Rural entrepreneurship in mountainous regions within the severe crisis in Greece
Abstract
Aim: This paper aims to investigate the realities of starting a business in the countryside, and more specifically, in mountainous regions. This study examines the unique characteristics of the business ecosystem structure in the mountainous Pyli area, Region of Thessaly, Greece, and its population, two central aspects of rural entrepreneurship according to existing literature.
Methodology: One-third of the local businesses were included in the field study, which was deemed sufficient for the research’s aims. Research information was gathered from participants via predetermined questions.
Findings: The results corroborate previous research and aid in formulating new policies to revitalize Greece’s rural communities, which have been hit hard by the country’s protracted economic downturn.
Implications/Novelty: The paper set out to stimulate more generic policy innovation to foster the bottom-up development of local approaches to bolster rural entrepreneurship in mountainous areas, particularly during times of crisis.
References
Bosworth, G. 2012. “Characterizing Rural Businesses-Tales from the Paperman.” Journal of Rural Studies 28(4): 499-506.
Bhullar, A., and Singh, P. 2016. “Economic Reform and Industrial Sickness in Indian Small Scale Sector.” International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies 2(6): 178-192.
Escalante, C., and Turvey, C. 2006. “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Rural Communities: Early Business Survival Challenges for the Agribusiness Entrepreneur.” Paper presented at US, Southern Agricultural Economics Asso- ciation Annual Meetings, February 5-8, Orlando, FL.
Jack, S. L., and Anderson, A. R. 2002. “The Effects of Embeddedness on the Entrepreneurial Process.” Journal of Business Venturing 17(5): 467-487.
Kalantaridis, C., and Bika, Z. 2006. “In-Migrant Entrepreneurship in Rural England: Beyond Local Embeddedness.” Entrepreneurship and Regional Development 18(2): 109-131.
Kumar, M. A. 1989. Rural Industrialisation in India: A Strategy for Rural Development. New Delhi, India: Mittal Publications.
Labrianidis, L. 2006. “Fostering Entrepreneurship as a Means to Overcome Barriers to Development of Rural Peripheral Areas in Europe.” European Planning Studies 14(1): 03-08.
Lockie, S., and Kitto, S. 2000. “Beyond the Farm Gate: Production-Consumption Networks and Agri-Food Research.” Sociologia Ruralis 40(1): 03-19.
Lopez-i-Gelats, F., Tabara, J. D., and Bartolome, J. 2009. “The Rural in Dispute: Discourses of Rurality in the Pyrenees.” Geoforum 40(4): 602-612.
Mandl, I., Oberholzner, T., and Dorflinger, C. 2007. “Social Capital and Job Creation in Rural Europe.” Lough-linstown, Ireland: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
Miljkovic, M. M., Bilali, H. E., and Berjan, S. 2010. “Rural Economy Diversification in Serbia.” Research Journal of Agricultural Science 42(3): 684-691.
North, D., and Smallbone, D. 2006. “Developing Entrepreneurship and Enterprise in Europe’s Peripheral Rural Areas: Some Issues Facing Policy-Makers.” European Planning Studies 14(1): 41-60.
OECD. 2006. “Reinventing Rural Policy.” Paris, France: OECD Publishing.
OECD. 2008. “OECD Factbook 2008: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics.” Paris, France: OECD Publishing.
Pato, M. L., and Teixeira, A. A. 2014. “Twenty Years of Rural Entrepreneurship: A Bibliometric Survey.” Sociologia Ruralis 56(1): 03-28.
Shields, J. F. 2005. “Does Rural Location Matter? The Significance of a Rural Setting for Small Businesses.”Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship 10(01): 49-63.
Smallbone, D., and Welter, F. 2006. “Conceptualising Entrepreneurship in a Transition Context.” International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business 3(2): 190-206.
Smallbone, D. 2009. “Fostering Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas.” Retrieved May 29, 2015 (https://goo.gl/AjO9J1).
Stathopoulou, S., Psaltopoulos, D., and Skuras, D. 2004. “Rural Entrepreneurship in Europe: A Research Framework and Agenda.” International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 10(6): 404-425.
Westhead, P., and Wright, M. 1998. “Novice, Portfolio, and Serial Founders in Rural and Urban Areas.” Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 22(4): 63-66.
Whitener, L. A., and McGranahan, D. A. 2003. “Rural America: Opportunities and Challenges.” Amber Waves, Retrieved June 10, 2015 (https://goo.gl/FFgOHF).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
.png)
