Home-based Enterprises Research Articles

The ambiguity of business support interventions for home-based enterprises that are re-shaping residential urban spaces in Durban, South Africa

The ambiguity of business support interventions for home-based enterprises that are re-shaping residential urban spaces in Durban, South Africa

REIMAGINING SOUTH AFRICA’S URBAN FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION THROUGH THE LENS OF INFORMAL FOOD SECTOR: THE CASE OF BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY

The African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN)survey found that over 70% of low-income households in South Africa sourced their food from informal outlets. Despite the importance that the informal food retail sector plays in food security, it remains neglected by policy support and institutional funding. The paper focused on the role of local informal food markets in addressing urban household food security in Buffalo City Municipality (BCM), South Africa. This paper argued that informal food markets including food vendors have a potential to improve household food insecurity levels but face many barriers. The study sought to identify these barriers and make an understanding of how these local food markets adopt coping mechanisms in meeting their basic needs including addressing household food insecurity. A qualitative approach was adopted for this study. Data was collected from 40 food vendors, particualrly street vendors and home-based enterprises in the township of Duncan, through interviews, observations, and archival research. Interviews included semi structured interviews to gather insights from street vendors, while interviews with city officials provided key informant perspectives. This study’s findings show that households without access to networked infrastructure use informal food markets as: (i) a food source, (ii) a food kitchen and a cookstove and (iii) a refrigerator, to purchase their foodstuff and other ready-to-eat meals.

Women’s Entrepreneurship for Poverty Alleviation: Impact of Mission Shakti in Odisha, India

The study analyzes the impact of women’s entrepreneurial efforts on rural poverty (RP) reduction across two resource-scarce regions of Odisha, India. Its main objectives are creating creative home-based ventures (HBVs) and long-term RP solutions. The analysis assesses how home-based entrepreneurs’ sociocultural, economic and educational backgrounds affect the development of HBVs and the mitigation of RP. A women-led project in Odisha called Mission Shakti uses self-help groups and business ventures to empower women. The original data was gathered from 363 respondents in Odisha who were members of the Mission Shakti group. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to investigate the correlations between the constructs, and AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures 21.0) and SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 20.0) were used for the analysis. The findings indicate that RP alleviation through Mission Shakti in Odisha and entrepreneurship have a statistically significant and favourable relationship. The additional findings of the study demonstrate that respondents’ sociocultural capabilities, rather than their educational and economic backgrounds, have a considerable and favourable influence on the expansion of their home-based enterprises and that the improvement of RP alleviation is more positively impacted by the qualitative growth of entrepreneurship than by the numeric growth. The study’s concentration on woman entrepreneurs in Mission Shakti’s rural Khordha and Angul areas is one of its limitations. It is possible to carry out comparable research in other Indian areas where the rural populace is significantly deprived. Policymakers in rural Odisha should consider the findings to address targeted RP. Thus, this report recommends that home-based businesses in rural Odisha should actively explore entrepreneurship to reduce poverty. Additionally, the study offers a helpful lesson to different parties involved in programs to reduce poverty in other developing nations. The integration of capacity theory and SEM in the setting of a rising economy such as Odisha, India, contributes to the body of knowledge in this research regarding the relationship linking entrepreneurship and the alleviation of RP.

Green Enterprises through Home-based Enterprises in the Sonitpur District of Assam

Green Enterprises through Home-based Enterprises in the Sonitpur District of Assam

“It is for home but we use it for work”: intra-urban comparison of infrastructure and home-based enterprises in Accra

ABSTRACT Urban infrastructure is crucial for livelihoods and economic growth, however, access remains fragmented. Such differential infrastructure provision within cities necessitates intra-urban comparison and a renewed commitment to re-thinking between and within neighborhoods in ways that do not universalize infrastructure geographies. This paper examines how electricity and water infrastructure affect home-based enterprises in four neighborhoods within one city. The study utilizes mixed methods and comparative analysis to reveal how residents in Accra experience varying degrees of electricity and water accessibility and how this affects their businesses. Each neighborhood has unique utility provisions and micro-economies, which have a tangible bearing on business viability. We argue that knowledge of the complex relationship between infrastructure and home-based enterprises is essential for understanding which processes, policies, and interventions best improve livelihoods and urban life in impoverished settings. We conclude that scholars and policymakers need to pay greater attention to how infrastructure is used productively in (re)producing urban economies and how this varies both between and within neighborhoods.

