Designing Adaptive Community Innovation Frameworks to Foster Sustainable Micro Entrepreneurship and Socio Economic Resilience in Emerging Local Economies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70062/jeci.v1i1.252Keywords:
Adaptive Framework, Community Participation, Micro Entrepreneurship, Socio Economic Resilience, Sustainable InnovationAbstract
This study explores the development of an adaptive community innovation framework designed to foster sustainable micro entrepreneurship and enhance socio economic resilience in emerging local economies. Emerging economies face numerous challenges, including financial constraints, infrastructural deficiencies, and limited community engagement, all of which hinder the growth of micro entrepreneurial ventures. These challenges are further exacerbated by rapid socio economic changes and global market integration. The main objective of this research is to design a framework that is both flexible and context sensitive, aligning with local needs and enabling long term sustainability and resilience. To achieve this, the study adopts a mixed methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods. A participatory community analysis is conducted to identify local challenges and opportunities for innovation, ensuring the framework is grounded in the community’s unique context. The design of the framework is iterative, incorporating continuous feedback from local stakeholders, and empirical data from pilot implementations. The empirical validation of the framework in selected local economic initiatives reveals that the adaptive model significantly improves entrepreneurial capacity, market access, and resource utilization. Additionally, the framework strengthens community engagement and enhances the adaptive capacity of local economies, leading to increased resilience and long term sustainability. The study concludes that the adaptive framework provides a practical, scalable model for addressing the structural limitations of emerging local economies and promoting inclusive, sustainable economic growth. The research findings suggest that adopting such adaptive, community driven frameworks can facilitate effective responses to local challenges and foster resilient micro enterprise ecosystems. Policymakers, NGOs, and community organizations are encouraged to incorporate adaptive approaches in their efforts to support sustainable development. Future research should test the framework in diverse cultural and sectoral contexts to further refine its applicability and effectiveness.
References
[1] D. Vora, Emerging Markets: An Opportunity and a Challenge. 2015. doi: 10.1002/9781118785317.weom060066.
[2] R. De Haas and M. Höflmayr, Deindustrialization, job polarization and ageing in emerging Europe. 2019. doi: 10.4337/9781789902600.00020.
[3] G. M. Quinti, A. Denis, A. Holman, A. Kerremans, G. Pellegrini-Masini, and S. Popuşoi, “From materials use to renewable energy: How disadvantaged entrepreneurs achieve environmental sustainability,” Mater. Tech., vol. 113, no. 4, 2025, doi: 10.1051/mattech/2025018.
[4] R. Awashreh, Breaking barriers in entrepreneurship for gender and social inclusion in marginalized communities. 2025. doi: 10.4018/979-8-3373-0214-0.ch002.
[5] M. Y. Otiniano León, M. A. Arbulú Ballesteros, E. V. Ramos Farroñán, and A. E. Paredes Morales, “Impact of University Social Responsibility on Strengthening Sustainable Rural Women’s Entrepreneurship: Multigroup Analysis Based on the SEM,” Sustain., vol. 17, no. 13, 2025, doi: 10.3390/su17135969.
[6] M. J. Thukral, The impact of entrepreneurship on the resilience of remote rural communities: Transforming challenges into opportunities. 2025. doi: 10.4018/979-8-3373-0214-0.ch011.
[7] Y. Gao, “Looking for the Impact of Entrepreneurship on Regional Economic Resilience in China,” Sustain., vol. 17, no. 4, 2025, doi: 10.3390/su17041397.
[8] H. Kaur, K. K. Reddy, M. K. Reddy, and M. M. Hanafiah, Collaborative Approaches to Navigating Complex Challenges and Adapting to a Dynamically Changing World. 2024. doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-7076-6.ch010.
[9] B. Alayza and D. González, Adaptive planning for inclusive innovation: Creating communication spaces for adopting digital government in Peru. 2023. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-34314-8_23.
[10] K. L. Kramer and J. V Hackman, “Uncertainty in a globalizing world. Livelihood and fertility variance increases in response to rapid change,” Am. J. Hum. Biol., vol. 36, no. 3, 2024, doi: 10.1002/ajhb.24028.
[11] T. Shen and C. Gao, “Sustainability in community building: Framing design thinking using a complex adaptive systems perspective,” Sustain., vol. 12, no. 16, 2020, doi: 10.3390/su12166679.
