The Importance of Context
摘要
This chapter explores the concept of mixed embeddedness, emphasising the interplay between individual characteristics, social networks, and institutional contexts in shaping immigrant entrepreneurial trajectories. Grounded in Granovetter’s concept of embeddedness and expanded by Kloosterman and Rath’s framework, the chapter highlights the dynamic relationship between micro-level personal strategies, meso-level social networks, and macro-level institutional structures. Mixed embeddedness provides a nuanced understanding of immigrant entrepreneurship by integrating opportunity structures, regulatory environments, and transnational connections. Through an analysis of diverse immigrant communities in countries such as Canada, the United States, Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands, the chapter illustrates how social capital, human capital, and economic capital interact to enable or hinder entrepreneurial success. Ethnic and transnational networks emerge as crucial sources of support, facilitating access to markets, resources, and cultural authenticity. However, over-reliance on these networks can confine entrepreneurs to niche markets, limiting innovation and expansion. Key findings include the importance of hybridisation strategies, where entrepreneurs blend cultural elements from their homeland with host-market practices to create competitive and differentiated businesses. Resilience, adaptability, and personal motivations are central to overcoming institutional barriers, such as credential recognition and discrimination, while pursuing financial independence and cultural preservation. The chapter concludes by addressing gaps in existing research, such as the need to examine gender, intersectionality, and the role of digital technologies in transnational entrepreneurship. These areas offer promising avenues for future research, contributing to a deeper understanding of how immigrants navigate and thrive within complex and evolving global contexts.