Entrepreneurship-based factors to foster climate adaptation among Indigenous communities Indunil Prabodha Dharmasiri Ebawala Pitiyalage ABSTRACT (ACADEMIC) This thesis investigates the factors that cause the emergence of entrepreneurship to foster climate adaptation responses among Indigenous communities. These factors can influence, enhance, or degrade the potential for entrepreneurship in the climate change adaptation context. While these factors are well-studied for non-Indigenous communities, they remain understudied for Indigenous communities' contexts. The objectives of this study are to identify the factors that shape the emergence of entrepreneurship to foster adaptive responses to climatic risks faced by Indigenous communities and to assess the identified entrepreneurship-based factors through a case study. I followed a two-stepped methodological approach through a systematic literature review and a case study analysis among Sri Lankan Indigenous 'Vedda' communities. The systematic review included 65 peer-reviewed articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, and the case study analysis involved 90 in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine Indigenous communities in Sri Lanka. I found 15 entrepreneurship-based factors that shape the emergence of entrepreneurship to foster climate adaptation. I categorized those 15 factors under five key themes. They are learning (crop failure, learning, prior entrepreneurial experience), institutions (social networks, institutional support, overcoming the agency-structure paradox), place (resource (un)availability, location, environmental risk factors), capacity (access to information, entrepreneurs' psychological traits, access to capital) and strategy (business characteristics, product range, market characteristics). I applied these factors to the Sri Lankan Indigenous community context and assessed them through case studies. My study frames the potential of entrepreneurship to foster climate adaptation among Indigenous communities. Further, the study provides insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in making climate change adaptation-related Indigenous policies and broader-level applications, such as the development of new adaptation measures to reduce the risks of climatic changes through entrepreneurship. / Master of Science / Entrepreneurship-based factors to foster climate adaptation among Indigenous communities Indunil Prabodha Dharmasiri Ebawala Pitiyalage GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT My study explores how entrepreneurship occurs to support Indigenous communities in adapting to the challenges and risks posed by climate change. I studied the factors that either help or hinder the emergence of entrepreneurship aimed at adapting to climate change. While these factors are well-studied in non-Indigenous communities, there is not much research on these factors focused on Indigenous contexts. My study aimed to identify the factors that support the emergence of entrepreneurship as an adaptive response to climate change and to apply those factors to the Sri Lankan Indigenous communities context. I used two main methods in this study. Firstly, I conducted a systematic review of the literature to explore documented knowledge on this topic through databases such as Web of Science and Scopus. Secondly, I conducted in-depth interviews with Indigenous community members ('Veddas') in Sri Lanka. This research identified 15 key factors that influence the emergence of entrepreneurship in response to climate change. I grouped these factors into five key themes: learning (crop failure, learning, prior entrepreneurial experience), institutions (social networks, institutional support, overcoming the agency-structure paradox), place (resource (un)availability, location, environmental risk factors), capacity (access to information, entrepreneurs' psychological traits, access to capital) and strategy (business characteristics, product range, market characteristics). I applied these factors to Indigenous community context in Sri Lanka and assessed those factors through detailed case studies. The findings of my study highlight the potential for entrepreneurship to support Indigenous communities in adapting to climate change. This research has important implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to develop policies and measures to promote entrepreneurial activities within Indigenous communities.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/117689 |
| Date | 25 January 2024 |
| Creators | Ebawala Pitiyalage, Indunil Prabodha Dharmasiri |
| Contributors | Geography, Galappaththi, Eranga, Bukvic, Anamaria, Baird, Timothy David, Rijal, Santosh |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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