Title: Multifocal entrepreneurial practices: the case of Moroccan import/export businesses in Milan

Authors: Giacomo Solano

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Abstract: In recent years, the topic of cross-border businesses developed by immigrants (transnational entrepreneurship) has emerged as one of the most interesting areas of research in studies on immigrants and their economic activities. From a theoretical standpoint, the paper proposes to use the concept of multifocality, defined as the structural and relational embeddedness of immigrants in places and groups. A scheme adapting a mixed embeddedness approach to the case of transnational entrepreneurship is introduced. Empirically, the article presents the case of Moroccan import/export businesses in Milan, investigating the role of multifocality and structural embeddedness in shaping the internationalisation process. The study shows that Moroccan entrepreneurial activities are connected with several countries simultaneously, not only with the countries of immigration and origin. In particular, Moroccan entrepreneurs use their personal multifocality and structural embeddedness to identify and take advantage of business opportunities for internationalising the business.

Keywords: transnational entrepreneurship; business internationalisation; Italy; cross-border businesses; entrepreneurial practices; import-export businesses; Milan; mixed embeddedness; Moroccan immigrants; Moroccan entrepreneurs; multifocality; small businesses; structural embeddedness; transnationalism; small firms; Morocco; entrepreneurship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2016.078698

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2016 Vol.29 No.2, pp.176 - 198

Received: 28 Jan 2015
Accepted: 19 Sep 2015
Published online: 01 Sep 2016 *

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