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Title:	Social capital and the process of immigrant entrepreneurship in Malaysia
Authors:	Nurul Atasha Jamaludin (P90227)
Supervisor:	Zizah Che Senik, Assoc. Prof. Dr.
Keywords:	Infrastructure (Economics) Immigrant entrepreneurship Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia -- Dissertations Dissertations, Academic -- Malaysia
Issue Date:	27-Aug-2021
Description:	In pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities in a host country, previous research revealed that immigrant entrepreneurs rely on their social capital. Having social capital enables the immigrant entrepreneurs to create values generated from social networks to gain entrepreneurial opportunity observed from two processual stages, opportunity recognition and opportunity exploitation Nevertheless, how social capital influences immigrant entrepreneurs to pursue business ventures and how recognition and exploitation facilitate them to realise entrepreneurial opportunities in a host country have not being comprehensively researched. Thus, integrating the resource-based theory of social capital and opportunity-based theory of entrepreneurship as underpinning theories, this study aims to understand the influence of social capital dimensions (structural, relational and cognitive) in the entrepreneurial process of immigrant-founded business in Malaysia. This study adopted basic qualitative research methodology and a set of semi-structured interview protocol was developed to guide in-depth interviews. Purposeful and snowball sampling strategies were applied as the data collection method. The unit of analysis is at organisational level; immigrant-founded businesses from retail trade and food services sectors in Malaysia. The data was gathered from 15 immigrant entrepreneurs hailed from Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Facilitated by ATLAS.ti software, thematic data analysis was conducted which revealed that three new emergent sub-themes and one noteworthy item of social capital dimensions influenced the entrepreneurial process of immigrant-founded businesses in Malaysia. At the opportunity recognition stage, two sub-themes signifying as structural social capital (i.e. favourable host country condition and former employment in the host country) and an item (i.e. communal obligation; fardhu kifayah) of shared belief) denoting as cognitive social capital emerged. Meanwhile, at opportunity exploitation stage, family nucleus signifying as structural social capital emerged. Evidently, in pursuing entrepreneurial process of immigrant-founded business in Malaysia the three social capital dimensions (structural, relational and cognitive dimensions) were interrelated. However, each one of them was mobilised differently depending on the activities engaged at every stages of entrepreneurial opportunities process indicating that the social capital is capable to lead the formation and mobilisation of other resources, such as human and financial capitals. Further, structural social capital was revealed as the predominant foundation for other dimensions serves as a vital platform to mobilise the resources needed to establish immigrant-founded businesses. Based on the interpretation of the findings, this study proposes a comprehensive model and 11 propositions delineating the influence of social capital in the entrepreneurial process of immigrant-founded businesses from an emerging market, Malaysia. The integration of entrepreneurship perspectives through the resource-based lens has extended the knowledge on social capital and entrepreneurial process in the context of immigrant entrepreneurship. Practically, the emergent model may assist local entrepreneurs to learn and emulate how immigrant entrepreneurs pursue and thrive in their pursuit of business opportunities in host country, despite limited resources and unfavorable policies. The findings also provide a base for policymakers and local entrepreneurs to forge entrepreneurial networks between locals and immigrants toward capital-building initiatives in Malaysia. This study provides valuable knowledge and important insights on social capital, entrepreneurship, and immigrant entrepreneurship conferring more avenues for future research,Ph.D
Pages:	256
Call Number:	HC79.C3.N837 2021 tesis
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Faculty of Economy and Management / Fakulti Ekonomi dan Pengurusan

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