Suchergebnisse

Neoliberalism and Entrepreneurship -- National Neoliberalism and the Israeli Startup Nation -- Center and Periphery in Israel : Startup Nation and Parallel Economy -- Maybe not the Startup Nation but definitely a Startup Nation -- Introducing the Theoretical Framework : Contexts, Fields, Norm Circles and Positionality -- What You Look Like is Important -- Technological Entrepreneurs of the Ethiopian Community -- Former Elites Moving Away from the Center? -- Where You Come From is Important : Migrant Entrepreneurship between the Center and the Periphery -- Women still Lagging Behind -- From the Periphery to the Center? Ultraorthodox Jews in High-Tech -- Arab-Palestinian Technological Entrepreneurs in Israel -- Double Periphery? -- Comparative Analysis of Groups -- What Can We Learn from the Experts? -- Conclusion.

"Israeli national neoliberalism has promoted innovation policies leading to an ostensible paradox: At the centre is a start-up nation with a vibrant and successful high-tech entrepreneurial eco-system, accumulating resources, and enabling constant growth. At the geographical and social periphery, there has emerged a parallel society with often marginalized groups not able to keep up. In one of the most unequal countries with a high rate of poverty, entrepreneurial heroes are celebrated at the centre, promoting a myth that all could be self-made successes. At the periphery, entrepreneurs are struggling to survive, often pushed into precarious working and living conditions. Applying critical theory discourse, this book illustrates how neoliberalism and entrepreneurship are intertwined and how the start-up nation has evolved in Israel. It explores how national neoliberal state policies have targeted technological innovation as a tool to obtain a competitive advantage in the international arena, rather than aiming at increasing economic achievements and well-being for all. It will demonstrate that the Israeli entrepreneurship scene exemplifies the existence of parallel entrepreneurial societal spaces, analyze the positionality of entrepreneurs belonging to a variety of groups that characterize Israeli society, and uncover structural disadvantages and related levels of precarity, as well as existing links between entrepreneurial advantages and disadvantages, mobility and varying degrees of social marginality. Dark Sides of the Startup Nation sheds light onto the problematic and sometimes contradictory myth that entrepreneurship is meritocratic and that neoliberal capitalism provides everyone with equal opportunities to succeed. The book will be of interest to researchers, academics, policy makers, and students in the fields of entrepreneurship and small business management, responsibility and business ethics, and technology and innovation"--

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine governmental support to immigrant entrepreneurs and its impact on their businesses. The study seeks to explore the needs of immigrant entrepreneurs as to government support schemes, and the impact of government policy upon mobilization of resources and growth of immigrant businesses.Design/methodology/approachCombining convenient and snowball sample, 218 former Soviet Union immigrant entrepreneurs from all over Israel and all business spheres were surveyed via a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted by quantitative statistical methods.FindingsEntrepreneurs who encountered more problems at business start‐up are more likely to receive government support. Receiving support facilitates mobilizing resources and compensates for fewer opportunities of initially weak businesses.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research might focus upon comparing the impact of policy on immigrant entrepreneurs between countries. Utilization of the findings by policy makers may improve the impact of policy and help to focus the allocation of resources more efficiently.Originality/valueThe paper provides valuable insight for academics and practitioners who are interested to foster immigrant entrepreneurship as mechanism of economic integration.

This study investigates differences in financial funding between immigrant and non-immigrant businesses and delineates factors influencing financial funding of immigrant businesses. Data for the study were collected in Israel between 2000 and 2005. By combining convenient and snowball samples, 214 native Israelis and 153 FSU immigrant entrepreneurs answered a questionnaire. We classified financial sources for immigrant businesses according to their affiliation to the ethnic community, and according to their relation to official financial institutions. Our study revealed that the scope of funding of immigrant businesses is significantly smaller than that of non-immigrant businesses. Immigrant entrepreneurs are more likely to finance their businesses from informal sources but they use fewer loans from family and friends than non-immigrant entrepreneurs. We found that immigrant entrepreneurs who deal with co-ethnic clients do not use more ethnic sources of capital for financing their businesses: the share of co-ethnic clients does not influence the ratio of ethnic financial sources for both setting up and expanding immigrant businesses. Our study revealed that governmental support in the terms of designated loans is the most salient factor influencing financial funding of immigrant businesses. The results suggest important implications for public policy.

Through a global series of case studies, this pioneering book delves into refugee entrepreneurship - a major economic, political and social issue emerging as a top priority. Stories from Australia, Germany, Pakistan and many other countries, highlight the obstacles facing refugees as they try to integrate and set up businesses in their new countries. Engaging contributions set the stage for a cross-analysis of the particularities and limitations faced by refugee entrepreneurs, culminating in an extended discussion about the future implications of refugee entrepreneurship for theory, policy and practice. This interdisciplinary book explores the motivations and drivers of refugee entrepreneurship, making it an insightful read not only for those engaged in entrepreneurship, but also for those interested in migration studies from a variety of academic disciplines.

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to explore the difficulties facing entrepreneurs in three groups of women in Israel: immigrant women from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), women belonging to the Palestinian Israeli minority and Jewish Israeli women belonging to the majority population. Relying on the stratification approach, the authors investigate the extent to which labor market, resource and women-specific disadvantages constrain women's entrepreneurship within these three groups.Design/methodology/approach– The target research population consisted of 477 women entrepreneurs who operated businesses between 2009 and 2010. Using systematic sampling, the authors surveyed 148 FSU immigrant women business owners, 150 Jewish Israeli women business owners and 170 Palestinian Israeli women business owners, using a comprehensive questionnaire administered in the entrepreneurs' native language.Findings– The authors found similarities and differences between the three groups as to their ability to handle difficulties deriving from labor market, resource and women-specific disadvantages. Overall, the authors found that Palestinian women entrepreneurs have relatively more difficulties than the other two groups.Research limitations/implications– Women entrepreneurs' socio-political status within stratified social realities imposes constraints on their economic activities. Further research should investigate policies, which could assist in overcoming these constraints taking into consideration similarities and differences between specific groups.Originality/value– In addition to shedding light on the impact of socio-political environmental circumstances on women entrepreneurs in a particular country, the authors believe that applying the social stratification approach is especially valuable at the intersection of minority status, gender and entrepreneurship.