Sense of place and micro-business vulnerability to extreme weather in China

Abstract

Micro-businesses are highly vulnerable to the impact of extreme weather. However, business and management research has primarily focused on larger organizations or tended to rely on evidence from developed countries. The concept of place is reduced to physical location and space. This research explores the role of a broader concept of place that encompasses sensemaking. The objective is to examine the relationship between sense of place and the vulnerable characteristics of business. Structured interviews were conducted with 300 owners and operators of micro-businesses operating in three Chinese coastal cities. Results have identified multiple linkages between attributes of sense of place and business vulnerability. While these linkages do not demonstrate complete coherence, place identity shows the strongest explanatory power. New directions for future research are discussed, concerning the multidimensionality of the concept of place beyond materiality and spatiality, and the dynamic relationship between place and vulnerability accumulation.