Identifikasi Adaptasi Ruang pada Kelompok Tani Jambu Suryatmajan menggunakan Teori HBEs dan Adaptable Space

Title: Identification of Space Adaptation in Suryatmajan Guava Farmer Group using HBEs Theory and Adaptable Space The residence, which only accommodates domestic activities, has an additional function in the business space. This requires the occupants to carry out adaptation behavior, both inside and outside the building. The Farmer Group in Gemblakan Atas Village produces processed guava at certain times. The narrow land makes them adapt their physical space to fulfill their production space needs. This research aims to identify the physical space adaptation carried out by the Jambu Farmers Group by assessing the theory of Home Based Enterprises (HBEs) and Adaptable Space. Identification is done on the adaptation of physical space in Suryatmajan Tourism Village. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method by taking three objects of study of MSME units and showing differences in adaptation phenomena. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation, which were analyzed using the comparative study method. The results obtained from the analysis of the three objects of study can be identified through the Home Based Enterprises theory. While the Adaptable Space theory can only show the adaptation of the physical space of one object of study.

IMPACT OF TENURE SECURITY ON HOME-BASED ENTERPRISES: OBSERVATIONS FROM TWO INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN KHULNA

In Bangladesh, a widespread phenomenon of urban informal settlements is that the dwelling is not only used for shelter but also for income-generating activities, often referred to as HBEs (Home-based enterprises). These enterprises are themselves quite profitable to generate household income and meet the subsistence level of urban poor. However, the nature of HBEs often varies according to the different tenure conditions of settlements. The absence of tenure security coupled with fear of eviction discourages dwellers from investing in the spatio-physical development of housing, exacerbates the isolated nature of HBEs with less exposure to the streets, and hinders their access to credit, thereby impeding economic growth. To unfold this tenure-HBEs relationship, the study aims to investigate how the nature of HBEs is changing over time according to the various tenure forms, taking two informal settlements from Khulna as case studies. Firstly, this research identifies the typology of HBEs; secondly, it investigates the nature of HBEs; and finally, it assesses the economic contribution of HBEs under different tenure conditions. By adopting a mixed-method approach, this study collects both social and spatial data through face-to-face interviews, photographs, and observation. The study reveals that a certain degree of tenure security stimulates the nature of HBEs by scaling up the business, facilitating easy access to credits, initiating a well-connected spatial organization, and driving their spatio-physical and economic growth. The findings suggest that to strengthen the practice of HBEs in informal settlements, the government and concerned agencies should promote tenure upgrading and regularization programmes to generate livelihood opportunities.

Spatial Characteristics of Home as Workplace: Investigation of Home-Based Enterprise in Several Housing Typologies in Indonesia

Home-based enterprises, which have grown considerably, use homes as microindustries, and are commonly run by families with the help of one to three workers. One challenge that home-based enterprises face is related to spatial conflicts between work and living areas, which can affect the quality of living spaces. This study investigates the spatial characteristics of homes with home-based enterprises to understand how they are used for income-generating activities and how the spatial characteristics of these homes vary between different industry sectors. This investigation is conducted to find a reasonable concept of flexibility at home that allows for income-generating activities that minimize the spatial conflicts between activities, while maintaining sufficient living space quality. This study used a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews with homeowners and quantitative surveys of twenty-nine homes used as workplaces in three cities in Indonesia. The samples represented some housing typologies used in various sectors of home-based industries. The results showed that the spatial characteristics of indeterminant spaces, such as slack, neutral, and joined spaces, as well as the disposition of kitchens with other spaces in the same zone, provided opportunities for juxtaposing the two activities during both day and night. The findings suggest that integrating indeterminant spaces in a housing design can offer more flexibility and adaptability to residential spaces for both dwelling and working, while mitigating the negative impacts of using homes as workplaces.

