ABSTRACT:The frequency and severity of natural disasters and extreme weather events are increasing, taking a dramatic economic and relational toll on the communities they strike. Given the critical role that entrepreneurship plays in a community’s viability, it is necessary to understand how small business owners respond to these events and move forward over time. This study explores the long-term dynamics and trajectory of individuals within the broader business community following a natural disaster, paying particular attention to the influence of social identity. Results suggest that the community identity changes over the course of recovery and rebuilding, underscoring the need for a holistic approach so that intervening agencies can achieve the sustainable economic recovery desired.
LISTEN TO A DISCUSSION OF THIS PAPER – Jenni Dinger and I were guests on Jeff York and Brad Werner’s Creative Distillation Research Podcast. We discussed the paper and talked about practical implications for responses to COVID-19 and other challenges communities, and the entrepreneurs in them, face in crisis situations. Check it out…