Entrepreneurial Motivations and Capabilities of Migrant Entrepreneurs in Australia

Abstract

This article presents findings on immigrant entrepreneurship in Australia. The relationship between the entrepreneurial start‐up motivation, co‐ethnic preferences and entrepreneurial capabilities of established immigrant businesses are explored. We analyse data collected with a self‐administered survey questionnaire from 157 immigrant entrepreneurs in Melbourne's suburbs. Our findings show that immigrant entrepreneurs who report a high level of individual achievement as their start‐up motivation also report high levels of entrepreneurial capabilities in terms of opportunity recognition, managerial innovativeness and proactiveness. Immigrant entrepreneurs who are highly influenced by co‐ethnic preferences on staff employment and customer targeting report higher opportunity recognition than those who have a co‐ethnic preference on suppliers. We provide important insights and explanations for these findings and their implications for Australian immigrant entrepreneurs and policymakers.

Insights on the glass ceiling for immigrant women entrepreneurs in the technology sector

“…Overall, the literature indicates that the barriers faced by women in the technology sector include lack of entrepreneurial education and skill development, lack of women investors, limited media coverage showcasing women in the technology sector, limited career guidance and lack of confidence (Orser, 2009;Polkowska, 2013;Orser et al, 2019). Rametse et al (2018), in their study of immigrant entrepreneurs, find that, in general, immigrants seek to found ventures due to a mix of push and pull effects. Push factors that can inhibit women from founding a venture include lack of English fluency, racial discrimination, lack of recognized qualifications, and weak local work experience (Collins and Low, 2010;De Vries and Dana, 2012;Fielden and Davidson, 2012).…”

“…Push factors that can inhibit women from founding a venture include lack of English fluency, racial discrimination, lack of recognized qualifications, and weak local work experience (Collins and Low, 2010;De Vries and Dana, 2012;Fielden and Davidson, 2012). Pull factors refer to being achievement-and goal-oriented and having a strong internal locus of control (De Vries and Dana, 2012;Rametse et al, 2018). In other words, individual-level barriers for immigrant WEs include low language fluency, lack of the knowledge and skills required to run a business, poor understanding of competition and local business culture, negative perceptions of external help, and fear of failure (Heilbrunn et al, 2014;Bastian et al, 2018;Fisher and Lewin, 2018).…”

“…These sectors typically require low-skilled personnel and little capital investment and are perceived as not contributing substantially to the economy (McQuaid et al, 2010). As they acquire more qualifications and more significant opportunities, immigrants move toward other sectors (Rametse et al, 2018). Financial issues are encountered by all entrepreneurs (Rametse et al, 2018;Kuschel et al, 2020) and immigrants in particular.…”

Negócios de comida e trajetórias de imigrantes brasileiros no Oeste da Austrália: adaptação de receitas, jornada dupla e muita determinação.

“…Segundo, o mesmo também contribui para a literatura do empreendedorismo étnico e imigrante, particularmente ao enfocar os aspectos da criação e desenvolvimento de negócios do setor alimentício que se valem da alavancagem étnica embora sofrendo barreiras no que tocante à sua configuração (CECCARELLI, 2019). Outrossim, o empreendedorismo de imigrantes é um campo pouco pesquisado na Austrália (RAMETSE et al, 2018), sendo que as pesquisas, até agora, concentraram-se principalmente nas comunidades de migrantes asiáticos (AZMAT, FUJIMOTO, 2016;COLLINS, 2003;COLLINS, LOW, 2010;LEVER-TRACY, IP, 2005).…”

Bootstrap Logistic Regression on Determining Factors Affecting the Level of Entrepreneurial Capability

“…This means that the success rate of an entrepreneurial is directly proportional to the level of the entrepreneur's ability to run a business. The entrepreneurs who have a high level of achievement of initial motivation also have high entrepreneurial abilities [6]. There are specific factors that influence entrepreneurial capability, which is solved using panel Bootstrap analysis [5], exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis [7] Logistic regression biner [8], logistic regression ordinal [9].…”