Title: Immigrant entrepreneurship in Malaysia: the case of mainland Chinese-owned SMEs

Authors: Mengdie Ruan; Angathevar Baskaran; Shanshan Zhou

Addresses: Faculty of Economics & Administration, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ' Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Economics & Administration, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; SHARChI (Innovation and Development), Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa ' Finance School, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, 995 Shangchuan Road, Pudong, Shanghai, China

Abstract: Using data obtained from 15 Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs, this paper investigates the personal characteristics of mainland Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs, their contributions to the Malaysian economy and the major constraints experienced by them. The findings are: 1) most Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs are aged 30 to 40, married, and hold minimum educational qualification of a bachelor's degree; 2) innovativeness is regarded as the most important personal trait, followed by sociability and decisiveness; 3) their contribution to the economy is significant in areas of employment and wealth creation, as well as the production of diverse goods and services for local and export markets; 4) while they experience some general constraints which are similarly encountered by native entrepreneurs, they also experience specific constraints such as language barriers, lack of policy assistance, and tax and visa problems. The study recommends the creation of a dedicated government department and the formulation of specific policies to support immigrant-owned SMEs.

Keywords: entrepreneur characteristics; Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs; immigrant entrepreneurship; ethnic minority entrepreneurship; small and medium enterprises; SMEs; Malaysia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2025.143910

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2025 Vol.39 No.2, pp.141 - 166

Received: 18 Aug 2020
Accepted: 09 Apr 2021
Published online: 14 Jan 2025 *

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