To browse Academia. Since the mids entrepreneurship has been actively promoted by the Swedish government as a means for labour market integration of its immigrant population. My thesis investigates how this is operationalized, in terms of the institutional actors that facilitate the self-employment initiatives of the unemployed, and the impact that the regulatory environment, that governs starting and running a business, has on immigrant entrepreneurship.
This seek to determine the actual extent to which entrepreneurship is promoted as a means for the labour market integration of immigrants. My research focus is not on existing immigrant enterprises but rather on entrepreneurial entry, the decision to attempt to start a business, and on nascent entrepreneurs, people in the process of setting up a business. My qualitative research methods involved a process of participant observation; I myself experienced the process through which an unemployed immigrant learns about the institutional and regulatory framework facilitating immigrant entrepreneurship.
This was complimented with structured interviews with agencies who are in contact with such nascent entrepreneurs as part of their everyday work.
The thesis finds that entrepreneurship is not considered a primary form of labour market incorporation by the public employment service.
However, there is significant institutional support facilitating the option of self-employment. There is also specific government support targeted to immigrants. This study examines the dynamics of immigrant entrepreneurship in Sweden, considering the nation's rich history of diverse immigration flows. It explores how various factors-immigration background, gender, age, geographical location, length of stay and reasons for immigration-impact immigrants' propensity to become entrepreneurs and their employment rate.
