Rethinking Business Practices: Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Sustainable Strategies for Resilient Entrepreneurial Success

Aluko, Henry Adeyemi; Watson, Alison; Islam, Nazmul; Fernandes, Fatima Araujo Pereira; Aluko, Akinseye Olatokunbo; Ayertey, Samuel; Baig, Moghal Moheena

Rethinking Business Practices: Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Sustainable Strategies for Resilient Entrepreneurial Success

Aluko, Henry Adeyemi ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7282-5306, Watson, Alison ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7802-0579, Islam, Nazmul ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3872-4648, Fernandes, Fatima Araujo Pereira ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0291-4546, Aluko, Akinseye Olatokunbo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5246-8997, Ayertey, Samuel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0834-8741 and Baig, Moghal Moheena ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0085-5040 (2025) Rethinking Business Practices: Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Sustainable Strategies for Resilient Entrepreneurial Success. Business Strategy and the Environment.

Preview	Text bse.70306.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. \| Preview
	Archive non-pdf-files.zip - Other Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70306

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is increasingly reframed beyond profit maximisation toward models that integrate cultural resilience, sustainability and socio‐ecological responsibility. This study examines how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Sustainable Strategies (SS) jointly influence entrepreneurial success (ES), addressing a gap where culturally embedded and ecologically responsive practices are rarely considered together. Drawing on the Sustainable Indigenous Entrepreneurship Model (SIEM), ES is conceptualised as a multidimensional construct encompassing growth, innovation, resilience, efficiency and competitiveness. A cross‐sectional survey of 124 entrepreneurs across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas was analysed using correlation and regression techniques. Results demonstrate that both IKS and SS significantly predict entrepreneurial success, with IKS exerting the stronger influence. Practices such as oral knowledge transmission, traditional work ethics and environmental adaptability emerged as particularly impactful in shaping innovation, efficiency and resilience. These findings affirm the value of hybrid entrepreneurial logics that blend ancestral knowledge with sustainability‐oriented strategies. The study contributes theoretically by advancing the indigenisation of entrepreneurship scholarship and empirically validating the integration of cultural and ecological practices. Practically, it offers guidance for policymakers, educators and development actors seeking to promote inclusive, sustainable entrepreneurship. Embedding Indigenous knowledge within sustainability frameworks can enhance resilience and competitiveness while aligning business practices with ecological and cultural integrity.