The adaptation of intentional immigrant entrepreneurs : a case study

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Authors

Cruickshank, Prue
Dupuis, Ann

Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)

Degree

Grantor

Date

2015-09-15

Supervisors

Type

Journal Article

Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)

Keyword

intentional immigrant entrepreneurs (IIE)
forms of capital
immigrant entrepreneurs adaptation
entrepreneurship
entrepreneur visas
modelling
adaptation
New Zealand
Bourdieu, Pierre (1930-2002)

ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)

Citation

Cruickshank, P., & Dupuis, A. (2015). The Adaptation of Intentional Immigrant Entrepreneurs: A Case Study. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 3 (3), pp.77-93. doi:10.15678/EBER.2015.030305

Abstract

Objective: This paper describes the experiences of a group of intentional immigrant entrepreneurs (IIEs) who have successfully set up a business within three years of arrival in a new country. It shows how various forms of symbolic capital are successfully deployed at each stage of the entrepreneurial process and asserts that the study of intentional, well-resourced immigrants, can contribute to understanding immigrant entrepreneurs’ adaptation to their new settings and also inform immigration policy. Research Design & Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of New Zealand intentional immigrant entrepreneurs. The iterative analytical process used revealed the various dimensions of symbolic capital necessary for adaptation to the host country and to fulfilling visa requirements to gain residency. Findings: This paper demonstrates that the successful adaptation of IIEs, while in the first instance requiring adequate financial capital, also requires the strategic use of human, cultural and social capital, in different ways and at different times in the entrepreneurial process, to overcome the obstacles and barriers to success. Implications & Recommendations: As immigration policy makers seek to balance global migrant pressures and international obligations against internal national eco- nomic and political demands, the results of this study could resonate with both global policy analysts and scholars engaged in immigrant entrepreneurship. Contribution & Value Added: This article adds to the relatively small body of scholarship on IIEship, particularly those who, unlike the majority of immigrant entrepreneurs, do not establish a business within ethnic communities.

Publisher

Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship (Krakow, Poland)

Link to ePress publication

DOI

DOI: 10.15678/EBER.2015.030305

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Authors

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 New Zealand

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