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THESO CI AL SCIENCES.C OM
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1
The International Journal of
Interdisciplinary Social
and Community
Studies
_________________________________________________________________________
Business-Career Transition of Poor People
with Disabilities in Ecuador
An Exploratory Study
FRANKLIN A. GALLEGOS-ERAZO AND DANIEL E. SALAS-DÍAZ
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF
INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND
COMMUNITY STUDIES
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ISSN: 2324-7576 (Print)
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The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social and Community Studies
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ISSN: 2324-7576 (Print), ISSN: 2324-7584 (Online)
http://doi.org/10.18848/2324-7576/CGP/v14i01/13-35 (Article)
Business-Career Transition of Poor People with
Disabilities in Ecuador: An Exploratory Study
Franklin A. Gallegos-Erazo,
1
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Perú
Daniel E. Salas-Díaz, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Perú
Abstract: The objective of this study was to explore the business-career transition of people with disabilities. Through
multiple case studies in Ecuador, the present study highlights the career obstacles to the venture of being a businessman.
Those obstacles are derived from the impediments caused by poverty and disability. The effective management of this
type of transition seems to come from a sense of strengthened coherence, self-esteem, vision, determination, and
experience that the individual has. Those, together with environmental factors such as family and governmental support,
propel entrepreneurship. The reasons for undertaking are out of necessity, desire, or use of opportunities, which allow
the person to establish a new career, enabling social integration and well-being.
Keywords: Business-Career Transition, Entrepreneur, People with Disabilities, Poverty, Disability
Introduction
he concept “transition” has been related to different topics including the development of a
person’s life (Erikson 1963), occupational planning (Hopson and Adams 1977), and the
occurrence of one or more specific events that cause a change in the respective individual
and their activities (Schlossberg 1981). The last situation produces a social imbalance (Wapner
and Craig-Bay 1992), and crosses the limits of changes in the course of everyday life (Sharf
1997).
Regarding persons with disabilities, from now on named PWD, little is known about their
career development and their life processes (Hershenson and Szymanski 1992; Szymanski et al.
2003). Disability alone does not determine the career development of a person (Szymanski and
Hanley-Maxwell 1996). There are other influencing factors, such as individual skills, family,
education, socioeconomic level, ethnicity, culture, gender, and efficiency (Szymanski et al.
2003). Studies have focused on career development in the workplace (Ali, Schur, and Blanck
2011; Baruch, Szucs, and Gunz 2015; Gilleskie and Hoffman 2014; Szymanski et al. 2003), but
have not clarified the understanding of how individual characteristics, accountability, and level
of support are related to the success of the entrepreneurship of PWD (Yamamoto and Alverson
2015). Several studies have also demonstrated that poverty itself is related to being more likely
of suffering a disability (Fuentes-García et al. 2013; Lustig and Strauser 2007; O’Connor and
Deluca Fernández 2006).
The term disability includes three critical dimensions that prevent the development of an
individual’s daily activities: a) body structure or functions; b) personal activities; c) participation
in society (Bullock, Mahon, and Killingsworth 2010). Impediment refers to a physical defect,
caused by a physical limitation. Disability is the inability to perform an activity caused by the
disability. Disadvantage is the consequence produced by the restrictions generated by the
disability (Hughes 2007; Jenkins 1991; Williams and Mavin 2012).
There are more than one billion people in the world with some disability (World Health
Organization 2011). In Latin America, there are approximately eighty-five million PWD, a
situation that affects about 15 percent of the population, either directly or indirectly (CEPAL
2011). There is a strong relationship between social class and disability, considering the common
1
Corresponding Author: Franklin A. Gallegos-Erazo, Jirón Daniel Alomía Robles 125, Santiago de Surco, Urbanización
Los Álamos de Monterrico, CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú,
Lima, 15023, Perú. email: a20152098@pucp.pe
T
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
environment where the PWD of extreme poverty are developed and usually transmitted from
generation to generation (Fuentes-Garcia et al. 2013; Jenkins 1991; Maldonado 2004; Salas
2015). This study focuses on a population of PWD in Ecuador.
Self-employment is an alternative strategy to salaried employment and entrepreneurs act as
agents of change in the economy (Brouwer 2002). Hence, becoming an entrepreneur is a viable
option for PWD whose professional objective is economic self-sufficiency and independence
(Dickerson 1998; Hansen and Perlman 1995). Therefore, developing a theoretical framework is
beneficial to this sector of social and economic activity (Ali, Schur, and Blanck 2011).
This article proposes an emerging theory via a model that clarifies and identifies the relevant
mechanisms in the career transition of PWD who have been poor. Using a qualitative approach to
interpret and recreate what the research suggests about feelings and experience (Cohen,
Duberley, and Mallon 2004), its purpose will be to identify the forms that fit the data,
questioning its mechanisms and elements that make it (Larsen 2007). This study is an
opportunity to understand how career transitions are experienced (Nicholson 1984), with results
that can direct career research in a way that enhances its value (Baruch, Szucs, and Gunz 2015).
Literature Review
Poverty and Disability
PWD face adverse situations that lead to marginalization and depression (Bitencourt and
Guimaraes 2012), and living in an environment of stigmatization by the community (Hernández
et al. 2007). According to Goffman (1963), stigma is an attribute, behavior, or reputation which
is socially discrediting and causes an individual to be classified as undesirable or rejected. For
PWD, their discrediting attribute is usually evident and may cause conscious or unconscious
rejection. Hirschberger, Florian, and Mikulincer (2005, 247) use terror management theory in
order to argue that “encountering a person with a physical disability may be threatening,
especially when personal death is made salient.” This situation has a detrimental effect on social
insertion, causing a disadvantage in the social capital of the person (Shaghayegh and Ayatollah
2013). Adding to this are pain, grief, and fatigue caused by prolonged and chronic diseases that
incapacitate people and prevent them from performing many activities considered normal (Fraser
et al. 2010; Gilleskie and Hoffman 2014; Lustig and Strauser 2007).
The poverty and disability model provides an explanation of the process through which an
individual who begins in poverty is more likely to acquire a disability (Fuentes-García et al.
