Entrepreneurship among Migrants and Refugees

Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that refugees are the most entrepreneurial migrants in Australia. Studies have also revealed that business start-up rates for women refugees are higher than for Australia-born women. Migrants and refugees are more often than not compelled to consider entrepreneurship as the only pathway to self-employment and sustainable livelihood in how they reconstitute their identity in a host country post migration. Often this journey involves substantial ‘deskilling’ of migrants and refugees in the reconstitution of their identities as self-employed, and significant level of ‘refeminisation’, or redomestication’ for women in how they engage in entrepreneurship. While policy makers and support agencies are advocating entrepreneurship as the 'solution' for social inclusion and well-being of migrant and refugees in Australia, very little attention has been paid to build entrepreneurial skills and capabilities within this community to create and operate successful enterprises.

This project will investigate the factors that lead migrants and refugees to move into entrepreneurship rather than seek regular employment. Further, the project will explore how the social, political, and economic context of migrants and refugees influences their capabilities and behaviours in the start-up process as they reconstitute their identity in the host country.

An in-depth understanding of migrant and refugee entrepreneurship in Australia is important for appreciating the interplay between the social, political, and economic context of the migrant and refugee status and its influence on the development of an entrepreneurial identity. For the government policy planners and practitioners, this project will provide valuable insight to facilitate the inclusion of migrant and refugees in the economy for sustainable enterprise development.

C. Proposed Postgraduate Research Programme
School: School of Management
Program name: PhD (Management) & Master of Business (Management)
Course code: DR204 & MR 204
Enabling Capability Platform (ECP) Alignment : Global Business Innovation