Immigrant founder chief executive officers, firm innovation, and performance: The role of cultural distance and top management team and board social capital

Abstract

Drawing upon social cognitive and learning theories and social embeddedness perspective, we develop a conceptual framework for exploring the impact of immigrant founder chief executive officers on firm performance through firm innovation. We propose that immigrant founder chief executive officers are more likely to lead their firm with an innovative mentality due to their biculturalism, thus enhancing firm innovation and performance. We suggest that the impact of immigrant founder chief executive officers on firm innovation is moderated by cultural distance such that moderate cultural distance results in greater innovation, and ultimately, performance. We also indicate that top management team and board members’ local social capital, as well as immigrant founder chief executive officers’ foreign social capital, enhance the proposed relationships. A discussion of the relationships, limitations, and future research directions is provided.

Farmers that engage in entrepreneurship for the “wrong” reason and the moderating role of cultural intolerance

“…Policy makers wanting to increase farm entrepreneurship may find it helpful to provide farmers with advisors from outside of their typical peer groups. This may help to enhance creativity and innovation by enhancing cognitive frames and “counteracting bounded rationality” (Bajaba et al, 2021).…”

Start-up Incubators for Refugees: How to Develop and Deploy Entrepreneurial Skills to Generate Impact

“…Standardised entrepreneurship and language training equips refugees with skills such as business modelling and planning, prototyping, pitching, creative thinking, communication and cultural awareness (Bajaba et al, 2021;Harima, Freudenberg and Halberstadt, 2019;Nijhoff, 2021). Qualifications and skills of refugees may not be recognised in host countries or be regarded inferior which often leaves their potential unused (Bucken-Knapp, Fakih and Spehar, 2019;Spadarotto et al, 2014;Degler, Liebig and Senner, 2017).…”

“…Dedicated start-up incubator programmes seek to empower refugees to take on entrepreneurial endeavours and create social and economic impact (Harima, 2022;Harima, Freudenberg and Halberstadt, 2019;Nijhoff, 2021;Shneikat and Alrawadieh, 2019). For instance, they offer entrepreneurship and language training to develop skills such as business modelling, prototyping and communication (Bajaba et al, 2021;Harima, Freudenberg and Halberstadt, 2019;Nijhoff, 2021). Moreover, they provide coaching and mentoring to support refugees in addressing personal problems and in building local networks to gain access to resources (Chliova, Farny and Salmivaara, 2018;Harima, 2022;Harima, Freudenberg and Halberstadt, 2019;Nijhoff, 2021).…”

Start-up Incubators for Refugees: Applying Psychological Methods to Increase Chances of Entrepreneurial Success

“…For those refugees who wish to become entrepreneurs, dedicated start-up incubators offer pro-grammes that help them to overcome these challenges and assist them on their entrepreneurial path (Harima, 2022;Harima, Freudenberg and Halberstadt, 2019;Nijhoff, 2021;Shneikat and Alrawadieh, 2019). Typical measures of such incubator programmes include access to professional support (e.g., relevant training), resources (e.g., coworking spaces) and the local network (e.g., contacts from mentors and coaches) (Bajaba et al, 2021;Harima, Freudenberg and Halberstadt, 2019;Nijhoff, 2021;Chliova, Farny and Salmivaara, 2018;Harima, 2022). More specifically, they offer entrepreneurship and language training to develop skills such as business modelling, prototyping and communication (Bajaba et al, 2021;Harima, Freudenberg and Halberstadt, 2019;Nijhoff, 2021).…”