Abstract

Societies recovering from conflict often experience the destruction of infrastructure, GDP, livelihood stability, and political, social, and economic systems, which can cause extreme disruption to the economic wellbeing and self-sufficiency of households in the conflict-affected region. It is widely accepted that entrepreneurial activity is important to the growth and development of economies, yet there is a remarkable lack of research into the factors that promote small enterprise creation in a post-conflict context, where families have often experienced destruction of their income and earning ability.

This study aims to uncover the impact of human, social, and financial capital on entry into subsistence entrepreneurship in post-conflict settings. Using data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey, a comprehensive household survey conducted in the midst of the Nepali Civil War of 1996-2006, the relative importance of these three types of capital on entry into subsistence entrepreneurship is analyzed. This study offers insights into the importance of human, social, and financial capital as inputs to subsistence enterprises in post-conflict environments, and it highlights new areas of research that will help identify future policy and advocacy avenues that can alleviate the impacts of conflict on household income and wellbeing.

Advisor

Duffus, LuAnn

Second Advisor

Sell, John

Department

Economics

Disciplines

Growth and Development

Keywords

Entrepreneurship, Subsistence Entrepreneurship, Conflict, Post-Conflict, Capital, Human Capital, Social Capital, Financial Capital, Nepal, Development

Publication Date

2014

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2014 Samantha J. McNelly