Project details

Bridging entrepreneurship and development: Understanding how informal ventures alleviate multidimensional poverty

Over 90% of entrepreneurial activity in developing economies is informal, providing essential services where formal institutions often fall short; affordable food, transport, healthcare, and education. Yet we lack adequate understanding of how these ventures affect poverty beyond income generation.

This PhD research bridges entrepreneurship and development studies by examining how informal entrepreneurship expands capabilities across health, education, and living standards in developing countries. Using qualitative research combining in-depth case studies with context analysis, the study will document specific mechanisms through which informal ventures address multidimensional deprivations.

The research produces three critical outputs: a theoretical framework integrating capability perspectives with informal entrepreneurship research; empirical evidence of pathways to impact in resource-constrained contexts; and practical typology framework for development agencies. These tools respond directly to calls from organisations like UNDP and the World Bank for improved approaches to assess entrepreneurship interventions beyond income metrics.

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