Localizing informal practices in transnational entrepreneurship

Abstract

Transnational entrepreneurs are often represented as active agents capable of mobilizing resources situated in different countries to develop new businesses. However, restrictive migration regimes limit the possibilities of individuals to become entrepreneurs. Based on ethnographic research in Barcelona, Spain, this article argues that, in a context of unequal access to formal resources, resorting to informality is crucial for many entrepreneurs as it enables them to expand their options for social mobility and achieve personal goals that would otherwise remain unreachable. The article proposes a critical perspective on the notions of informality and entrepreneurship. It highlights that these concepts rely on context-dependent norms set by certain social groups and challenged by others, which influence who can become an entrepreneur in specific environments. While certain categories of migrants are favorably positioned with regard to these norms, others are hindered by them and therefore are forced to engage in alternative entrepreneurial activities. How this is achieved, and the costs involved depend on the entrepreneur’s capacity to mobilize economic, cultural, social, and moral resources as well as on the perception of their practices as more or less legitimate or socially acceptable.

A Review of Transnational Migrant Entrepreneurship: Perspectives on Unequal Spatialities

“…Different countries implement different policies and agendas to attract, promote or discourage transnational migrant entrepreneurship (Tung, 2008). Power relations and mobility regimes shape hierarchies of opportunities and constraints for different categories of transnational migrant entrepreneurs (Sandoz, 2021).…”

“¡Tengo gloria bendita!”: pitching and the sonic production of place atmospheres under increasing marketplace regulation

“…Or does market regulation perhaps advantage certain social groups to the detriment of others by imposing norms that construct certain meanings and practices as legitimate while others become illicit. 58 To put it differently, how does the regulation of sound intercede in the making of boundaries in markets as public space and how does the suppression of sonic affect change market atmospheres?…”

Risk Management Level Determinants in Visegrad Countries – Sectoral Analysis

“…While in recent years, European companies saw the most serious threat to their business in the risk of loss of liquidity, exchange rate and reputational risk, nowadays, they focus on examining risks also related to the social responsibility of companies, economic, innovative and environmental performance, export-related risks (Ključnikov et al, 2022a) as well as risks related to the sustainability of business in a given sector (Přívara, 2021(Přívara, , 2022Přívara & Rievajová, 2021). This justifies the need for a systemic and conceptual perception of risks and a detailed examination of their determinants as well as their impact on the business life cycle, competitiveness, and economic stability (Kunuroglu & Önder, 2022;Sandoz, 2021;Demirkol, 2022;Liu et al, 2021;Valaskova et al, 2021). For SMEs, the process of risk management is much more complicated.…”