Post-Pandemic Home-Based Work in Cities of the South Lessons from Enugu, Nigeria

Income-generating activities in residential zones known as Home-Based Enterprises (HBEs) are becoming more prevalent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The informal sector, including HBEs, started expanding in cities of the Global South in the 1980s during the Structural Adjustment Programme and has engendered debates among practitioners and researchers. The International Labour Organization Home Work Convention, C177 of 1996, and the inclusion of home work in national accounting because of its contribution to Gross Domestic Product have emboldened researchers to argue for a supportive policy framework. Yet, this phenomenon is still opposed by contemporary planning practices in many Global South cities. The lockdown during the pandemic which aff ected every aspect of life across the world revealed the indispensability of home-based enterprises: 'work' that had to be kept functional was done from home. Will the implications of lockdown and post-pandemic home-based work lead to a paradigm shift in the Global South from the rigid colonial planning standards to eff ective and dynamic planning standards that are based on contemporary urban realities? The aim of this study is, therefore, to examine the implications of post-pandemic home-based enterprise for the built environment in Global South cities using Enugu, Nigeria as a case study. The mixed research design was adopted for the study, while data were collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Stratified random sampling was employed to select three (one low, medium, and high density) from the existing thirty-three formal neighbourhoods in the study city – Enugu. Systematic sampling was adopted to select the sample size among the residents and the professionals were selected purposively. The result of the principal component analysis reveals that there are six major impacts of HBEs on the built environment in Enugu, namely: entrepreneurship skills; pressure on infrastructure; improved living standards; discrimination; in fluence on work–life balance; and limited growth potential. Major lessons from the study include:adaptation of innovative urban planning; enhancement of local economic development; gender and policy issues.This research is signi ficant as it will contribute to the literature on COVID-19 in the Global South and connect the post-COVID-19 recovery experience from a core Global South city to possible, effective actions that can mitigate future challenges in comparable cities and contexts.

Adaptation Strategy for Home-Based Batik Enterprise Space in Arab Village Sugihwaras Pekalongan

Changes in the pattern of batik trade in Sugihwaras Arab Village encourage the community to adapt by utilising the space in their homes to become Home Based Enterprises (HBEs) of batik space. HBEs batik space is a characteristic of Sugihwaras Arab Village as a batik trading area. The people of Arab Village have adapted by implementing the "hijab concept" to maintain privacy between domestic activities and the batik business. The application of the "hijab concept" is something unique to study because the "hijab concept" is usually only applied to Muslim women's clothing. Based on this phenomenon, researchers are interested in examining how Hijab is used as an adaptation strategy in a batik Home Based Enterprises space. This study examines the "hijab concept" as an adaptation strategy in the batik business space. The research method uses qualitative-descriptive so that researchers can describe phenomena and information on objects in detail. This research aims to find the implementation of the "hijab concept" as a space adaptation strategy to separate the domestic space and the Home-Based Enterprises. The importance of the study is a cause of the increasing role of women in running a household-based business, so an adaptation strategy is needed by separating the domestic space and the business space. The novelty of this study is the formation of layers of "hijab" in the Batik Home-Based Enterprises space in Arab Village Sugihwaras Pekalongan.

