Title: Sustainable-entrepreneurs: quantifying opportunities and social networks, case study on sustainable entrepreneurs in a heavy industrial area

Authors: Sophie Boutillier; Philippe Ryckelynck

Addresses: CLERSE (UMR CNRS 8019), Université du Littoral-Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France ' LMPA (EA 2597), Université du Littoral-Côte d'Opale, Calais, France

Abstract: Our objective is to study the capacity of innovation of craft enterprises in a 'poor' territory in a particular sector (sustainable technologies) through a case-study on 50 entrepreneurs located in Dunkirk (France). The analysis of appropriate Boolean statistical characters reveals the balance between the various kinds of resources, and the key role of (informal) social networks of the entrepreneurs in gathering resources which are required to manage the projects.

Keywords: entrepreneurs; craft enterprises; sustainable technologies; social networks; Boolean characters; chi-squared test; correlation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2017.083806

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2017 Vol.31 No.1, pp.85 - 102

Received: 22 Jul 2015
Accepted: 04 Feb 2016
Published online: 24 Apr 2017 *

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