Title: Immigrant and indigenous enterprises: similarities and differences

Authors: Sibylle Heilbrunn, Nonna Kushnirovich

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Institute for Immigration and Integration, The Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 40250, Israel. ' Department of Economics and Management, Institute for Immigration and Integration, The Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 40250, Israel

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the range and particularity of problems of immigrant versus indigenous entrepreneurs and the extent to which entrepreneurs cope with the problems. Data were collected in 2004–2005 by means of a comprehensive questionnaire submitted to 214 Israeli-born and 79 immigrant entrepreneurs. We adapted existing classifications of problems encountered by entrepreneurs to the case of immigrant entrepreneurs. Based upon our modification of the classification, we mapped the problems into main and specific ones. The main problems of immigrant entrepreneurs are very similar to those of indigenous entrepreneurs, but are perceived as special by immigrant entrepreneurs because of their feelings of |being strangers| and their overall lower socio-economic status.

Keywords: small business; business problems; immigrant enterprises; indigenous firms; entrepreneurship; Israel.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPM.2007.013312

International Journal of Business Performance Management, 2007 Vol.9 No.3, pp.344 - 361

Published online: 20 Apr 2007 *

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