TITLE:
Psychological Capital and Proactive Coping as Strategic Resources: Extending the Resource-Based View in Informal Micro-Entrepreneurship
AUTHORS:
Guylord Kakenza Kitumba, Lepère Makumole Kikomina, Rida Kutunga Nijikap, Christian Atukumbusa Tulengi, Henri Kandolo Mbombo, Justin Mbwaka Mandudi
KEYWORDS:
Psychological Capital, Proactive Coping, Resource-Based View, Informal Entrepreneurship, Resilience
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.13 No.6,
November
12,
2025
ABSTRACT: This article examines how informal micro-entrepreneurs in Kinshasa mobilize their psychological resources and the coping mechanisms to navigate an institutionally hostile and economically uncertain environment. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), proactive coping theory, and the concept of psychological capital, the study investigates the role of intangible resources in sustaining and enhancing entrepreneurial functioning. A sequential mixed-method design—combining twelve focus groups (n = 104) and a longitudinal survey using the PCQ-24 scale with 632 micro-entrepreneurs—reveals four main coping registers: anticipatory, preventive, instrumental, and meaning-oriented. Through these mechanisms, entrepreneurs transform vulnerability into productive resilience. The findings show high levels of psychological capital, varying significantly by business sector and firm age. The article contributes to contextualizing the RBV, extending proactive coping theory, and advancing the notion of collective psychological capital within the African informal entrepreneurship.