Drivers of Success to Effective Entrepreneurship: A Comparison of Immigrant and Native-Born Perceptions

Abstract

According to research, immigrants in the United States are more likely to start businesses than nonimmigrants, but few studies compare first-generation immigrant entrepreneurs to nonimmigrant entrepreneurs in the United States. This research contributes to the literature by exploring how immigrant and nonimmigrant entrepreneurs moderate the relationship between innovation, proactiveness, risk-taking (Entrepreneurial Orientation [EO]), and financial capabilities, marketing orientation, leadership skills (Business Orientation [BO]), and entrepreneurial success. Because little is known about differences and similarities in the perception of success drivers, I employed an in-depth multi-case study of eight immigrant and eight nonimmigrant entrepreneurs to investigate how these groups perceive entrepreneurial success. My research answers the following question: How do immigrant and nonimmigrant entrepreneurs perceive the drivers of success? I employed adaptive comparative causal maps (CCM), a qualitative methodology, that illustrated the groups’ differences and similarities. I collected the data using semi-structured interviews conducted with immigrant and nonimmigrant entrepreneurs operating in the United States. I detected connection and deviations in map constructs and causal linkages and portrayed overlaps and divergences in the perception of drivers of success between the participants' groups.

I identified 155 drivers of success. Despite some similarities, the groups perceived and emphasized drivers of success differently. Bboth groups identified BO drivers of success (leadership skills, market orientation, financial capabilities) as the top three most potent factors that influence entrepreneurial success.

This is the first study in business and entrepreneurship disciplines that employs CCM technique to identify the differences and similarities between the groups, and the first qualitative study that observes the separate effects of both EO and BO upon entrepreneurial success.

Keywords: success; business success; entrepreneurial success; performance; EO; entrepreneurial orientation