Examining the Role of Household on Entrepreneurial Development in Rural India: A Resource-Based Approach

Drawing on the previous research on context and family involvement in entrepreneurial growth, this study examines the impact of households on the creation and growth of a rural enterprise. We aim to investigate how household strategies affect the development of new enterprise, how household dynamics influence enterprise growth strategy decisions, and how household manage and create business portfolios. To address these questions, we conducted comparative case studies utilising information from four business households situated in rural areas of Uttarakhand. In all four cases, a thematic interview approach was employed to explore consistent themes, such as business operations, household requirements, motivations for initiating and running a business, and community interactions. The findings illustrate how household contribute to the development and growth of rural enterprise, how these business change over time, the collaborative efforts of families in business venture and how they build and expand their business activities. The study identified three main themes: the close connection between household and business; how family and kinship act as valuable resources in enterprise growth; and how households effectively manage risk and uncertainty through entrepreneurial bricolage. These results highlight the role of households and household strategy in shaping enterprise growth, in contrast to earlier studies that focused on individual aspirations and business strategy. By focusing on farm family businesses and the resource-based view, this study offers valuable insights into the strategies employed by agripreneurial households to manage and leverage their resources effectively.