Entrepreneurship as a Driver of Sustainable Development in Resource-Constrained Economies

Pushpender Singh
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19085/sijmd110401

Abstract

This paper examines how entrepreneurship functions as a mechanism for sustainable development in economies where resources are limited and institutional frameworks are weak. Drawing on established theories of entrepreneurship and sustainability, the paper argues that resource constraints do not simply impede entrepreneurial activity; in many cases, they shape distinctive forms of innovation and enterprise that contribute to economic inclusion, employment, and environmental adaptation. The paper reviews the theoretical basis for linking entrepreneurship with sustainable development, examines specific mechanisms through which this relationship operates, and considers the institutional conditions that either support or suppress entrepreneurial impact. Special attention is given to informal economy entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship as expressions of market activity in constrained settings. The paper concludes by identifying conditions under which governments and development organizations can channel entrepreneurial energy toward sustainable outcomes, and argues for greater precision in how researchers conceptualize and measure entrepreneurial contributions to sustainability in low-resource contexts.

Keywords

Entrepreneurship, sustainable development, resource constraints, informal economy, social entrepreneurship, institutional environment

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References

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