Networks Around Women and Men Entrepreneurs in the Iranian Diaspora: Dual Embeddedness in Iran and in Host-Society

Abstract

How are women and men entrepreneurs networking in the private sphere and in the public sphere, in Iran, in the Iranian diaspora, and in their host-societies? Entrepreneurs in Iran and native entrepreneurs in other countries are embedded in their own society, but entrepreneurs in the Iranian diaspora are dually embedded, in Iran and in their host-society. Expectedly, entrepreneurs in the Iranian diaspora are networking in ways that blend ways of networking in Iran and ways of networking in the host-societies. A sample of 8263 entrepreneurs in Iran, in the Iranian diaspora, and in their host-societies, was surveyed in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Women and men entrepreneurs are networking similarly in the private sphere, but men are networking more in the public sphere. Entrepreneurs in traditional society, Iran, are networking more in the private sphere than entrepreneurs in the Iranian diaspora and host-societies. Conversely, entrepreneurs in the Iranian diaspora and host-societies are networking more in the public sphere. The gendering of networking, moreover, is moderated by culture, especially in that networking in the private sphere is especially extensive for women in Iran, whereas networking in the public sphere is especially extensive for men in the Iranian diaspora and in their host-societies.