Home-Based Enterprises and Urban Neighbourhood Mobility

The global expansion of home-based enterprises (HBEs) particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic requires more scholarly investigations due to their effects on residential neighbourhoods. Existing studies on HBEs span from social, economic, political to environmental perspectives. However, the effects of HBEs on neighbourhood mobility is under-researched especially in global South cities, where the informal types are predominant; and affect the mobility of residents. This study, therefore examines the HBEs effects on neighbourhood mobility. The objectives of the study are; to determine the incidence of HBEs, and to ascertain HBEs effects on neighbourhood mobility. Three neighbourhoods were selected through stratified random sampling; Gariki (high density), Ogui New Layout (medium density) and Government Reserved Area-GRA (low density) in Enugu, Nigeria. Mixed method was utilized for data collection through field observation, questionnaire-administration, interview; and analysed using descriptive statistics. The result reveals the incidence of HBEs as; 39.5%, 23.9% and 21.1% for Gariki, Ogui New L/out and GRA, respectively. The HBEs effects on neighbourhood mobility reveal that over 70% of the respondents do not incur any transportation cost to access goods and services at HBE locations. Over 50% indicated that the average time to HBE location is less than 15 minutes. However, over 40% of respondents indicated that HBEs cause increased traffic volume within the neighbourhoods. The study concludes that HBEs clearly have positive effects on neighbourhood mobility, nevertheless, the negative effects require careful consideration in urban planning. The study is significant as it provides data for better analysis and management of neighbourhood transportation system.

Component Technologies on Home-Based Enterprises: A Trend in Smart Cities Development

This article examines Home-Based Enterprises (HBEs) operations following the advancement of component technologies usage by its operators for trading and promotion. HBE operators use the home as a place of business to contribute to the income and improved welfare of households, especially in times of crises as recognised in many studies. Adequate ICT requirement is needed to drive any enterprises, especially in HBEs in the long run may result in regional and local development, a fundamental point and trend in the promotion of smart city development. The essence of this article is to examine the use of the internet in HBE transactions and its contributory factor. This paper is to outline the transformational impact of technology use on HBEs toward smart city development. The emerging circumstances of internet usage like social media, mobile applications, ICT, and websites applications have been considered in detail. HBEs development based on the availability and usage of internet facilities has been suggested for its application where necessary, and this can serve as a guide to changing dynamics of the cities towards the total adoption of the internet for business operations and transactions for the benefit and improvement of the local economies. The government in collaboration with stakeholders and the private sector should be willing to make available knowledge of the component technologies that will benefit HBEs as well as provide favourable programmes, and enact policies guided by laws and regulations. This paper discussed the various information fusions in the use of internet services to aid transactions as well as the selling and buying of products with ease without any form of difficulties encountered. Keywords: Component Technologies, HBEs, ICT, Smart Cities, Transactions DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/13-10-01 Publication date: May 31 st 2023

HOME-BASED ENTERPRISE AS POTENTIAL CATALYST TO STRENGTHEN THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING

This study aims to investigate the association between the sense of community and the new home-based enterprises, which emerged as a mitigation strategy to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, and its implication with neighbourhood planning. A set of questionnaires based on a fourfactor dimension of Sense of Community Index 2 was distributed to the virtual communities called 'Bromo Ladies' in a residential cluster at Lippo Karawaci Tangerang. The results showed that independent variables of shared emotional connection and influence correlated more significantly with the sense of community than needs fulfilment and membership dimensions. The findings were triangulated using an ethnographic approach through participant observation. The thematic discussions under togetherness and care and the COVID-19 pandemic had the highest reoccurrence in the virtual community discussion. This study concluded that the new home-based enterprises acted as catalysts for the neighbourhood's sense of community during the pandemic through communication, participation, and informal involvement among virtual community members. This study highlighted an evidence-based understanding of the home-based enterprise's performance and its potential impacts on a residential neighbourhood's quality of life and well-being during the pandemic. This study offered that integrated home-based enterprises' neighbourhood planning could increase a sense of community.

