<p> Distressed rural regions exist throughout the United States and the world. Various economic and social interventions have been made by governments, non-profit agencies, and other institutions to provide relief, often with limited results that were not sustainable. The support of entrepreneurs who start businesses that are locally owned and do not engage in business practices that create environmental and social hazards are seen as a central component in the revitalization distressed regions. However, local businesses often lack the resources that are available to large corporations. This study examined three rural organizations and their social networks in distressed regions of Central Appalachia. A series of interviews was conducted to identify the extent that these organizations provide social capital, marketing assistance, and other essential skills and resources otherwise unavailable to small, local businesses started by entrepreneurs. The results of this study show that networks do increase the number of sustainable enterprises and improve the triple bottom line in distressed regions as well as increase the availability of capital in those regions. Future study is recommended to examine alternative financial strategies for non-profit networks, methods to deepen network relationships, and innovative strategies to develop infrastructure that reduces dependency on outside capital and absentee ownership. </p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10000686 |
| Date | 23 January 2016 |
| Creators | Lee, G. Aubrey |
| Publisher | University of Maryland University College |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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