Entrepreneurial behaviour and its influencing factors: A case of small-scale mushroom growers of Meghalaya

Mushroom cultivation is a potentially lucrative enterprise that can bring self-reliance to rural communities. The study was conducted during 2022 in the East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts of Meghalaya to investigate the entrepreneurial behaviour of mushroom growers and find out the factors influencing it. The study sampled 60 mushroom growers from the two districts as respondents and collected primary data through well-structured interview. The relationship between entrepreneurial behaviour and selected variables was determined using ordinal logistic regression. The findings revealed that majority of respondents (50.00%) possessed medium level entrepreneurial behaviour. Dimensions of entrepreneurial behaviour having lowest score was information seeking behaviour (51.09) followed by technical competency (61.49). Experience in mushroom cultivation, and trainings attended on mushroom, extension contact and usage of internet were found significantly influencing the entrepreneurial behaviour of the respondents. The study recommends development of a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem catering to the varied needs of the growers.