Livelihood Strategies and Their Determinants among Informal Households in Calabar, Nigeria

The purpose of investigating livelihood strategies is to seek patterns that can be acted upon in order to improve livelihood prospects. This paper assesses household livelihood strategies and their determinates by asking (1) how urban households manage and mobilise resources and (2) how they combine assets—emphasising the existing strategies they adopt and their outcomes. Using a mixed-method cross-sectional design, four informal settlements were surveyed. Household questionnaires were developed and used to collect data from 425 households in Calabar, Nigeria. A total of 45 interviews, non-participant observation, and 2 focus groups were conducted. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 26, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) and presented using tables. The qualitative data were collected, coded and analysed using NVivo 1.2 (QRS International). Fundamental context-related livelihood strategies in asset building are identified, and the diverse approaches and constraints that emerged are analysed. The result shows that households diversify their assets with strategies which are complex and diverse. This ranges from the extension of spaces and sub-letting a room to reducing their expenses (by spending less), borrowing from friends and relatives, and seeking help from community organisations. Others include pawning their belongings, engaging in home-based enterprises, and investing in children’s education, migration, and urban agriculture. Findings further indicate the ability of households to avoid or reduce their vulnerability and to increase their productivity depends on their initial assets and on their ability to transform them into income, food, or other necessities. This paper recommends ways of strengthening and supporting households’ strategies to cope with and reduce housing vulnerability.

Slum Upgrading and Changes in the Welfare of Home-Based Entrepreneurs in Kampung Bahari Tambaklorok, Indonesia

This study examines changes in community welfare, especially among home-based entrepreneurs in Kampung Bahari Tambaklorok, Semarang, Indonesia. This study hypothesizes that after planning the development of Kampung Bahari Tambaklorok as a tourist destination for five out of twenty years, there has been a change in the socio-economic welfare conditions of the community, primarily home-based enterprise actors. Research data were obtained through observations, questionnaires, and interviews. In addition, this study conducted a descriptive analysis, scoring, and Likert Scale to obtain an overview of changes in socio-economic conditions based on community perceptions. These two analyses examine the changes in welfare experienced by the Tambaklorok community, especially home-based entrepreneurs. Thus, it may impact the sustainability of development planning for the Kampung Bahari Tambaklorok Semarang. However, the result of this study is that only the environmental aspects have an impact. Meanwhile, the other two economic and social aspects have stayed the same. Therefore, the results show that, in general, the welfare condition of the Tambaklorok community did not change after the development of the Tambaklorok Tourism Village in the first five years. Therefore, it needs further action. Keywords: environmental, home-based enterprises, slum, socio-economic, sustainable settlement

Women participation in the informal economy: assessing the pattern of operations and challenges in post-COVID-19

The object of research: first, to understand the operational activities of women informal economy operators. Second, to highlight and discuss the challenges of women informal economy operators. Third, to understand the implication of post COVID-19 era for women informal economy operators.
 Investigated problem: the dynamics, operations and level of activities of the informal economy and the extent of women involvement, the issues around the challenges women are exposed to as participants of the informal economy, the role and impact of the post COVID-19 on women informal economy operators.
 The main scientific results: first, the operational activities of women informal economy operators include street-trading and hawking, casual employment, family business and home-based enterprises. Second, the challenges for women operators in the informal economy include health hazards, gender discrimination and harassment, institutional and social barriers, cultural stereotypes and constrictions to loans. Third, the implications of postCOVID-19 pandemic include liquidation of businesses, increased economic hardship and poverty and little or no State intervention through palliatives.
 The area of practical use of the research results: ministry of labour and employment, trade unions, women organization, non-governmental organization (NGO’s), labour research institute, traders association, industrial court, labour professionals and advocates.

