Overcoming the Liability of Foreignness: A Typology and Model of Immigrant Entrepreneurs

This study addresses the diversity of extant models and theoretical interpretations of the immigrant entrepreneurship phenomenon. Combining an extensive literature review with the use of Bourdieu's theory of social practice, we develop a general model of immigrant entrepreneurship that identifies four different entrepreneurial paths, each characterised by a specific combination of personal resources, network embeddedness, individual habitus, and targeted opportunities. Through the interpretative lens of this model, foreignness can represent either a liability or a competitive advantage for the immigrant, depending on the entrepreneurial context and strategy. The proposed model provides useful insights into the phenomenon of immigrant entrepreneurship for academics, entrepreneurs and policy makers, offering a comprehensive framework which does not invalidate the extant models, but rather integrates them into a larger perspective.