Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
8-2024
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph. D.
Department
Entrepreneurship
Degree Program
Entrepreneurship, PhD
Committee Chair
Bennett, Daniel L.
Committee Member
Branzei, Oana
Committee Member
Bacq, Sophie
Committee Member
Diaz, Fabian P.
Author's Keywords
Entrepreneurial resourcefulness; forced displacement; refugee entrepreneurship; well-being; peacefulness; space
Abstract
Entrepreneurial resourcefulness is an overarching concept in the entrepreneurial process that has gained momentum among theorists and practitioners. Traditionally, entrepreneurial resourcefulness is theorized as a state—a behavior or trait—rather than a process. However, our understanding of this concept changes significantly when viewed through the lens of the lived experiences of forcibly displaced individuals. This dissertation presents a theoretical and empirical investigation of how these entrepreneurs pursue entrepreneurial resourcefulness through three interrelated essays. The first essay provides a problematizing review and introduces a novel typology (exogenous vs. endogenous) that captures the heterogeneity of the construction of entrepreneurial resourcefulness across various contexts from first-person experiences. The second essay dives deep into an exogenous process of entrepreneurial resourcefulness. It utilizes a multi-sited ethnography in the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh, employing multimodal analysis (combining photographs, autoethnography, naturalistic observation, and semi-structured interviews) to explore how revocable space contributes to the reproduction of entrepreneurial resourcefulness. The third essay explains an endogenous process, highlights the role of repeated resourcefulness, and builds on the ethnographic findings of the second essay. It introduces a new mechanism—peacefulness—to explain why entrepreneurs repeatedly pursue resourcefulness in extreme contexts through a reflexive quantitative study. Overall, my dissertation reveals new theoretical insights into the “why” and “how” of entrepreneurial resourcefulness in the context of forcible displacement, offering a nuanced perspective from lived experience. By linking entrepreneurial resourcefulness with concepts of peace, religion, and space, this work provides significant practical implications for policymakers interested in enhancing the psychological well-being of forcibly displaced individuals.
Recommended Citation
Showkat, Sadek, "Venturing in limbo: Entrepreneurial resourcefulness by the forcibly displaced." (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4429.
Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd/4429
