Journal of Research in International Business and Management

Entrepreneurship Summit: How entrepreneurial theories are represented in real world settings: Case Study- Sunita Gautam, Stanford University of Canterbury, New Zealand ­­

Sunita Gautam

Stanford University of Canterbury, New Zealand

New Zealand has emerged as one of the more popular destinations for immigrants in recent years.  As a consequence, the growth in immigrant-owned businesses has stimulated research on immigrant entrepreneurship. Traditional researchers of immigrant entrepreneurship have developed many approaches such s Disadvantage Theory, Cultural Theory, Ethno burb Model, Ethnic Enclave Theory, Middleman Theory, Interactive Theory, Opportunity Theory and Mixed Embeddedness Approach. However, all of these perspectives are now more historical than current, suggesting it is time to reconsider what we know. Given the time elapsed since the original immigrant entrepreneurship theories formulated, it seems prudent to ask how accurately they reflect current immigrants' experiences in establishing business.

This research aims to operationalize the main immigrant entrepreneurship theories by aggregating the concepts which will then assessed and measured against real-world settings. It addresses the fundamental underlying question of how these theories account for current immigrant entrepreneurs’ experiences. Further, this study will collect data that captures the start-up experiences of immigrant entrepreneurs in New Zealand. The data analysis will utilize qualitative data analysis tools such as coding, mamboing, and constant comparisons (Yin, 2014).

Outcomes of this study will enhance our understanding of entrepreneurship and potentially justify adjusting theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon. Moreover, this study will be useful for an organization supporting immigrant businesses in New Zealand such as Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and, Immigration New Zealand. The finding of this research will support to achieve improved policies to accommodate the diverse groups of entrepreneurs in New Zealand business sector.