A SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP MODEL FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN MALAYSIA: EVIDENCE FROM FORMER ASNAF ENTREPRENEURS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/AIJBES.829088Keywords:
Asnaf Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurial Resilience, Institutional Support, Poverty Alleviation, Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable EntrepreneurshipAbstract
Entrepreneurship-based poverty alleviation requires an understanding of how former zakat beneficiaries sustain their businesses and achieve economic independence beyond initial assistance. This study examines this post-zakat transition through the lived experiences of seven purposively selected former asnaf entrepreneurs in Malaysia whose businesses had operated for five to sixteen years. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study drew on in-depth semi-structured interviews recorded with consent and transcribed verbatim. Nine themes were synthesised into three interconnected dimensions, namely Internal Entrepreneurial Capacity, External Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, and Sustainability-Oriented Practices. The proposed model links the interaction of these dimensions to economic viability, resilience, business continuity and social value, and subsequently to economic independence and community empowerment. Participants’ accounts indicate that institutional and relational support helped develop capabilities that supported business continuity, while some former beneficiaries subsequently provided employment, assistance and mentorship to others. Economic and social sustainability were more evident than environmental sustainability, while ecological outcomes were not established. The study complements the Triple Bottom Line by explaining how individual entrepreneurial capabilities, relational and institutional support, and sustainability-oriented practices interact as enabling conditions associated with the transition from asnaf dependency to economic independence. This context-specific, interpretive model provides a basis for zakat institutions and entrepreneurship agencies to integrate financing with capability development, mentorship and market access, while strengthening environmental awareness. The relationships proposed in the model require further investigation and should not be interpreted as tested causal effects.
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