Family across borders social capital and diaspora entrepreneurial preparedness

Eva Karayianni,Loukas Glyptis,Elias Hadjielias

doi:10.1108/jec-03-2020-0030

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the way in which family ties influence the entrepreneurial preparedness of the diaspora family business owner.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were carried out with 15 Cypriot family business owners hosted in various countries. The paper draws on social capital theory and uses an abductive analytical approach.FindingsThe findings of this paper illustrate that family ties coming from the family across borders play a significant role for diaspora family business owners’ entrepreneurial preparedness. Hidden values deriving from the interpersonal relationships within the family across borders drive the diaspora family business owners to learn upon self-reflection and become entrepreneurially prepared, led by both urgency and esteem.Practical implicationsThis study provides practical implications for the entrepreneurial preparedness of diaspora family business owners and those who wish to become family business owners in a diaspora context.Originality/valueThis study contributes theoretically through the conceptualization of “family across borders social capital” and “diaspora entrepreneurial preparedness”. It also contributes empirically to the fields of diaspora family business, entrepreneurial learning and diaspora entrepreneurship through new knowledge regarding the role of family across borders social capital in the entrepreneurial preparedness of the diaspora family business owner.

Highlights

Diaspora entrepreneurship is fostered by the global phenomenon of migration (Elo and Dana, 2019; Singh and Koiri, 2018)
The findings show that it is the learning accumulated post the migration experience that plays a significant role in the development of diaspora entrepreneurial preparedness, since the diaspora family business owner accumulates learning from experiences in the host country, but relationships are developed as a result of this process, which on the one hand broadens in this way the family across borders social capital, and on the other hand gives space for the development of learning from them
This study has identified that the diaspora family business owner, in an attempt to become entrepreneurially prepared, absorbs resources from cognitive (Chou, 2006; Grootaert et al, 2004; Krishna and Shrader, 1999; Uphoff, 2000), relational (Salvato and Melin, 2008) and structural (Granovetter, 1992) dimensions of family social capital in the diaspora by creating a solid knowledge base, which becomes the grounds for diaspora entrepreneurial preparedness

Summary

Introduction

Diaspora entrepreneurship is fostered by the global phenomenon of migration (Elo and Dana, 2019; Singh and Koiri, 2018). As diasporas move around the world, they establish and. © Eva Karayianni, Elias Hadjielias and Loukas Glyptis. The full terms of this license may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion