Disadvantaged Entrepreneurship: Consequences of how entrepreneurial opportunities are explored and exploited?

Entrepreneurship is often perceived as a potential solution for the problems faced by those from disadvantaged groups or left behind places (Blackburn and Ram, 2006; Colovic and Schruoffeneger, 2021). However, others suggest that supporting more entrepreneurial activities can encourage those not appropriately equipped, or ‘disadvantaged’, to engage and is poor policy (Shane, 2009). Disadvantaged entrepreneurs can be classified on the economic, sociocultural, cognitive, physical and emotional challenges they encounter (Miller and Breton-Miller, 2017). This group can therefore include people in disadvantaged localities (Zhao and Thompson, 2023), women (Marlow, 2014), ethnic minorities (Carter et al., 2015), young people and students (Krueger et al., 2000), seniors (Harms et al., 2014) and refugee entrepreneurs (Heilbrunn, 2019).

Disadvantaged entrepreneurs are confronted with a significant risk associated with starting businesses due to a higher failure rate of small businesses (Shane, 2008; Jones and Spicer, 2009). Business failures can have a lasting effect on their future careers and lives, particularly for the young (Williams, 2004). The choice of self-employment for disadvantaged entrepreneurs usually leads to a lower economic status (Lambrecht and Beens, 2005; Winn, 2005; Carter, 2011). However, disadvantaged entrepreneurs, as noted above, are diverse, and will identify and pursue heterogeneous entrepreneurial opportunities resulting in varied economic and social outcomes (Calás et al., 2009). This project follows a recent call by Martinez Dy (2020) for research that recognises and explores this variety in disadvantaged entrepreneurs’ processes of opportunity exploration and development. As well as considering the identification and exploration of opportunities it will consider how disadvantaged entrepreneurs exploit them to accomplish successful business start-up given their geohistorical location, social stratification, resource constraint and enablement.

The research will be primarily qualitative in nature to provide an in-depth understanding of the processes that disadvantaged entrepreneurs of different types go through in identifying and exploiting opportunities. A key focus is in understanding the heterogeneity of these different types of disadvantaged entrepreneurs and the effect it has on their approach to entrepreneurship. The data collection will be primary in nature and may include the use of individual interviews or focus groups. The research will provide insights for practitioners in the form of prospective disadvantaged entrepreneurs themselves, support organisations, and also for policy makers who seek to identify the appropriate support.

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Its purpose is to provide research and education that combines academic excellence with positive impact on people, business and society.  As a world leader in experiential learning and personalisation, joining NBS as a researcher is an opportunity to achieve your potential.

Application deadlines

• Applications for October 2025 intake closes on 1st July 2025
• Applications for Jan 2026 intake closes on 1st October 2025.