economic transformation, and sustainable livelihoods. This international, interdisciplinary event features oral presentations, poster sessions, virtual presentations, and roundtable discussions on topics spanning agriculture, rural policy, vocational training, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment. RDC2026 bridges academic research with real-world practice, fostering collaboration and meaningful exchange among a globally diverse community of participants.
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IU Center for Rural Engagement's Rural Conference
Indiana University's two-day conference brings together community and state leaders, residents, professionals, and university partners to strengthen rural Indiana communities. Breakout sessions address rural mental health, local food systems, substance use disorder interventions, public health planning, arts and economic development, environmental resilience, and placemaking. The event explores how community-engaged learning and collaborative partnerships can build local capacity and foster a more vibrant and resilient rural future.
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AGRITECHNICA 2027
AGRITECHNICA is the world's leading trade fair for agricultural machinery, bringing together nearly 3,000 exhibitors and hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe. The 2027 edition will showcase innovative, networked agricultural systems that use digital technologies to increase efficiency, sustainability, and productivity in farming. The event features the AGRITECHNICA Innovation Award, recognizing breakthrough products that significantly improve agricultural processes, and serves as a critical platform for agtech innovation and rural entrepreneurship.