PurposeGiven the importance of immigration and immigrant entrepreneurs in advanced economies, the authors take an entrepreneurial ecosystem perspective to study the home-country benefits possessed by immigrant entrepreneurs and how home-country entrepreneurial ecosystem factors affect immigrant entrepreneurial motivations, activities and outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual research paper follows McGaghie, Bordage and Shea's (2001) four-step new theory creation process, which suggests that new theories can be created through facts extraction from the extant literature.FindingsThe authors propose that although immigrant entrepreneurs are unable to take full benefit of the host-country entrepreneurial ecosystem due to blocked mobility, they do have capabilities to access and use their home-country entrepreneurial resources and opportunities. The authors further propose that home-country entrepreneurial capital can be systemically analyzed through the framework of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The results imply that immigrant entrepreneurship as a social and economic phenomenon can be studied more holistically from both host- and home-country perspectives compared to the traditional research boundary of the host-country only.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on the identification of home-country effects on immigrant entrepreneurship through the lens of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Testable propositions provide directions for future empirical research on the field of immigrant entrepreneurship from a home-country perspective. The research concludes that a holistic immigrant entrepreneurship study should consider dual (host- and home-country) entrepreneurial ecosystems.Practical implicationsImmigrant entrepreneurs benefit from both host- and home-country entrepreneurial ecosystems. This paper suggests co-effects of dual entrepreneurial ecosystems lead to a high rate of entrepreneurship and business success within some immigrant groups. Policymakers can increase economic activities by developing and deploying programs to encourage immigrants to embed in host- and home-country entrepreneurial ecosystems.Originality/valueBased on the framework of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, this paper brings a novel perspective to examining home-country effects on immigrant entrepreneurship. It theoretically conceptualizes that immigrants have higher entrepreneurship rates than native-born populations because they have access to extra home-country entrepreneurial capital.

PurposeThe purpose of this theoretical paper is to explore how immigrants' home-country entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) factors impact transnational immigrant entrepreneurs (TIEs). The paper draws on the dual embeddedness and transnational entrepreneurship theories to explore how the home-country EE influences transnational immigrant entrepreneurship (TIE).Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a qualitative case study methodology involving content analysis of secondary data. It analyzed data set against the existing EE framework to constructively explore the home-country effects.FindingsThe findings reveal that all home-country EE domains and associated factors affect TIEs. The paper established six testable propositions with regard to the home-country EE domains: accessible market, human capital, social culture, infrastructure and business support and government policies. A number of new factors were identified for each home-country EE domain. Finally, the paper provided future research directions.Research limitations/implicationsCare has to be taken in generalizing the findings from this research due to the small sample of contemporary Chinese immigrants in Australia and New Zealand. The propositions also require empirical testing.Practical implicationsThe findings contribute to the TIE literature by identifying new factors of the home-country EE and presenting testable propositions. The results have impact on immigration policies and programs.Social implicationsTransnational immigrant entrepreneurship can be a pathway to help immigrants to integrate into mainstream society. The findings from this article indirectly contribute to immigrant social development.Originality/valueThis original article fills research gaps by analyzing how home-country EE elements affect TIE. It reveals that the EE framework is effective for investigating it.

Purpose Years of research into immigrant entrepreneurship motivation (IEM) call for a synthesis of the field to note field developments and identify thematic antecedents and measurement elements. The paper aims to fill this literature review gap in IEM field. Improving existing analytical frameworks and establishing a research agenda are also goals of the research. Design/methodology/approach Adopting the PRISMA procedure, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted. This produced 53 IEM research papers (internationally, from 1974 to 2020) from a database search and other sources, each of which was reviewed based on extracted variables, findings and suggestions. A well-accepted entrepreneurial motivation model is used for thematic measurement analyzes. Findings IEM research has gained attention over the past 25 years as to the number of publications, research foci and antecedent discoveries. The review suggests that there are six motivational thematic dimensions: individual characteristics, personal experiences and circumstances, personal values, business ideas and opportunities, goal-setting and self-efficacy and immigrant entrepreneurial ecosystem (IEE). The results also reveal a relationship between entrepreneurship motivations and the IEE which is one of the keys recommended future research strands. Research limitations/implications This research contributes to entrepreneurship literature by providing a chronological timeline of IEM field development and antecedent discoveries. The review suggests applying the IEE and its associated components to investigate host and home countries’ interactive effects on IEM. Practical implications The research provides guidance for policymakers and practitioners concerning available policy instruments and IEM determinants in addition to individual factors. Originality/value This study is the first SLR on IEM. It presents a holistic view of the IEM field.

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