2013; Lustig and Strauser 2007; Maldonado 2004; O’Connor and Deluca Fernández 2006; Salas
2015). Poverty has been associated with four groups of effects: a) the devaluation of the social
role (Wolfensberger 2000); b) environmental risk factors (Evans 2004; Link and Phelan 1995);
c) negative group influences (Durlauf 2001); and d) a sense of weakened coherence (Antonovsky
1991). The sense of weakened coherence has been defined as a global orientation in which the
world is incomprehensible, unmanageable, and meaningless (Antonovsky 1991). Considering
that poverty implies a lack of education, opportunities (Anthony 1993), and access to health care,
Jenkins (1991, 564) argued that “being working class can be disabling.” PWD in poverty have
more difficulties exercising rights, achieving empowerment, making career decisions, as well as
obtaining and maintaining employment (Lustig and Strauser 2007).
Entrepreneurship and Business People with Disabilities
The term “entrepreneur” has been defined as an individual who serves as an agent of change in
the economy through innovation (Schumpeter 1934), or people who establish a new company
(Smith-Hunter 2003). The innovative individual creates and builds a business that did not exist
before (Schwartz 1976). The present study defines the entrepreneurial PWD as a person with
physical or mental deficiencies who is the owner of a company, actively involved in its
14
GALLEGOS-ERAZO: BUSINESS-CAREER TRANSITION OF POOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
functioning as manager or administrator, and generates employment for himself and other
people.
The studies of entrepreneurial PWD have focused mainly on self-employment in different
perspectives including the reasons that motivate them, the processes of perceived support, and
their benefits and challenges (Yamamoto and Alverson 2015). Among the reasons for the
entrepreneurship of PWD is the discrimination they face in obtaining employment due to their
physical limitations (Haynie and Shepherd 2011), lack of employment opportunities (Hagner and
Davies 2002), and reduced job satisfaction (McNaughton et al. 2006).
The challenges that PWD face in undertaking business are: a) financing (Hagner and Davies
2002; Palmer et al. 2000); b) political barriers; c) negative public attitudes; d) barriers to
educational and vocational programs; and e) family support (Callahan, Shumpert, and Mast
2002; McNaughton et al. 2006; Rizzo 2002). Challenges can also come from the type and
severity of disability, where their physical limitations and pain will produce increased depression
in the individual (Bitencourt and Guimaraes 2012; Fraser et al. 2010; Noh and Turne 1988).
The Transition of Career of Persons with Disabilities
The term “career” means the sequential deployment, process, and evolution of a person’s work
experience over time (Arthur, Crocitto, and Rousseau 1996; Lindstrom 2008). But for PWD,
career development is often complicated, non-linear, and chaotic, where career decisions and
employment opportunities are generated over time and influenced by multiple individual
variables like family, education, and community factors (Szymanski et al. 2003).
PWD focused on self-employment have “push and pull” motivations as a result of trauma or
unwanted situations within employment. A “push motivation” is undertaking a perceived
obstacle such as the perception that physical limitations do not allow them to have employment
opportunities. On the other hand, “pull motivations” refer to satisfying a psychological need
rooted in trauma, referring to a) feeling competent; b) need for security; and c) passion for the
entrepreneurial spirit (Haynie and Shepherd 2011; Renko, Parker, and Caldwell 2015). Scholarly
investigations to date have not deepened our knowledge on the business activity of PWD, nor
have they explored transitions in the business careers of PWD, taking poverty as the starting
context from which they usually develop.
Methodology
Previous research has not explored the business-career transitions of poor PWD. Using grounded
theory (Glaser and Strauss 1967), the present article adopts a multiple case study approach,
useful for identifying emanating concepts (Brown and Eisenhardt 1997). The objective is to
clarify and fill in the gaps found in the literature (Eisenhardt 1989).
The research into the business-career transitions of PWD that have been poor was achieved
through a qualitative exploration of: a) their physical and demographical characteristics; b) career
progression and life course before the entrepreneurship transition; c) the factors that drove them
to the development of entrepreneurship, capturing the professional and psychological
implications; d) the obstacles they have faced in the enterprise; e) the knowledge and skills that
have allowed them to achieve it; and f) the environmental factors that helped their companies
succeed.
Research Question
This article gathers data from Ecuador and offers a model in order to answer the question about
the process of poor PWD in their business-careers.
15
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
Observation Documentation
Academic Journals
Business Incubation
Photography
Field/Interview Notes
Field/Interview Notes
Interviews
Online Databases
Application to the Program
Entry Requirements for the Program
MIPRO Database
Identity Card
Disability Card
Physical and Demographic Characteristics
Email/Calls
Legal Registry of the Business
Audio Recording
Nature of Business
Field Notes
Audio Recording
Sample
Ten study cases of PWD who transitioned to entrepreneurship were obtained from the database
of the Ministry of Industries and Productivity of Ecuador (MIPRO). The sample was
theoretically constructed, where the choice of informants was guided by conceptual questions
(Miles and Huberman 1994). Theoretical saturation was applied for continuity of the sampling
(Glaser and Strauss 1967), which means that the interviews were considered sufficient when the
authors observed that no more new relevant data could be obtained. The PWD were intentionally
selected to provide relevant information about their success or failure in their transition careers
(Maxwell 1996; Patton 1990; Vieytes 2003). The individuals are contrasting, from those who
transitioned well to those who did not (Yin 2003).
Data Collection and Recording
The approach used to gather data from the entrepreneurial PWD was telephone calls and visits to
their companies once they had accepted and submitted the consent form to participate in the
research. Documents and files were collected to complete and collate information from the
interviews, whose purpose was to corroborate the information obtained from the entrepreneurial
PWD. The multiple sources of data collected for the construction of the case are illustrated in
Figure 1.
Figure 1: Triangulation of the Multiple Information Resources for the Construction of the Case
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
Data Analysis
All the interviews were transcribed verbatim. The method used in the present investigation is
discourse analysis, using the “analytical model” from the perspective of grounded theory (Glaser
and Strauss 1967), which reinforces the inductive character for the construction of theory
(Kornblit 2004). As explained by Neff (1998, 125), grounded theory is based on “systematically
and intensively analyzing data” not just to order them, but to examine conceptual relationships
and to generate theory.
The sample was composed of three females and seven males; their ages varied, with the
youngest participant being twenty-four years old and the oldest being sixty-two. All the samples
were part of the entrepreneurship program that was promoted by the Technical Secretariat of
Disabilities of Ecuador (SETEDIS), which then passed to the Ministry of Industries and
Productivity of Ecuador (MIPRO) for the respective follow-up.
