Title: Leveraging social capital and SIoT for sustainable entrepreneurship development

Authors: K.M. Ashifa; Mehdi Safaei; Hina Zahoor; Rehab El Gamil; Nasir Mustafa

Addresses: Faculty of Health Science, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey ' Logistics Management Department, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey ' Faculty of Health Science, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey ' Faculty of Applied Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey ' Faculty of Health Science, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract: The current research examines the combined effect of integrating social internet of things technology in entrepreneurial skill development programs for the Irula tribal community, Tamil Nadu, toward socio-economic upliftment. LAS and SCAM were adopted to collect data at the household level of 538 households, besides gathering qualitative information through purposive collection through focused group discussion and an in-depth interview of 60 participants. Quantitative results, as shown by paired t-tests and CR analyses, recorded significant increases in social capital and entrepreneurial skills following intervention. In-depth interviews, FGDs, and workshops brought rich qualitative insights into improved networking, innovation, and decision-making. Increasing communities' cohesion and resilience resulted in enhanced livelihood - this approach of the classic stability objective helped its growth, which is deeply credited for such livelihood maintenance and intervention. This study is likely to highlight the promising roles of SIoT in assisting underprivileged region inhabitants by improving resource availability and helping them towards better economic access. This research provides meaningful implications to policymakers and practitioners who are interested in using technology for community development programs to support tribal/indigenous populations.

Keywords: social internet of things; SioT; tribal development; indigenous knowledge; community health; entrepreneurial skills; government interventions; livelihood assessment schedule; LAS; social capital assessment matrix; SCAM; focus group discussions; FGDs; critical ratio; CR.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRIS.2026.153556

International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems, 2026 Vol.18 No.3, pp.155 - 173

Received: 09 Jul 2024
Accepted: 30 Sep 2024
Published online: 14 May 2026 *

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