Entrepreneurship can become an endurance

In her thesis, Trang Thi Quynh Dinh examined entrepreneurship as a process of enduring.  Enduring refers to the ability to persist or remain steadfast in the face of suffering or misfortune without giving in.

Studying rural entrepreneurs, drivers for a ridesharing company, and underdog entrepreneurs in America, Vietnam, and South Korea and using multiple methods and data Dinhs research shows instances in which enduring occurs in the entrepreneurial process.

“Apart from physical and material challenges, underdog entrepreneurs, often staying small and surviving along with marginal incomes, might suffer mental pressures caused by the socially heroic view of entrepreneurs.” claims Dinh.  

Dinhs thesis describes an entrepreneurship that recognises human vulnerability and weaknesses while emphasising the determination to endure, embrace, and ultimately overcome such challenges. It generates valuable insights that can support entrepreneurs in tackling different challenges experienced throughout their journeys.

“For instance, while rural entrepreneurs can overcome community resistance through developing their social identity and authenticity assessments, drivers for a ridesharing company endure their broken dreams and retain their sense of masculinity through emotional sharing and brotherhood of drivers on social media”, Dinh sums up.

Access the full thesis here:
Essays of Enduring in Entrepreneurship

Trang Thi Quynh Dinh will defend her thesis on December 8 2023 at 12.00 in Hanken School of Economics, auditorium Futurum, Arkadiankatu 22, Helsinki.
The doctoral defence will be held as hybrid. Participants can attend on site or via videoconference via Teams: doctoral defence Trang Thi Quynh Dinh

Opponent: Associate Professor Ewald Kibler, Aalto University
Cutos: Professor Joakim Wincent, Hanken School of Economics.