Categorization of Cases
All the participants come from poverty, which is defined by the Government of Ecuador as living
with less than US$ 84.73 per month (ENMEDU 2018). 70 percent of the participants have not
completed high school, and 100 percent of them have a degree of disability greater than 40
percent and less than 77 percent, with regular control treatments throughout their life trajectory.
16
GALLEGOS-ERAZO: BUSINESS-CAREER TRANSITION OF POOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
30 percent of participants have had the impairment since birth, 20 percent for lack of timely
medical treatment, and 50 percent acquired.
The participants were classified in two groups, based on the context of their business-career
transitions: those who had a successful transition and those who had an unsuccessful transition.
The basis of this categorization included assessing subjective well-being (Damanik, Prihatin, and
Daryanti 2017). Regarding well-being, there are three basic meanings of the term: well-being in
itself or with attributes such as subjective, psychological, mental, or personal well-being;
satisfaction in itself or as a compound of life satisfaction; and quality of life in itself or as health-
related quality of life (Szántó et al. 2016). Well-being can also be defined as the fulfillment of
human capabilities, as defined by Nussbaum (2000).
The names of the interviewees have been changed to protect their anonymity, having names
that start with B (Byron, Beatriz, Belinda, Bruno, and Brian) as those who transitioned well, and
with M (Milton, Margaret, Mario, Marcelo, Miguel) as those who did not transition well.
Data Results and Induced Model
The content analysis produced 162 raw data topics. From these emerged sixty-eight first-order
categories, twenty-one second-order categories, and seven general categories. Each of these
general categories (poverty obstructing entrepreneurship and career decisions; disability and
impediments in entrepreneurship and career decisions; supports in entrepreneurship; motivations
for career transition in entrepreneurship; unsuccessful business-career transition; successful
business-career transition; and well-being) are presented and evaluated on a temporary basis
from the common shared factors prior, during, and after the career transition.
Poverty Obstructs Entrepreneurship and Career Decisions
All the studied cases grew up and developed during childhood and adolescence in conditions of
poverty, affecting their well-being. The well-being of people depends on the social role they
occupy (Wolfensberger 2000). The poverty and disability model considers poverty as a
devaluation of social position, and consequentially, people who are poor tend to have adverse life
experiences (Lustig and Strauser 2007; Strauser, Lustig, and Uruk 2004), accompanied by
environmental risk factors (Evans 2004).
Our data illustrates that Byron, Bruno, Brian, Mario, and Marcelo could not complete their
primary education due to their economic conditions. Not having health services affects their
performance in any job, or incurring high costs leaves them entirely in misery and with an
untreated health problem. An example is the case of Beatriz who said: “I had already obtained a
hearing implant at Social Security as an adult since it is costly for a person.” On the other hand,
Mario and Miguel stated that their disability was acquired in childhood due to lack of timely
medical attention.
Poverty limits access to economic and social capital (Figueroa 2010). The development of
human capital is key to the success of PWD in their performance (Potts 2005). In the lived
experience of Byron, Beatriz, Margaret, and Mario, during their childhood, they were victims of
segregation and humiliation due to their conditions of disability and poverty. An example is
Mario, who said: “When I was at university, one always finds groups by similarity, those who
have money and those who do not have money. I joined those who did not have money.” There is
a strong relationship between the sense of coherence and the subjective perception of health, self-
esteem, locus of internal control, and quality of life satisfaction (Antonovsky 1993). Social
stigmatization appeared also in the adult stage, such as in the case of Byron, Beatriz, Bruno,
Milton, Margaret, and Mario, who have the shared experience of marginalization or stereotyping
due to their physical conditions. They said that some people claim that PWD are unable to offer a
service or run a business.
17
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
Table 1: Poverty Obstructs Entrepreneurship and Career Decisions
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
In the area where I lived there was delinquency and
drugs.
Social
Devaluation
Poverty
Poverty
Obstructing
Entrepreneurship
and Career
Decisions
I was harassed during childhood and adolescence.
Group Factors
I come from a low social class.
Environmental
Risk Factors
I lived in a rural area of the countryside.
I did not have access to essential services at home.
I did not have access to vehicles/streets.
I worked during my childhood and adolescence.
Lack of Income
I had few things to live with as a child
My parents had informal work.
When I got married, I was a hard worker but also a
pauper, and I had nothing to offer my wife. She loved
me for who I am.
I had economic difficulties.
My mother was a merchant, she sold bananas. She was
looking for a way to earn a living and feed us.
In 2011 a vehicle hit me and I was disabled, I could not
work anymore. I was a bricklayer; I was unable to work.
I did not know what to do; I needed to earn money for
my family.
When I got married, I had to quit my studies since I had
no way to straighten myself out. I started working.
We were poor, and we survived, but the disease took us
to ruin. Costly treatment, we did not eve have anything
to eat.
I finished primary school.
No Access to
Education
I had already obtained a hearing implant at Social
Security as an adult since it is costly for a person.
Health
Problems and
Medical
Attention
I had financial difficulties for medical attention.
My disability is from birth.
My disability was acquired due to lack of medical
treatment.
My disability was acquired by accident.
When I was at university, one always finds groups by
similarity, those who have money and those who do not
have money. I joined those who did not have money.
Social
Rejection
I started to make my way without anything.
Lack of Capital
Difficulties to
Undertake
Endeavor
Without the help of government financing, it would have
been difficult for me to undertake the endeavor.
After my accident in 2007, I did not know what to do. I
had lost my job. I saw myself in need of doing
something, I wanted to start a business, but I needed
capital.
I have been marginalized and stereotyped by my
physical conditions.
Stigmatization
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
According to Palmer et al. (2000), the first challenge PWD must undertake is capital. Brian
explained: “After my accident in 2007, I did not know what to do. I had lost my job. I saw myself
in need of doing something, I wanted to start a business, but I needed capital.” For an individual
born into poverty, a disability increases the obstacles to entrepreneurship and career decisions
that he or she already faces. These results confirm the extant research cited above that strongly
relates poverty and disability, mainly because of the reduction of opportunities and social
rejection and stigmatization.
