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A social bank has been argued as a viable solution to empower disadvantaged micro-entrepreneurs through a long-term relationship. Social banks play a critical role in alleviating poverty in subsistence marketplaces through their relationships with micro-entrepreneurs as business customers. Despite the importance of relationship quality in social banking, there is little empirical evidence of its dimensions and effects in subsistence marketplaces. Thus, a critical research question remains unanswered on relationship quality dynamics and their overall effects on financial and social outcomes. Drawing on the relationship marketing, social exchange, and self-determination theories, this study answers the research questions by conducting in-depth interviews of business customers (n =30), managers (n =20) and two cross-sectional surveys of business customers (n =200, n = 300) in a subsistence marketplace using the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh as a research context. The findings yield a third-order relationship quality model with three second-order dimensions (i.e., trust, respect, and reciprocity) and nine subdimensions (i.e., credibility, caring customization, recognition, responsibility, empathy, community support, community informativeness, and enjoyment). The findings confirm the impact of relationship quality on customer inspiration, empowerment, financial self-efficacy, customer value, and quality of life. These findings illuminate the unique contributions of the study to advance theory, practice, and policy implications through four peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals (1 A* and 3 A-ranked journals). Study 1 develops a conceptual model of relationship quality for social banking in subsistence marketplaces using thematic analysis and in-depth interviews of customers (n=30). Having explored the prior studies and relevant theories, this thesis identifies three primary dimensions (i.e., trust, respect, and reciprocity) and nine subdimensions (credibility, caring, customization, recognition, responsibility, empathy, community support, community enjoyment, and community informativeness). Drawing on the social exchange theory, the study argues the foundations of the relationship quality model and presents a conceptual relationship quality framework. Study 2 empirically tests and validates a hierarchical relationship quality model by collecting data from business customers (or micro-entrepreneurs) (n=200) of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Using PLS-SEM, the findings confirm business trust, respect, and reciprocity as the primary dimensions of relationship quality, which were shaped by nine subdimensions. The findings also identify the significant impact of relationship quality on quality of life in which financial self-efficacy plays a key mediating role. Study 3 empirically validates the research model through in-depth interviews (n=30) and a survey of a new group of business customers (micro-entrepreneurs) of social banks (n=300). The findings reiterate the
BangladeshGrameen-bankRelationship-qualitySocial-bankingMicro-entrepreneurshipInancial-self-efficacyUstomerEven though tourism and hospitality employ large numbers of women and female micro-entrepreneurship plays a significant role in sustainable tourism development, the proportion of female micro-entrepreneurs is low. Particularly in developing countries, barriers to female micro- entrepreneurship remain significant. This article explores how social media platforms like Facebook can empower female tourism and hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in developing and highly tourism-dependent economies. Employing a netnographic approach, data were collected in two stages: (1) A total of 3214 posts by female micro-entrepreneurs were gathered from two Facebook groups to identify dimensions of platform empowerment; (2) semi-structured interviews with twelve members of the two groups were conducted to further explore these dimensions. The findings show four ways in which Facebook supports empowerment processes and outcomes at individual and collective levels, namely as a (1) learning resource; (2) informal entrepreneurial ecosystem; (3) self-development tool; and (4) business development exchange. By identifying the role social media platforms play in bridging social policy gaps, this study contributes knowledge that is critical for a more inclusive development of sustainable tourism.
FacebookDigital-platformsMpowermentAcebookFemale-entrepreneursEnder-and-sustainable-business-models-in-tourismMicro-entrepreneurshipUstainable-development-goalsMicro-entrepreneurs play a critical role in alleviating poverty in subsistence marketplaces through their business relationships with microfinance institutions. Despite the enormous importance of these relationships, a critical research question on the dimensions of business relationship quality and their overall effects on relationship outcomes remains unanswered. Thus, drawing on the relationship marketing, social exchange, and self-determination theories, this study answers the focal research question by conducting in-depth interviews (n = 30), thematic analysis, and a survey (n = 300) of micro-entrepreneurs in a subsistence marketplace. The findings show a third-order business relationship quality model with three second-order dimensions (i.e., business trust, business respect, and business reciprocity) and nine subdimensions. The findings confirm the impact of business relationship quality on business customer inspiration and business customer value examined in this marketplace. The findings also identify the mediating role of customer inspiration and both the moderating and quadratic roles of relationship quality on relationship outcomes. The predictive power of the business relationship quality model is validated through PLSpredict using a training sample (n = 270) and a holdout sample (n = 30).
Customer-inspirationCustomer-valueMicro-entrepreneurshipMicrofinance-institutionsRelationship-qualityUbsistence-marketplaces