Where There’s a Will There’s a Way: Self-efficacy and Resilience in the Creation and Consolidation of Micro-enterprises Owned by Victims of Forced Displacement in Colombia.

Abstract: In the past decade, micro-enterprise development has gained popularity as an intervention in the Global South, including Colombia, a country where more than 90% of businesses are micro. For decades, this country has endured an internal conflict that has left millions of victims of forced displacement, who live in vulnerable situations and, in many cases, resort to creating micro-enterprises to make a living. Creating and consolidating these businesses can be complex, and this thesis will explore how non-cognitive skills, particularly selfefficacy and resilience, can be involved in this process. Analyzing the answers of semistructured interviews made to 11 victims of forced displacement in Colombia who are also micro-enterprise owners, it was found that self-efficacy and resilience can be involved in the decision process when starting a microenterprise. Results also reveal that the benefits experienced from owning a micro-enterprise can strengthen participant’s self-efficacy and resilience. On the other hand, it was found that the challenges they experienced could weaken these skills. However, it was noticed that participants usually found solutions to overcome these challenges, potentially using skills like self-efficacy and resilience. It is concluded that micro enterprise development interventions should also focus on strengthening noncognitive skills that can be crucial in the entrepreneurship process.