18
GALLEGOS-ERAZO: BUSINESS-CAREER TRANSITION OF POOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Disability and Impediments to Entrepreneurship and Career Decisions
The data in Table 2 shows how disability impedes entrepreneurship and career decisions. The ten
individuals interviewed expressed that they had difficulty doing their jobs due to their conditions.
Table 2: Disability and Impediments to Entrepreneurship and Career Decisions
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
I thought that with my physical difficulty, I would
never have a commitment or do something well.
Insecurity and
Low Self-esteem
The Impediment
for Career
Decisions
Disabilities and
Impediments to
Entrepreneurship
and Career
Decisions
When I saw other people I asked myself, “Why did
God put me in this situation?” Then I thought, “I
have to get out of this situation and move on.”
I do not apply to work anywhere because my
disability has prevented me.
Obstruction to
Work
I got ill with cancer in 2001. I could not continue
working. I had to leave the field and all of my
activities because of the doctor’s orders.
I had complications when working due to my
disability.
As a young woman, my illness became complicated.
I could not finish university.
Obstruction to
Education
I have had goals that I postponed due to my illness.
Obstruction of
Goals
I am disabled. I cannot speak well, and I do not hear
well either. My wife is my voice and ears.
Physical
Limitations
Disability
I could not be a radio technician; I had to choose to
learn another profession because of my disability.
I am always in treatment with doctors because of my
disability. I have to monitor my health.
Chronic Health
Problems
During my childhood and adolescence I lived with
the disability and constant treatments.
Sometimes I get tired when I work a lot; it causes
me pain and discomfort. At that time I then must
rest.
Obstruction to
Performance
Difficulties to
Undertake
Endeavor
You and I can talk because I have taken more than
ten pills to control my health problem. My treatment
is daily. I cannot walk alone any time. I can fall into
epilepsy without realizing it.
There have been situations where customers see me
and it is hard for them to accept that I am the one
who will be taking care of them.
Social Rejection
If a disabled person wants to undertake the
endeavor, first they must get rid of their mental
anchor.
Psychological
Restrictions
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
In Mario’s case, his disability caused him insecurity. Mario said: “I thought that with my
physical difficulty, I would never have a commitment or do something well.” Belinda expressed
that her disability was an impediment to studying. She said: “As a young woman, my illness
became complicated. I could not finish university.” Furthermore, Margaret and Miguel explained
that they have had goals postponed due to their illnesses. The aforementioned situations were
developed due to a chronic health problem during the transition of their life. Marcelo said: “I am
disabled. I cannot speak well, and I do not hear well either. My wife is my voice and ears.”
Byron said that: “I could not be a radio technician; I had to choose to learn another profession
because of my disability.”
19
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
The body structures and functions of PWD obstruct performance in the workplace (Bullock,
Mahon, and Killingsworth 2010). Belinda said: “You and I can talk because I have taken more
than ten pills to control my health problem. My treatment is daily. I cannot walk alone any time. I
can fall into epilepsy without realizing it.” Byron and Beatriz said that: “There have been
situations where customers see me and it is hard for them to accept that I am the one who will be
taking care of them.” The situations mentioned produce a disadvantage in a person’s social
participation and networking (Shaghayegh and Ayatollah 2013).
Support for Entrepreneurship
The results in Table 3 show that support for PWD is essential, where primary support comes
from the family. Family support is not financial, since family members are also poor. Instead, it
is about accompaniment, motivation, and help. The ten study cases unanimously acknowledged
that they have been backed by their families. Belinda said: “My mother has always had me in
hospitals. Now it is my husband’s turn to take care of me.” Byron, Brian, Mario, and Marcelo
explained that their partners have accompanied them in all their ventures they have undertaken.
Table 3: Entrepreneurial Support
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
With my partner, we have a stable marriage.
Couple Support
Family Support
Entrepreneurial
Support
My partner gives me emotional support.
My partner has accompanied me in the ventures.
I have had the support of my family and friends.
Family Support
My family has supported me in the business venture.
My mother has always had me in hospitals. Now it is my
husband’s turn to take care of me.
My mother has been the fundamental pillar in my life.
I had a stable home with mom and dad.
Home Stability
I follow the example of my father.
I consider that I had a stable and pleasant childhood.
Emotional
Stability
My social circle was healthy.
Informed Values
I was instilled with values from home.
I believe in God. I have faith and religion.
I knew how to choose friendships.
The financing obtained by the government helped me to
strengthen the business that I was already undertaking.
Financing
Governmental
Support
Without government funding, I would not have been able to
start.
The government provided us with training and guidance
during the undertaking.
Training
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
80 percent of the cases mentioned that they admire their father or mother, for whom they
have respect, consideration, and admiration for the unconditional support given to them.
60 percent of the cases stated that they had a stable home and healthy emotional development.
90 percent of the cases stated that they believe firmly in God and that their central values were
formed at home. Antonovsky (1987) hypothesized that factors such as religion and social support
are called resources of resistance, providing individuals with life experiences that allow them to
maintain emotional balance. Lundberg (1997) found a relationship between the experiences of
childhood, with a focus on the family dimension, and the sense of coherence of an adult person.
Family support is vital to reinforce the sense of coherence of people with disabilities.
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GALLEGOS-ERAZO: BUSINESS-CAREER TRANSITION OF POOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
A second type of essential support is financial assistance and support since the first
challenge for PWD is to obtain the capital to start a business (Yamamoto, Unruh, and Bullis
2012). In all cases of the study, the capital was granted by the government through its business
incubation program driven by SETEDIS and MIPRO. For Byron, Bruno, Milton, Margaret, and
Mario, the funding allowed them to continue with the ideas they had previously developed.
Beatriz, Belinda, Brian, Marcelo, and Miguel said: “Without government funding, I would not
have been able to start.” 50 percent of the cases have shown that the training and support
received has been useful and favorable.
Venture Motivations
Entrepreneurship entails considerable risks, including a high level of commitment and time (Bird
1989). Data collected in Table 4 shows that three principal circumstances motivate people with
disabilities, which are: a) the desire to endeavor (Callahan, Shumpert, and Mast 2002); b) taking
advantage of the opportunities (Palmer et al. 2000); and c) necessity (Hagner and Davies 2002;
Haynie and Shepherd 2011; McNaughton et al. 2006).