[12] K. Banga and E. Gaile-Sarkane, “Adaptive Open Innovation Systems: Bridging Strategic Foresight and Resilience in Innovation Ecosystems,” in Proceedings of World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, WMSCI, 2025, pp. 166 – 176. doi: 10.54808/WMSCI2025.01.166.
[13] J. M. Cheer and A. A. Lew, Understanding tourism resilience: Adapting to social, political, and economic change. 2017. doi: 10.4324/9781315464053-1.
[14] P. Malik, L. Pretorius, and D. Winzker, “Leveraging a mathematics of innovation to create sustainable complex adaptive systems,” in IAMOT 2016 - 25th International Association for Management of Technology Conference, Proceedings: Technology - Future Thinking, 2016, pp. 1 – 21. [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84988378074&partnerID=40&md5=34833c91dee66fba7cff8defef5a12fb
[15] R. Webb, G. Avram, J. B. García, and A. Joyce, Transforming Cities by Designing with Communities. 2018. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-2694-3_5.
[16] L. Brilhante and F. Romero, “A literature exploration on challenges in open innovation in the public sector,” Sustain. Futur., vol. 10, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100904.
[17] R. P. Adhikari et al., “Applying a community entrepreneurship development framework to rural regional development,” Small Enterp. Res., vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 257 – 275, 2018, doi: 10.1080/13215906.2018.1522274.
[18] P. Jundahuadong, P. Sornsuwit, and S. Pongsakornrungsilp, “Developing community entrepreneurship models through resource-based Views to create sustainability in the socio-economic environment,” Community Dev., 2025, doi: 10.1080/15575330.2025.2505162.
[19] C. Salvo, M. T. Salumintao, N. Peñalver, and J. Paulican, “Resilience of Micro Enterprises in Disaster-Prone Areas,” J. Integr. Disaster Risk Manag., vol. 15, no. 1, 2025, doi: 10.5595/001c.134062.
[20] G. Tagliazucchi, F. De Canio, and E. Martinelli, “Exploring perceived post-disaster performance in micro-businesses: how does entrepreneur psychological resilience matter?,” Entrep. Reg. Dev., vol. 35, no. 5–6, pp. 445 – 459, 2023, doi: 10.1080/08985626.2023.2185687.
[21] A. Toor, A. Sher, and A. Ul Haque, Financial Challenges for Entrepreneurs in Volatile and Stable Economies. 2025. doi: 10.4324/9781003504351-5.
[22] S. Mishra and C. K. Sahoo, “Unveiling the potential of community financing for entrepreneurs: A systematic review and research agenda,” Ann. Public Coop. Econ., vol. 96, no. 3, pp. 635 – 664, 2025, doi: 10.1111/apce.70009.
[23] R. Biswas, Entrepreneurial finance: Special issues pertaining to emerging markets dynamics, vol. 2–4. 2017. doi: 10.1142/9874.
[24] C. Durante, C. Zuccaro, M. Plaisent, J.-P. Gueyie, and P. Bernard, Women and Micro Enterprises: Performance Challenges to Overcome Stereopypes and Finance Sccess. 2024. doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-3100-2.ch009.
[25] S. Wu and A. Brabazon, “The emergence of a market: What efforts can entrepreneurs make?,” Stud. Comput. Intell., vol. 185, pp. 225 – 243, 2009, doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-95974-8_11.
[26] K. Neely, “Complex adaptive systems as a valid framework for understanding community level development,” Dev. Pract., vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 785 – 797, 2015, doi: 10.1080/09614524.2015.1060949.
[27] B. P. Platzek and L. Pretorius, “Entrepreneurial communities: A living systems perspective,” in Managing Technology for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth - 28th International Conference for the International Association of Management of Technology, IAMOT 2019, 2019, pp. 871 – 886. [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85081100859&partnerID=40&md5=7883522449be2af946850926b3bf7d91
[28] K. Dalgali, V. Tiberius, and A. Brem, “Sustainability in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME): Integrated Research Framework and Future Research Agenda,” Sustain. Dev., 2025, doi: 10.1002/sd.70326.
[29] R. Raman, T. A. Alka, M. Suresh, and P. Nedungadi, “Social entrepreneurship and sustainable technologies: Impact on communities, social innovation, and inclusive development,” Sustain. Technol. Entrep., vol. 4, no. 3, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.stae.2025.100110.
[30] N. K. Kelling, S. A. Yawar, and S. Gold, “Institutional Entrepreneurship and Work for Enhanced Sustainability at the Base of the Pyramid,” Bus. Strateg. Environ., 2025, doi: 10.1002/bse.70326.
