Objective: To understand the career development of individuals who transitioned from formal employment to microentrepreneurship in a peripheral urban region, engaging in activities that require low specialization.
Design/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative methodological approach, we drew inspiration from ethnographic research traits and employed three data collection techniques: documentary research, observation, and narrative interviews. The data were analyzed considering pre-established thematic aspects to later integrate a joint analysis through the triangulation of the findings.
Results: The findings revealed similar trajectories among the MEIs, particularly highlighting economic barriers, support networks, and the lack of planning during the transition. However, continuous development, worker agency, the pursuit of innovation, or the search for meaning were not central elements in the analyzed transitions.
Practical implications: From a practical perspective, the study raises questions about the quality of new work configurations and career patterns, and recognizes the relationship dynamics in these trajectories, leading to reflections on public policies for similar social groups.
Theoretical implications: Theoretically, the study incorporates a social bias, particularly into the theoretical framework of entrepreneurship and career transition studies, while also providing complementary analysis of both objective and subjective elements in the study of micro-entrepreneurial careers.
Social implications: In addition to highlighting the difficulties of a growing group of workers in Brazil, the study revealed space for greater interaction between MEIs, support institutions and public bodies, suggesting policies that integrate social aspects, such as family support and access to regulatory and legal guidance.
Originality/value: In addition to addressing a relatively unexplored topic, the findings are significant as they contribute to mitigating the challenges faced by a group of workers who remain on the margins of academic discussions, providing present and future value to both theoretical. practical and social field.
Research limitations: The number of research participants and the choice of two work activities to be included in the study are limitations of our study and were designed based on our experiences in the field stage.
Suggestions for future research: Future studies could investigate topics not addressed in this work but that represent promising research paths, such as collective alternatives to mitigate the challenges of individuality in microentrepreneurship, explore effective programs that transcend horizontal initiatives, and consider the heterogeneity of social groups.
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