[10] HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHEAST INDIA: A THEORETICAL INTEGRATION AND CONCEPTUAL MODEL
How to Cite : G. Marimuthu, S.A Mozumder, Faizan Khan Sherwani & Mihir Kumar Shome (2026). Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurship Development in Northeast India: A Theoretical Integration and Conceptual Model. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews, 5(9), 107-116. https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v5i9.2026.107-116
Abstract
Northeast India has become a key focus of India's inclusive growth policy. The region, which includes eight states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura – is seeing a rise in entrepreneurial activities backed by various initiatives of the central and state governments like Start-up India, PM-DevINE and NEDFi. But the failure rate of entrepreneurs is still alarmingly high and it is estimated that 60-70% of startups become dormant within three years. Existing literature has focused on financial limitations and infrastructural gaps as the reasons for failure, but this theoretical paper suggests that the key, but under-researched, factor for entrepreneurial sustainability in the region is Human Resource Management. The paper, which integrates four dominant theoretical lenses (Human Capital Theory, Resource Based View, Institutional Theory and Social Capital Theory), proposes a Community-Embedded HRM Model for Entrepreneurial Growth specific to the socio-cultural context of Northeast India. The paper identifies four HRM dimensions - culturally sensitive recruitment and selection, localized and hybrid skill development, community-based retention and welfare, and participative, council-based leadership - as direct drivers of entrepreneurial performance. Affective commitment and innovative work behaviour mediate the relationship, and institutional support moderates the relationship. This paper contributes to theory by situating mainstream HRMentrepreneurship linkage in a collectivist and tribal-dominated context and offers practical implications for entrepreneurs, incubators and policy makers.