Home-Based Enterprises: Experimental Evidence on Female Preferences from Pakistan

Home-Based Enterprises: Experimental Evidence on Female Preferences from Pakistan

Are home-based enterprises (HBEs) an economic lifeline or scenic distortion in Nigeria? Evidence from Ikot Epkene, Akwa Ibom State

There is a growing polarity in perspective of the proliferation of home-based enterprises (HBEs) in both developed and developing societies. In the developing societies, for example, Nigeria, apparently because of shrinking formal sector due largely to economic recession, HBEs are becoming the mainstay and economic support mechanisms for households and communities disadvantaged by limitations in the formal sector. Responses by researchers, urban planners, and development experts to the global trend of HBEs have been mixed, analogous, and ongoing. This study investigates these debates with evidence from Ikot Ekpene Metropolis in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. Our aim is to examine the lifeline benefits and environmental issues of HBEs, deterioration and environmental distortion on the general scenery of cities. The study reviewed existing knowledge and understanding of the HBEs and made use of quantitative survey research design. We collected our data using mainly the administration of a set of questionnaires to HBEs operators and the residents using a systematic random sampling technique. Results show that, albeit respondents acknowledge HBEs have environmental downsides with an average high impact of 43%, they however, believe that the economic benefits are much more pronounced and dominant with an average high impact of 77%. The study therefore concludes that HBEs are more of lifeline than they are scenic distorter. Therefore, it is crucial that urban planning policy includes the HBEs operation to maximise its full potentials.

An Exploration of Women Owned Home-based Business Through Institutional Theory Lens: A Case of Peshawar, Pakistan

This paper aims to explore the dynamics of women owned home-based businesses in the normative context of Peshawar. It helps to add to our understanding of how women create and manage their ventures and get legitimacy in a context where they live like second-class citizen with no rights. The study also highlights the impact of these ventures on their lives and household. A qualitative approach was used to explore the creation and management of women owned home-based businesses in the context of Peshawar. 20 women entrepreneurs were selected through purposive sampling technique. In-depth interviews were conducted to understand the lived experiences. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. We have built on institutional theory to understand the creation and management of women owned home-based enterprises, which brought about unique insights into this ever-prevailing phenomenon. The findings of this study reveal that given the distinctive context of Peshawar, the role responsibilities of women are shaped through multiple socio-cultural and religious interpretations. Compliance to which, defines the grounds of negotiation for adopting an entrepreneurial career. This makes the venture creation a bounded phenomenon and highly dependent on the familial approval for which norms and values within normative context are negotiated. With familial approval, a home based women entrepreneur (HBWE) ensures her belongingness to the family mores. A legitimacy of HBWE is contingent upon the trust of the family members as an entrepreneur and home maker. At this level, she represents as role model by sharing control which enhances the cultural acceptability of home-based businesses (HBBs). This study has portrayed transition of HBWE through compliance, negotiating, belongingness, legitimacy, emancipation and empowerment.

Tipologi Home-based Enterprises di Sentra Industri Makanan Olahan Bandeng Kota Semarang Berdasarkan Tiga Modal Sustainable Livelihood

The Center for Milkfish Processed Food Industry are scattered in several areas, three of which are located in Semarang Barat, Gayamsari, and Semarang Utara districts which has the largest milkfish production and investment value in Semarang City. Inside, there are Home-based Enterprises (HBE) for milkfish processing with various characteristics. There are 3 main points indicated that the existence of HBE for milkfish processing is a potential that can be developed, including SMEs, culinary tourism, and thematic villages. To develop that, it is necessary to identify the character of each HBE unit in the three districts. This study aims to identify the typology of HBE at the Center for Milkfish Processed Food Industry in Semarang City to identify the characters and prerequisites for the development of HBE types by using 3 sustainable livelihood asets as the determinant of research variables. The results showed that there were 3 types of HBE which formed by 51 units. Small HBEs is a group that tends to have lower capabilities in natural, human, and financial capital than other types. Middle profile HBEs is a group identified with abilities in a higher educational background and broader marketing. High profile HBEs is a group with higher capabilities in natural, human and financial capital than other types, so that it is possible to have a more stable and sustainable livelihood.