Data shows that PWD who are entrepreneurs have personal characteristics of perseverance
and high self-esteem and have wished to feel competent. The last are “pull factors” (Haynie and
Shepherd 2011). For example, Margaret said: “I started the endeavor when I got married, to
support my home.” Belinda said: “My goals have been delayed, but when I recover I will go after
them.” Byron answered: “I wanted to show my wife’s family that I am worthy of her.”
The entrepreneurial spirit was evident in Byron, Beatriz, Belinda, Milton, and Mario, who
expressed: “I always wanted to be my own boss,” and “I consider myself an entrepreneur.” The
case of Beatriz, she was motivated by a “push factor” from her work experience, namely: “They
did not value me at my work. At work I found obstacles to growth. I preferred to undertake the
endeavor.”
80 percent of the study cases were shown to be people with high self-esteem though they
experienced struggle and perseverance in their lives, both in cases of successful business
transitions and not. Byron, Belinda, and Milton expressed: “I do not have complexes because of
my disability,” while Byron and Bruno said: “I have never felt that I could not achieve my goals
because I was poor. I never thought that I could not make it because I have a disability.”
Regarding society, Beatriz, Brian, and Mario expressed that: “Many times society makes you
believe that you cannot make it, but you must get ahead to prove the opposite.” Lundberg (1997)
argued that experiences of childhood and family support positively affected the behavior and
future results of an individual (Durlauf 2002).
The case of Belinda, who wanted to start a business, also shows that entrepreneurship is
about taking advantage of opportunities. Belinda said: “I was good at sales, and I learned to make
perfumes. I had an investor at hand; I set up a distribution store.” Her constant illness from her
disability prevented the achievement of her entrepreneurial goals. She fell into a crisis that
separated her from the business. Despite her constant illness, she said: “When I left the hospital, I
found the business funding opportunity for people with disabilities; I took it,” and “before I got
married, my father explained the business to me; it interested me and I took the risk.”
On the other hand, Bruno, Mario, and Marcelo stated that: “Due to my preparedness and
disability, it has been difficult for me to access work,” while Milton and Miguel said that: “I had
to find a way to earn money for my family.” Marcelo said: “I got ill, leaving work and my land. I
started an ice cream business.” They are clear examples of endeavoring out of necessity; not
having income and opportunities leading them to decide to start a business as a means of finding
sustenance for their homes.
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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
Table 4: Venture Motivations
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
I graduated from high school at the age of sixty.
Perseverance
Desire
Motivations to
Undertake
Endeavor
I have managed to not disappoint my mother and finish my
studies.
I have struggled all my life.
My goal was to study and improve myself day-by-day.
I am not one of those people who give up.
I do not have complexes because of my disability.
Self-esteem
I have never felt that I could not achieve my goals because I
was poor. I never thought that I could not make it because I
have a disability.
Many times society makes you believe that you cannot make it,
but you must get ahead to prove the opposite.
I started the endeavor when I got married, to support my home.
Feeling
Competent by
Yourself
I felt I was able to get started and have my company.
My goals have been delayed, but when I recover I will go after
them.
I wanted to show my wife’s family that I am worthy of her.
I was always a leader in school and work. I like to take the
lead.
Entrepreneurial
Spirit
I always wanted to be my own boss.
I consider myself an entrepreneur.
My entrepreneurial spirit was born from a project at university.
The possibility of working for yourself is a high motivation.
They did not value me at my work. At work I found obstacles
to growth. I preferred to undertake the endeavor.
Before I got married, my father explained the business to me; it
interested me and I took the risk.
Taking Advantage
of Opportunities
Opportunity
When I left the hospital, I found the business funding
opportunity for people with disabilities; I took it.
I was good at sales, and I learned to make perfumes. I had an
investor at hand; I set up a distribution store.
Due to my preparedness and disability, it has been difficult for
me to access work.
Unemployed
Need
I had to find a way to earn money for my family.
I lost the job. I had to start a business.
I got ill, leaving work and my land. I started an ice cream
business.
I entered the business incubation program of the government to
help my family.
Without Income
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
The Unsuccessful Business-Career Transition
Table 5 shows the results of five cases (Milton, Margaret, Mario, Marcelo, and Miguel) that have
not achieved a successful business-career transition. Three of these cases are characterized by
being self-employed. They are Milton, Mario, and Marcelo. Margaret’s case is a small, family
business that has been growing and generates employment for family members and third parties.
Margaret is the legal owner of the business, but she is not the one who manages. She only helps
her dad with the administration. There is also the case of Miguel, who is working at a company
and stopped helping in the family business. All of the cases were part of the incubation program
to start. However, Margaret and Miguel enrolled to obtain financing and help their families who
were starting a business and they had to put the businesses in their name in order to be accepted.
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Table 5: Unsuccessful Business-Career Transition
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
I need to earn enough money to live, and with that I’m calm.
Conformism
Self-
employment
Unsuccessful
Business-
Career
Transition
I live a regular life; not a good one because there are days where I
have money and others that I do not; but I managed to do
anything necessary to “bring home the bacon.”
Sometimes there is abundance, and sometimes there is not. You
do not have to get involved in the problem; you must keep
fighting, you have to live as you can.
What we earn is enough to pay debts and live.
At present, there is no work to make money; you can’t do
anything with one dollar, but at least you work to support
yourself.
Resignation
I started a business because I wanted to improve myself. It’s
wrong just to say it was out of necessity. I love what I do, and I
want to improve, even if things do not work out, because at least I
tried.
I felt terrible because others came to copy my business idea, it
being me who started this.
Lack of
Competencies
I do not understand why other brands do not let me sell in peace;
they come in where you already have your business. The
competition is unfair.
The business has not gone so well; it has to be strengthened.
I am shy making friends and working with others.
Insecurity
Lack of
Entrepreneurial
Spirit
I prefer to work; it is safer and less risky.
Risk Aversion
The government should have helped the entrepreneurs with more
coverage; with clients, more than just the loan.
Visionless
If I had an excellent job opportunity, I think it would be difficult
to choose between starting a business or working.
My mother was the one who found out about the government
loans for starting a business. What I did was support the family.
Without my mother, I might not have got into this.
My dad is the one who knows the work and the business. He
masters the subject. He is a bricklayer and knows about lock-
smithing. What I do is help my family in the company.
If the opportunity of a job came about, I would do both. I would
work, and with my business, I would complete what I need.
