The contingent effect of social networking ties on Asian immigrant enterprises' innovation

Abstract

Immigrant enterprises' innovation has not received much research attention in the past. To address this gap, this study investigates how the contingent effect of immigrant enterprises' social network resources (business ties, political ties, and immigrant entrepreneurs' ethnic ties) affect the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and innovation. Using data collected from 167 Asian immigrant enterprises operating in New Zealand, the findings show that immigrant entrepreneurs' business ties and ethnic ties positively enhance the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on innovation, whilst political ties have no effect on the overall relation between entrepreneurial orientation and innovation. Our study makes theoretical and managerial contributions to the studies of immigrant entrepreneurship in the business-to-business context, explaining the contingent effect of different social networking ties on immigrant enterprises' innovation.