ARE COMPETENCIES OF AN ENTREPRENEUR DETERMINANT OF SUCCESS IN A CONFLICT ZONE: AN EVIDENCE FROM CONFLICT ZONE KASHMIR

Abstract

Exploring and understanding entrepreneurship in a conflict zone has been one of the concerns in entrepreneurship research. Responding to the concerns of multiple authors about providing empirical evidence from places under conflict, we present the findings relating entrepreneur and success in a conflict zone Kashmir. The study undertaken explores the impact of entrepreneurial competencies which include strategic, conceptual and commitment competencies on entrepreneurial success in a conflict zone. The findings of the current study reveal that competencies play a substantial role in achieving success in a conflict zone. Upon the analysis of data, we found that the hypothesized significant positive relationship of strategic, commitment and conceptual competencies with success was proven correct. Among the analyzed competencies, strategic competencies had the highest impact on success. Using Smart-PLS for analysis of data, we found that the theoretical model relating competencies and success was found to have a high predictive accuracy and relevance. The results of the study are expected to provide insights to the entrepreneurs, governments, and other stakeholders in a conflict zone. Especially, the institutions which impart entrepreneurship education and training in a conflict zone are provided with empirical evidence that competencies are an important asset for the successful entrepreneurial outcome. Because competencies are learnable, observable and therefore could be enhanced, as such special considerations should be given to entrepreneurial competencies.