Balancing act: Business and household in a small Volivian city

Authors

Robyn Eversole, Edith Cowan University

Document Type

Journal Article

Publisher

Carfax Publishing

Faculty

Faculty of Regional Professional Studies

School

Regional Professional Studies Deans Office

RAS ID

829

Comments

Eversole, R. (2002). Balancing act: business and household in a small Bolivian city. Development in Practice, 12(5), 589-601. Available here

Abstract

Sucre is a city of micro enterprises. The lines between business and household are often blurred: accounts are mixed, space is shared, and partners from outside the household are rare. On the surface, this kind of business organisation seems most inadequate for economic success. Yet a closer look at the internal workings of Sucre's businesses suggests that the complex 'balancing act' between business and household may represent not sloppy management (as micro-enterprise development agencies often maintain), but a flexible strategy for household well-being. Sucre's businesses essentially follow 'triple bottom line' accounting at the household level, taking into account both financial and non-financial goals.

DOI

10.1080/0961452022000017605