Exploring challenges and opportunities of the new social entrepreneurs: the case of indigenous musicpreneurs in KP Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the struggle of and explore opportunity structure for a special class of social entrepreneurs, known as musicpreneurs, in the context of a war-ridden conflict region of Pakistan. A unique case of Pashtun musicians is undertaken, who are confronted with multiple challenges and barriers while commercializing their musical skills. It provides a holistic account of a journey towards self-sustenance from the perspective of real-life musicpreneurs living in harsh socio-economic conditions. Design/methodology/approach This research is guided by constructionism and interpretive methodology, where semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted from 28 entrepreneurs in Peshawar, capital city of the Khyber Pakhtunkwa Province and its surroundings. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed data. Findings This research categorizes all findings into seven unified themes. A common Pashtun shows profound love for music, yet surprisingly, does not extend the same intensity of love to musicians. Till recently, Pashtun musicpreneurs are confronted by multiple challenges and barriers such as copyright violations, socio-cultural resistance and discrimination. However, they have devised new opportunity structures to commercialize their skills and adopt music as a sustainable career. Research limitations/implications This research explored multiple aspects of Pashtun musicpreneurs’ lives, compromising minute details on some aspects, for example, limited opportunity structure for musicpreneurs. It bears implications not only for Pakistan but other similar hostile environments for musicpreneurship. For lasting sustainability, overall tranquility and for the promotion of musicpreneurship, challenges surrounding musicpreneurs need to be addressed. Originality/value It is the first study of its kind to explore the struggle of musicpreneurs in hostile socio-economic conditions. From theoretical standpoint, a new theory of musicpreneurship is substantiated by paving ways to resolve barriers experienced in the most unfavourable conditions.

Impact of empathy, perceived social impact, social worth and social network on the social entrepreneurial intention in socio-economic projects

“…One of the developing nations such as Pakistan has been facing daunting socio-economic challenges particularly in the areas of education, food and health-care (Iqbal et al , 2018). Apart from these inefficiencies the climatic changes, natural disasters and war on terror have accelerated to worsen the overall socio-economic environment of the country (Muhammad et al , 2020). During Global Entrepreneurship Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey, Priya Shah suggested that in Pakistan Social Entrepreneurship can address these day to day increasing challenges faced by government, private sector, NGOs, academia and young people by offering the right aspirations and building homegrown solutions to these socio-economic ailments in the country (Khan and Avinash, 2016).…”

Becoming an entrepreneur in the cooperation and poverty contexts

“…Many individuals shunned by society, who live under unfavorable conditions and are unable to pursue traditional careers, turn to entrepreneurship as alternative means of social insertion and mobility (Vale, 2014; Muhammad et al , 2021). The statements made by representatives of waste pickers’ cooperatives and associations indicate the discrimination they are subjected to, as well as their difficulty in pursuing traditional careers, as highlighted by Representative 5: ‘then, when someone seeks a cooperative, it happens because he/she is already subjected to discrimination out there.” According to Miller and Breton-Miller (2017), individuals belonging to this social class go through processes, and present features, different from those of entrepreneurs from other social classes.…”

“…The statement by Representative 4 reveals the sense of the relevant role played by activities developed by these recyclers' cooperatives in protecting the environment, as well as the economic and social development (Paltasingh, 2012) enabled by the entrepreneurial traits of representatives of these cooperatives and associations. In other words, they are micro-level entrepreneurs, who are often marginalized by society, but who are aware that they can contribute to their community (Muhammad et al, 2021). Setting goals to drive work practices is one of the features of entrepreneurial behavior.…”

The social structures of entrepreneurial embeddedness: the influence of market, reciprocity and redistribution

“…As reciprocity can contribute to developing or improving an entrepreneurial ecosystem, generating employment and income, policymakers should encourage such a condition. Further, reciprocity may be essential for some types of entrepreneurship, such as social or those developed by immigrants and other minority groups, more common in emerging and developing contexts (Khaw et al , 2021; Muhammad et al , 2021). For instance, studies have shown that most women in most countries also have appropriate reciprocity as the mainstay of their business initiatives.…”