Just about to give my presentation at the conference.
It will examine the myths surround the activities, potential and abilities of immigrants from the new accession countries within the Welsh and UK labour market.
Anecdotal evidence often suggests that this group possess a strong work ethic and are a highly entrepreneurial group of individuals. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), we examine the propensity of immigrants from the new accession states to enter self-employment compared to those individuals born in the UK or in the original EU-15 countries.
We actually find that a higher proportion of immigrants from the accession countries display an intention to start a business in the near future and consider entrepreneurship as a good career choice.
However, this does not translate into a higher level of entrepreneurial activity, which may reflect the findings that accession country immigrants are no more likely than the rest of the population to perceive good start-up opportunities to exist or to have the skills to start a business.
The results therefore suggest that that a valuable source of entrepreneurial activity may be underutilised due to a lack of confidence and ability.
Indeed, we could be missing a trick here in promoting entrepreneurship amongst immigrants to Wales, many which have the propensity towards start-up.
There have been some interesting papers a this event which will help us to place the Welsh situation in context and I will blog on a few over the next couple of weeks.
Friday, May 23, 2008
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5 comments:
I have a sense that you are right about immigrants, Dylan, although I can’t produce the evidence – except for anecdotes such as those you cite. On the higher level of entrepreneurship, opportunities are possibly less except for highly skilled and educated individuals.
Interestingly – at least I think so – we have examples such as Terry Mathews who started Mitel after emigrating to Canada and then returned, bringing his business skills back to Wales. Then we have, almost certainly the greatest entrepreneur Wales has ever produced, Michael Moritz (Google his name and you’ll see what I mean). I think I’m right in saying that Moritz’s family (but not him) were immigrants to Wales. Both of these men fit the bill of high levels of education added to exceptional skills in their respective fields. I’m sure others can cite more examples than these two. Maybe longitudinal studies of the lives of individuals such as these may throw some light how highly skilled individuals transform into succesful entrepreneurs.
you may well be right on the business issue, but on the politics seeming to think that preferring entrepreneurial immigrants as a large part of the answer to Wales economic problems instead of helping to upskill and educated those in Wales who could start businesses is not going to win the Tories any friends.
I'm not a Tory, and it seems to me that the previous speaker (anonomous) is setting up a false dichotomy. We want both, and the two are not mutually exclusive in any way. This isn't a party political issue at all as far as I'm concerned.
Migration is quite an entrepreneurial thing to do - identifying and exploiting an opportunity to better oneself. Therefore, it would not be surprising if starting a business were an aspiration of immigrants (particularly if currently working in low paid sectors e.g. food-processing).
Anon - what on earth has this got to do with Tory policy - DJE was presenting an academic paper
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