Productive Entrepreneurship: A Street Food Business Model Canvas Promoting Sustainable Innovation and Digitalisation in the Informal Economy of Bangladesh, Rahaman Hasan, Richard McManus, Dababrata Chowdhury, Andrina Halder, Saira Sultana
Rahaman Hasan 
Senior Lecturer
Canterbury Christ Church University
UK
ORCID: 0000-0003-1690-2458
Richard McManus
Professor, Canterbury Christ Church University
UK
ORCID: 0000-0001-8056-0523
Dababrata Chowdhury
Reader, Canterbury Christ Church University
UK
ORCID: 0000-0002-3117-3997
Andrina Halder
Principal Lecturer, London Metropolitan University
UK
ORCID: 0009-0001-0682-8939
Saira Sultana
Senior Lecturer, University of Bedfordshire
UK
ORCID: 0009-0003-1387-6570
Type of Paper: Research
Received: 11 December 2025 / Revised: 19 January 2026 / Accepted: 30 January 2026 / Published: 10 March 2026
DOI: 10.47556/J.WJEMSD.22.3.2026.6
Purpose: Our study examines entrepreneurial behaviour among street food vendors functioning within Dhaka, Bangladesh's informal food sector. We consider our conceptual framework and how it moderates the entrepreneurial behaviour of vendors.
Design/methodology/approach: We aim to investigate entrepreneurship, development, innovation and ethics which are concepts within our conceptual framework shaping the behaviour of street food entrepreneurs. To investigate associated concepts, we adopted a mixed-methods exploratory sequential approach, with qualitative data collection followed by a quantitative phase.
Findings: Based on the findings, we proposed amendments to the originally developed framework to enable informal and unproductive entrepreneurs’ transition towards formal and sustainable, productive, value-added outcomes with social impacts.
Originality: Based on gaps indicated through critical evaluation of local contexts and a literature review, we explored factors influencing entrepreneurs’ unproductive behaviour and developed a Street Food Business Model Canvas that is bespoke for the informal economy and street food vendors functioning within it.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Behaviour; Productive Entrepreneurship; Sustainable Innovation; Informal Economy; Street Food; Business Model Canvas; Street Food Business Model Canvas
Citation: Hasan, R., McManus, R., Chowdhury, D., Halder, A. and Sultana, S. (2026): Productive Entrepreneurship: A Street Food Business Model Canvas Promoting Sustainable Innovation and Digitalisation in the Informal Economy of Bangladesh. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development (WJEMSD), Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 263-281.
