Date of Award

5-12-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Social Science

Advisor(s)

Rebecca Schewe

Keywords

Entrepreneurial Performance;Immigrant Incorporation;Inclusive Strategies;Qualitative Methods;REMI Entrepreneurs;Structural Barriers

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the sociological determinants of entrepreneurial performance. Drawing on in-depth interview data collected from 30 individuals who identified as racial, ethnic minority, and immigrant (REMI) entrepreneurs, I focus on the mechanisms at play as they engage in entrepreneurship as a means of social and economic upward mobility. The integration of interdisciplinary theory, literature, and methodologies used in this dissertation leads to unique practical recommendations, research implications, and policy interventions. Through a qualitative investigation and analysis of data collected which captured and documented the lived experiences of REMI entrepreneurs, this dissertation explores the challenges they face on the road to entrepreneurial success, the strategies they use to overcome these challenges, and the nuanced ways in which REMI entrepreneurs implement these strategies. This dissertation also takes advantage of a unique opportunity to explore REMI heterogeneity in the context of entrepreneurship. Specifically, qualitative methods are used to addresses three empirical questions: (1) What barriers to profitability are experienced by REMI entrepreneurs in the United States? (2) How do REMI entrepreneurs engage their social and cultural capital, co-ethnic resources, and transnational networks to overcome the challenges impeding their path to business revenue growth? (3) What mechanisms of disadvantage and/or advantage are experienced by entrepreneurs who are both immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities as distinct from the disadvantage experienced by native born racial and ethnic minorities? While this dissertation was conducted as an exploration of the entrepreneurial landscape for REMI entrepreneurs in Syracuse, NY, findings related to the role of structural factors as antecedents and the effectiveness of collaborative individual, public and private solutions that must be implemented to address the challenges generate research, practical, and policy implications. For researchers, it exemplifies the application of multidisciplinary theories in the investigation of entrepreneurial phenomena and opens the door for extensions and replications that will examine the dynamics at play for REMI entrepreneurs throughout the United States. Insight from the findings of this study begins to offer an alternative perspective of the factors related to entrepreneurship practiced by individuals from racial and ethnic minority and immigrant communities.

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Open Access

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