WRDC Researchers Publish Study on Family Health and Entrepreneurial Success
WRDC researchers Nadeeka Weerasekara, Paul Lewin and Monica Fisher have published a new article on their study examining how family health influences the financial success of entrepreneurs.
The article, “Impact of Family Health on the Monetary Success of the Entrepreneur,” was recently published online. The study explores the often-overlooked role that family well-being plays in shaping entrepreneurial outcomes and highlights family health as a valuable resource that can contribute to business success.
According to Weerasekara, the project was motivated by a desire to better understand how family resources affect entrepreneurship.
“I was interested in this research question because entrepreneurial success is often viewed primarily through the resources and capabilities of the individual entrepreneur, while the family can also represent an important source of strategic resources,” said Weerasekara. “Family health is one dimension of this family capital, or what we might think of as ‘familiness,’ that can shape an entrepreneur’s ability to work, make decisions, and succeed.”
The study’s findings suggest that family well-being can be an important factor in entrepreneurial performance, reinforcing the idea that business success is often connected to support systems outside the workplace.
“Our findings highlight the importance of looking beyond the individual entrepreneur and recognizing the interconnected resources and well-being within the family,” Weerasekara said. “I hope this research encourages leaders and practitioners, particularly in rural communities, to consider family well-being as part of the broader ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship and economic participation.”
The research contributes to a growing body of scholarship examining the connections between family dynamics, entrepreneurship, and economic development. For rural communities, the findings offer valuable insights into how strengthening family well-being may also support entrepreneurial resilience and local economic vitality.
Read the full article.
