Family matters: family social capital in immigrants’ entrepreneurial opportunity creation processes

Abstract

This paper conducts an inductive case study to develop theory on the role of family in the host and home country in the process of immigrant entrepreneurs’ creation of entrepreneurial opportunities. We employ the perspectives of the opportunity creation process and family social capital. We conducted four cases of immigrant entrepreneurs from Lebanon, Syria, Cameroon and Mexico, that launched businesses in Sweden. Three sources of family social capital are acknowledged in the opportunity creation process: family duties, family trust and family support. Family duties stimulate the process of forming an entrepreneurial idea. This process is advanced by the existence of family trust. Next, immigrant entrepreneurs count on family support to launch the idea. By recognizing these sources of family social capital, we explain how families in the host and home country contribute to immigrant entrepreneurs’ opportunity creation.

Citation

Evansluong, Q., & Ramírez Pasillas, M. (2017, June). Family matters: family social capital in immigrants’ entrepreneurial opportunity creation processes. Paper presented at EURAM Conference 2017, Glasgow Scotland

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: EURAM Conference 2017
• Start Date: Jun 21, 2017
• End Date: Jun 24, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Mar 21, 2017
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: immigrant entrepreneurship, opportunity creation, family social capital, entrepreneurial ideas, home country, host country, family duty, family trust
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : EURAM Conference 2017