Need for Job
Security
Job
The business is for the family; I am not the direct manager, that’s
why I am working. The one who knows is my dad.
No
Commitment
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
The behavior of Margaret and Miguel is understandable since entrepreneurship is not only
the result of entrepreneurial spirit, but also contextual factors like family circumstances or the
needs that surround them (Palmer et al. 2000; Strauss and Corbin 1998). They have not had a
successful business-career transition, as Margaret explained: “My mother was the one who found
out about the government loans for starting a business. What I did was support the family.
Without my mother, I might not have got into this.” And “my dad is the one who knows the work
and the business. He masters the subject. He is a bricklayer and knows about lock-smithing.
What I do is help my family in the company.” Additionally, we have Miguel who said: “The
business is for the family; I am not the direct manager, that’s why I am working. The one who
knows is my dad.” Margaret raised the doubt that “if I had an excellent job opportunity, I think it
would be difficult to choose between starting a business or working.” It is clear that both cases
require vision, commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit. Their reasons for entrepreneurship were
out of family necessity, and both have an interest in a professional career.
In the cases of Milton, Mario, and Marcelo, they are self-employed and participated in the
business incubation program, and agreed to the financing as well as the others. However, in the
analysis of the data shown in Table 5, it is evident that there is a high degree of conformism.
Milton said: “I need to earn enough money to live, and with that I’m calm.” Mario argued that:
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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
“Sometimes there is abundance, and sometimes there is not. You do not have to get involved in
the problem; you must keep fighting, you have to live as you can.” Marcelo said: “What we earn
is enough to pay debts and live.” In each of them, it was notable that they were not looking for
more than they already possessed and that their concern was for subsistence. According to the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the United Nations (1967),
subsistence is to lead an adequate lifestyle, for oneself and one’s family, including adequate food,
clothing, and housing, and continuous development of their conditions of life.
Successful Business-Career Transition
Table 6 shows the results of five cases (Byron, Beatriz, Belinda, Bruno, and Brian) that have
achieved a successful business-career transition. They are people who have their own company.
They are actively involved in its functioning as manager or administrator and generate
employment for themselves and other people. The companies are small; they have between three
and five employees, and all of them have at least one family member as part of the work team.
The main characteristics of this group are: a) high level of self-confidence; b) determination;
c) vision; and d) previous experience that directly contributes to excellent performance in
entrepreneurship and the development of their companies. Although all come from a context of
poverty, this study group had managed to have an entirely optimistic vision of life, as Byron and
Bruno expressed when they said: “My disability is in the legs, not in my mind. I have to
overcome myself.” While Byron and Belinda said: “Entrepreneurship has been inborn in me.”
What’s more, Bruno said: “You have to face things, not be intimidated. You always have to do
things right.” Additionally, “a business allows you to develop your maximum potential.” Byron,
who had greater prominence amongst those interviewed, said: “The good thing about having
nothing is that everything you do is profitable.” Their concepts of life includes: “You have to be
sociable, friendly, and kind to others.” These are clear signs that they have an adequate sense of
coherence, where the world is an understandable, manageable, and meaningful place (Lundberg
1997). Having these resilient resources allows them to maintain emotional balance and have
successful participation (Antonovsky 1987).
Research has shown that identity changes according to the evolution of career transition
(Ibarra 1999). Thus, the determination experienced in each event of their lives has allowed for
the evolution of their identity in their career transition, becoming the basis for their growth, as
evidenced by the words expressed by Byron: “I am a scholar in my profession; I read a lot. I have
taken many training courses.” Byron is a sixty-two-year-old man who graduated from high
school at sixty. However, he is certified in the services he performs. On the other hand, we have
Belinda, who said: “I was studying for a bachelor in accounting; I have not finished my studies in
administration. I use what I learned to manage my business. I always look for things to read.”
Further evidence that emerged from the data is that these people, despite living in poverty,
are always looked for new ways to learn. Belinda and Byron said: “To manage the business, if
there has been something I do not know, I research and learn.” This curiosity goes hand-in-hand
with dissatisfaction. They are dissatisfied with their situation so it was identified that this group
of people is always looking for opportunities, a characteristic of the entrepreneur. Another
example is the case of Byron, who expressed: “A salary would not be enough to live off; I must
find something else to do.” and “I have done watch-making at the same time as all of my
endeavors, until I find the next business that fits me. Then I started selling glasses.” Beatriz,
Belinda, and Bruno said: “You have to find the clientele.” While Brian said: “Entrepreneurship
requires sacrifices and you need to go out and knock on doors.” This entire group of
characteristics has been categorized as determination and entrepreneurial spirit, which has
allowed these people to achieve their objectives.
Finally, the data shows that all of them have had a personal, professional, or self-
employment trajectory before becoming entrepreneurs. In that experience they have acquired
skills, abilities, and empirical knowledge, and have learned to be independent, work in a team,
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GALLEGOS-ERAZO: BUSINESS-CAREER TRANSITION OF POOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
manage people, and manage money and a business, having already developed these skills
(Shahen 2016). Experience is the key to excellent performance in their companies.
Table 6.1: Successful Business-Career Transition
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
As a child, I sold bread and thought that if I made the bread by
myself, I would earn more. Then I started in the bread
business.
Focus and
Initiative
Vision
Successful
Business-
Career
Transition
Leaving our comfort zone is necessary.
I dreamed of my own company since I was very young.
I realized that this product was not in the marketplace and that
they brought it from somewhere else and offered little. I saw
that the markets would be my clients.
I tried to do something that was easy for me, taking into
account my disability. I knew a little about raising quails, and I
dared to try it.
I do not only sell in Esmeraldas. Now I distribute in Guayaquil,
and next, I will go to Quito and other main cities; but
everything is little by little.
I have never liked being an employee.
Independence
Experience
I’m not interested in being part of a company, and I have never
applied to one.
I have started the business venture alone, only I have searched
for them.
Every business has its risk, which is what it’s about.
Risk-taking
In the business venture, you have to do many things at the
same time in order to get ahead.
Organization
I like to treat my coworkers well and to pay them fairly.
Leadership
I treat people well; you have to work as a team.
When I was nineteen years old, I had the opportunity to learn
how to design and build wheelchairs. I saw a business
opportunity.
Competitiveness
I know what I do, I master it.
Experience
I have started some businesses.
