A Qualitative Exploration of Entrepreneurial Behaviour among the Rural Tribes: A Lesson from Eastern India

Abstract

In context of India, tribes have undergone massive changes in their economic system from traditional forest based economy to the present economy exposed to globalisation and modernisation. This has led to shift in their traditional economy and has opened doors for new economic endeavours. This article is an attempt to reflect on tribals perspectives in understanding the factors and the processes involved in their journey of taking up entrepreneurial activities. Further it intends to understand their entrepreneurial behaviour in their changing socio-economic milieu. The study has been done in Eastern India with a qualitative approach. It involves in-depth study with a collective case study approach to examine the context and processes leading to the entrepreneurial behaviour across the individual cases. There are total 6 cases studied to see the similarities and differences in the context and the processes involved. The socio-economic aspect, the psychological drive and the institutional intervention are the three domains found that has triggered the entrepreneurial behaviour. It also inquires to understand the relationship between these three domains. Analysis shows the changing world due to modernisation and developmental process has brought many new dimensions in tribal’s life and has paved way for their exploration into entrepreneurial world. Further NGOs and Government intervention has also encouraged the tribals to take up entrepreneurial ventures.