Psychological resilience in long-term, man-made crises: the case of entrepreneurs in Groningen

Abstract

This research explores how entrepreneurs in Groningen build psychological resilience while dealing with the long-term negative consequences of recurring earthquakes caused by gas extraction. Ten entrepreneurs were interviewed using a combination of life story and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis and the Gioia method were used to analyse the data. The results show that building psychological resilience is not a process that is done alone, but that it is built and shaped through interaction with the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Three main aggregate dimensions were identified: emotional damage support, personal adaptive capacity, and institutional engagement and support. While all the entrepreneurs showed psychological resilience, some also experienced negative effects such as overaccommodation or suppressing emotions. These results contribute to the growing literature on the emotional side of entrepreneurship and building psychological resilience in extreme environments. The results offer practical implications for support programmes and can also be relevant for other regions facing long-term, man-made crises.