If I did not know how to do something, at that moment I
looked for ways to learn.
Skills
Watch-making and optometry have always been my forte since
the beginning. That’s what I dedicated myself to and
strengthened it.
I learned about my product at university, I applied it in the jobs
I had, and now it is part of my enterprise.
For someone to get ahead, they must learn how to do
something and get experience in it; they must be trained.
You have to separate personal accounts from those of the
business.
Empirical
Administration
When I hire someone, I not only look for their need to work
but also for what they want to do.
Teamwork
I have competition, but I am doing well because I offer an
excellent service, fast, and quality products.
Product and
Service Quality
With the loan, I bought assets and supplies, but I completed the
investment with my savings.
Money
Management
The work experience I had was used to start my business
venture.
Work
Experience
I have always worked in the commercial arena; I like to sell
and talk with others.
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
Table 6.2: Successful Business-Career Transition
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
My disability is in the legs, not in my mind. I have to
overcome myself.
Self-esteem
Self-confidence
Successful
Business-
Career
Transition
I have always been curious about new things.
Entrepreneurship has been inborn in me.
Despite the rejection by people, I seek to treat others well.
As a child I was educated, I tried not to be disliked.
Positive
Attitude
The right attitude changes the attitude of others.
In life, you should grow and begin to make your own way. You
have to see where you are developing your future.
You have to face things, not be intimidated. You always have
to do things right.
The good thing about having nothing is that everything you do
is profitable.
I have always thought that God has helped me. I have been a
person who works and does without vices.
A business allows you to develop your maximum potential.
You have to be sociable, friendly, and kind to others.
Sociable
I was studying for a bachelor in accounting; I have not finished
my studies in administration. I use what I learned to manage
my business. I always look for things to read.
Skills
Determination
I am a scholar in my profession; I read a lot. I have taken many
training courses.
I was always excellent in my studies; I was the best student.
I like to be responsible and stable in my actions.
Maturity
A salary would not be enough to live off; I must find
something else to do.
Search for
Opportunities
I have done watch-making at the same time as all of my
endeavors, until I find the next business that fits me. Then I
started selling glasses.
You have to find the clientele.
At the age of forty-five, I looked for laboratories and suppliers
and since then it has been better. I am more profitable.
Entrepreneurship requires sacrifices and you need to go out
and knock on doors.
To manage the business, if there has been something I do not
know, I research and learn.
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
Well-being
The common objective of all the study cases was well-being, expressed from several
perspectives: a) economic stability; b) family welfare; c) self-realization; and d) comfort. Table 7
shows the data obtained, where Byron, Beatriz, Belinda, and Bruno expressed: “I have wanted to
earn my own money and gain more than just a job.” Byron and Belinda were very emphatic
when expressing that: “A salary is not enough for the expenses that I have.” 80 percent of
respondents agreed that they undertook the business venture to support and take care of their
families. 70 percent of them expressed that the venture has allowed them to include their families
in the business, where the main support received is from being together with them. For Beatriz,
Belinda, and Bruno, pursuing their dreams has been important, with them expressing: “I prefer to
start a business for realizing your dreams, working for yourself and creating something of your
own, which is much more valuable.” 40 percent of the interviewees mentioned that the venture
allowed them to have comfort. For instance, Byron and Belinda said: “In my business, I do things
at my own pace.” While Bruno and Brian said: “I have adapted all the spaces to my needs.”
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GALLEGOS-ERAZO: BUSINESS-CAREER TRANSITION OF POOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Table 7: Well-being
Raw Data Topics
First
Categorization
Second
Categorization
General
Categorization
I have wanted to earn my own money and gain more
than just a job.
Better Income
Economic Stability
Well-being
With business, our economy has improved, we have
been able to expand our home.
A salary is not enough for the expenses that I have.
I can support and take care of my family.
Security
I do not like to depend on a salary and besides, you do
not know when you might not have a job. The safest
thing is your own company.
I like to help people.
Helping Others
Self-realization
I prefer to start a business for realizing your dreams,
working for yourself and creating something of your
own, which is much more valuable.
Achieving Goals
My company gives me independence.
Independence
The possibility of working for yourself is a high
motivation.
In my business, I do things at my own pace.
Time
Comfort
I have adapted all the spaces to my needs.
Comfort
I left work because I was away from home for a long
time and I did not see my wife and daughters. The jobs
that came along were far. I decided to work by myself.
Family Life
Family Well-being
The business has allowed me to include my family and
work together.
Supporting Family
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
The data suggests that the first goal is to overcome the social inequities that have resulted
from poverty, health conditions, and multiple adversities throughout one’s life that have directly
or indirectly affected their well-being (Damanik, Prihatin, and Daryanti 2017; Davey, Dorling,
and Shaw 2001; Graham 2007). Their primary focus has been on improving family conditions
(Conger and Donnellan 2007), improving their life chances, and responding to adversity
(Matthews, Gallo, and Taylor 2010). Their difficult situations have driven their entrepreneurial
spirit (Callahan, Shumpert, and Mast 2002), such as contextual needs or opportunities (Hagner
and Davies 2002; Haynie and Shepherd 2011; McNaughton et al. 2006; Palmer et al. 2000). They
have made difficult decisions and taken risks to feel competent and safe (Haynie and Shepherd
2011).
Emerging Discussion and Model
Figure 2 illustrates the model of business-career transition for people with disabilities. Firstly, the
model is limited by the contextual origins of the participants’ poverty. Secondly, the cases that
were investigated have the shared characteristic of having been part of a business incubation
process, which received financing and support. Finally, no generalizations have been made about
the population, since it is an inductive investigation. The model provides insights into the
mechanisms and processes relevant to understanding career transitions, and provides
opportunities for future research, including expanding the boundaries mentioned above.
Career literature has recognized that personal experiences become the basis for career
growth and, consequently, satisfaction, self-esteem, and commitment (Hall and Foster 1977). It
has also acknowledged that identity changes with the evolution of the career transition, allowing
individuals to adapt to new roles (Ibarra 1999; Nicholson 1984). The present theorization is in an
exploratory mode (Nicholson 1984).
