Title: Survival instincts of Chinese entrepreneurs in the UK: adaptation or hibernation

Authors: Daniel Prokop; Saloomeh Tabari; Wei Chen

Addresses: School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA, UK ' Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, Colum Road, Cardiff, CF10 3EU, UK ' Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB, UK

Abstract: Surviving a crisis requires a unique set of responses from a firm. This paper examines migrant entrepreneurs and their responses to COVID-19 pandemic. These entrepreneurs are disadvantaged in their markets, typically due to cultural differences, but also other barriers that include outright discrimination by native populations. Consequently, global crisis has a more severe meaning to migrant entrepreneurs who struggle in the best of times. Empirically we focus on interviews with Chinese entrepreneurs in the UK, employing template analysis to disentangle the data. We find two key mechanisms these entrepreneurs employ to respond to crisis: adaptation and/or hibernation. Adaptation is about introducing changes in response to altering market conditions, it is a proactive response. Hibernation is a passive response characterised by deliberate shutdown and/or slow-down of operations, with business continuity funded from accumulated financial reserves. The paper concludes that policy should be more sensitive to enabling responses that ensure firm survival.

Keywords: firm survival; crisis; COVID-19; entrepreneurship; Chinese businesses; migrant entrepreneurship; UK.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2025.145864

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2025 Vol.55 No.2, pp.181 - 205

Received: 18 Apr 2023
Accepted: 12 Aug 2023
Published online: 30 Apr 2025 *

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