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Understanding Startup Entrepreneurs: Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Empowerment

Abstract

  • Entrepreneurship drives economic progress but must incorporate sustainable practices for long-term success.

  • Factors influencing sustainable practices in startups: entrepreneurial values, available resources, and market demand for sustainability.

  • This study investigates the impact of economic, social, and environmental sustainability on the empowerment of startup entrepreneurs in India.

  • Data collected from 384 startup entrepreneurs through standardized questionnaires.

  • Findings highlight the link between economic sustainability and successful innovation among startups and emphasize environmental sustainability's role in empowerment.

Introduction

  • The 21st century faces challenges from resource demands impacting the environment and society.

  • Sustainable development defined by the Brundtland report (1987): meeting present needs without compromising future generations.

  • Sustainable entrepreneurs prioritize environmental, social, and ethical considerations, aiming for long-term stakeholder value.

  • The necessity for integrating sustainability into business practices is underscored by various organizations, highlighting startups' central role in innovation and change.

  • UN Sustainable Development Goals emphasize empowering youth and promoting social inclusiveness through entrepreneurship.

Research Objectives

  • Explore how sustainability factors affect the success and empowerment of entrepreneurs.

  • Address identifying key success factors in sustainable entrepreneurship within developing economies to promote innovative ideas.

  • Three research questions:

    1. How should sustainability be incorporated into startup practices?

    2. What are the main aspects of sustainability for new ventures?

    3. Which aspect of sustainability influences entrepreneurial empowerment?

Literature Review and Conceptual Model

Sustainable Entrepreneurship

  • Entrepreneurs contribute crucially to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  • Focused on innovative technology use and development to drive employment, economic growth, and social improvements.

  • Sustainable entrepreneurship is recognized for addressing social and environmental challenges by aligning with the UN's 2030 agenda.

Economic Sustainability

  • Discusses the balance needed between growth and environmental preservation, especially in lower-middle-income countries.

  • Economic sustainability defined by criteria such as competitiveness, innovativeness, and trade balance.

  • Hypothesis 1 (H1): Economic sustainability positively impacts entrepreneurial empowerment.

Social Sustainability

  • Addresses social conditions such as inequality and quality of life in the sustainable development discourse.

  • Hypothesis 2 (H2): Social sustainability positively impacts entrepreneurial empowerment.

Environmental Sustainability

  • Focus on how economic growth affects the environment; sustainability requires prioritizing ecological protection.

  • Hypothesis 3 (H3): Environmental sustainability positively impacts entrepreneurial empowerment.

Entrepreneurial Empowerment

  • Defined as gaining greater control over one's life through entrepreneurial activities, contributing to sustainable and inclusive development.

  • Empowerment linked to sustainable development across industries and crucial for entrepreneurial success.

Research Methodology

  • Targeted startups in non-metropolitan areas of India with data collected via questionnaires from entrepreneurs.

  • Sample size: 384, with a focus on various demographic measures (age, nature, turnover, structure).

  • Reliability of data measured using Cronbach's alpha, ensuring a reliable study scale (0.919).

Data Analysis

  • Utilized SPSS for demographic analysis and logistic regression to evaluate hypotheses.

  • Results showed significant correlations indicating that economic and environmental sustainability significantly empower startups, whereas social sustainability showed no significant impact on empowerment.

Findings and Conclusions

  • The study affirms that economic and environmental sustainability are vital for startup empowerment, while social sustainability requires further investigation.

  • The environment and economic focused practices lead to greater empowerment and the development of sustainable careers in startups.

Suggestions and Implications

  • A framework for sustainability in entrepreneurial empowerment is suggested to enhance startup success.

  • Importance of government intervention in education and resources for sustainable practices in SMEs is emphasized.

  • Further research suggested to include gender inclusivity and intermediary variables affecting empowerment.

Limitations

  • Data collection focused on non-metropolitan areas, raising concerns about generalizability.

  • Cross-sectional study limits the longitudinal understanding of entrepreneurship trends.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

  • The authors declare no conflicts with respect to the research or publication.

Funding

  • No financial support received for the research or publication.