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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES
Figure 2: Business-Career Transition of Poor People with Disabilities
Source: Gallegos-Erazo and Salas-Díaz
In a context of poverty, individuals find various reasons that motivate them to start a
business venture; entrepreneurial spirit is not the primary impulse, since many factors affect this
decision (Palmer et al. 2000). The data shows us that three principal circumstances motivate
PWD to undertake the endeavor: a) desire to undertake (Callahan, Shumpert, and Mast 2002);
b) taking advantage of opportunities (Palmer et al. 2000); and c) need (Hagner and Davies 2002;
Haynie and Shepherd 2011; McNaughton et al. 2006).
The data suggests that poverty and disability increase the difficulty of making effective
career decisions (Strauser, Lustig, and Uruk 2004), and for entrepreneurship (Yamamoto and
Alverson 2015). A poor individual is more likely to acquire a disability and maintain chronic
health problems (Lustig and Strauser 2007). The poverty is associated with four groups of
effects: a) the devaluation of the social role (Wolfensberger 2000); b) environmental risk factors
(Evans 2004; Link and Phelan 1995); c) the negative influences of the group (Durlauf 2001); and
d) a weakened sense of coherence (Antonovsky 1991). With the aforementioned, the first
challenge for people with disabilities is not only a lack of capital (Palmer et al. 2000), but also a
host of other factors that contribute to a lack of opportunities (Anthony 1993). Disability involves
impairments caused by a physical limitation (Williams and Mavin 2012), which does not allow
normal activity (Fraser et al. 2010; Hughes 2007). This is a disadvantage (Jenkins 1991), since an
enterprise is labor intensive (Hagner and Davies 2002).
Disabled people who start a business have made a vocational choice that entails considerable
risks, a high level of commitment, and time (Bird 1989). They require skills and competencies
that have been acquired in their life trajectory (Haynie and Shepherd 2011), allowing them to
perform well in their enterprises (Shahen 2016). However, due to the economic difficulties
associated with poverty, these entrepreneurial ideas need to be promoted and channeled through
business incubators, whether governmental or private (Yamamoto and Alverson 2015), that
provide the necessary support and financing.
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The data shows that there is a differentiating gap between being an entrepreneur through
self-employment and being a business person. The first differentiating gap is to be self-confident,
channeled through the values, beliefs, and support obtained from home, allowing them to have a
strengthened and positive sense of coherence in the world (Lundberg 1997). Second is
determination, experienced in each event of their lives that has allowed the evolution of their
identity in their career transition (Ibarra 1999), thus becoming the basis for growth, and
consequently, satisfaction, self-esteem, and commitment (Hall and Foster 1977). Third is having
a vision and entrepreneurial spirit (Renko, Parker, and Caldwell 2015). Last is having previous
experience that directly contributes to excellent performance in entrepreneurship and the
development of their companies (Shahen 2016).
The cases that did not have a successful business-career transition were due to maintained
self-employment or because they wanted to choose a career (Callahan, Shumpert, and Mast
2002). In those, it was notable that they were not looking for more than they already had and that
their concern was to achieve subsistence (United Nations 1967). The model also presents the
possibility of returning to a situation of poverty, given that self-employment and the choice of a
professional career do not ensure their desired well-being status.
The perceptions of well-being that emerged from the data cover several perspectives. First is
economic stability to overcome the social inequities that have resulted from poverty, inaccessible
healthcare, and multiple adversities throughout their lives (Davey, Dorling, and Shaw 2001;
Graham 2007). Second, is family well-being (Conger and Donnellan 2007). Third is self-
realization and feeling competent and safe (Haynie and Shepherd 2011). Last is experiencing
comfort by adapting their surroundings to their physical needs (Bitencourt and Guimaraes 2012).
Implications
Theoretical Contributions
This study contributes to the knowledge of business PWD as a research area in four aspects.
First, it corroborates the difficulties and impediments that poverty causes for the decision making
of career and entrepreneurship in PWD. Second, it contributes to a clear definition of the concept
of business PWD and differentiates it from the concept of self-employment, contributing to a
basic conceptualization for future research. Third, it offers a model that explains the business
career transition of PWD, integrating their diverse circumstances of development, background,
motivations, obstacles, and environmental factors. And fourth, the study aids in identifying gaps
for the development of future research in the area of entrepreneurship for PWD, whose
originality and value highlight yet more evidence to the current literature on entrepreneur PWD.
Practical Contributions
This study provides a snapshot into the business activity of PWD in Ecuador, providing insight
into trajectory of PWD’s business careers. Given that PWD’s have traditionally begun poor, this
study provides an opportunity to identify the key factors that have led them to have success,
factors that can be used for the development of better support policies and training programs
aimed at strengthening their capacities, increasing their chances of success, promoting a more
fair and inclusive society, as well as helping to promote the country’s economic development.
Future Research
There are some opportunities for future research to investigate the assumptions presented in the
model. Future research may include how the support given by rehabilitation centers may open the
field to treatment and evaluation of the personal aspects of each PWD, such as self-confidence,
experience, determination, and vision, in addition to their family who are their principal support.
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Entrepreneurship could be focused not only on the person but on the family group, which as a
whole can have strengths that complement each other and allow them to succeed as a group
rather than as individuals. Furthermore, when dealing with inclusion and companies promoted by
people with disabilities who have progressed from a poverty context, research can address how
society and corporations act inclusively in the acceptance of their products and services,
identifying their difficulties and opportunities. Finally, since this study is limited to Ecuador,
further research is needed in other countries of the region in order to understand the condition of
PWD in South America and to define more effective policies for their social and economic
inclusion.
Conclusion
Based on an analysis of ten cases of people with disabilities who have been poor and involved in
business-career transitions, a model emerged to provide information on how those transitions are
experienced and managed. Those who have had a good transition are those who have had a high
level of self-confidence, determination, vision, entrepreneurial spirit, and previous experience
that contribute directly to their excellent performance in entrepreneurship and the development of
their companies. Family support is vital to channel a sense of strengthened and positive
coherence of the world in the individual, fostered through the values, beliefs, and support
received in their home. The financial support and follow-up granted by the government through
its business incubation center is a clear sign of the importance of its participation in the
generation of opportunities for socially and economically excluded groups.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Franklin A. Gallegos-Erazo: PhD Candidate, CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School,
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú; Professor, Research Department,
University Laica Vicente Rocafuerte of Guayaquil, Ecuador
Daniel E. Salas-Díaz: Research Professor, CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School,
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú
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ISSN 2324-7576
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