PROPOSING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL RESILIENCE CAPABILITY (ERC) THEORY: AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA’S CONFLICT-AFFECTED REGIONS

Abstract

Challenges such as insecurity, disrupted markets, internal displacement, and food crises are common for businesses operating in conflict-affected regions. While previous studies have drawn on theories such as Population Ecology, Contingency Theory, the Resource-Based View (RBV), and Dynamic Capabilities, none of these theories sufficiently explain how entrepreneurs tolerate and succeed amid protracted instability. The study employed a conceptual method through an integrative review of literature. This paper proposes the Entrepreneurial Resilience Capability (ERC) Theory, a consolidative framework combining the ecological logic of survival, the contingency logic of fit, the RBV logic of resource leverage, and the dynamic capabilities logic of adaptation. ERC contributes to entrepreneurship research by offering a holistic lens for studying resilience, survival, and performance in contexts of insecurity and food crises. A conceptual framework is presented, with propositions for future empirical authentication.