A study on immigrant entrepreneurship led by Canadian University Dubai (CUD) academic, Prof. Naveed Yasin, has been published in the Journal of Small Business Economics, regarded as the world’s no. 1 journal in the field. The publication of the paper, entitled, ‘Three waves of immigrant entrepreneurship: a cross-national comparative study’, now positions Prof. Yasin among the global elite of higher education academics in the entrepreneurship and innovation discipline.
Professor of Entrepreneurship and Head of Entrepreneurship and the Creative Industries at CUD, Dr. Yasin conducted the study in collaboration with Prof. Khalid Hafeez of De Montfort University, UK. The subject stems from Dr. Yasin’s Ph.D. research and explores the institutional contexts and their influences on migrant entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Norway. It considers the social and regulatory challenges to entrepreneurship among immigrant communities across the three nations and proposes practical and policy-based solutions to support the future success of migrant entrepreneurialism.
The publication of the study in the Journal of Small Business Economics is a testament to the world-class calibre of the research and the academic credentials of its authors. The Journal is ranked Q1 by SCOPUS, recognizing it among the most prestigious in its subject area. According to the Hirsch index measurement for research impact, Dr. Yasin’s publication achieved an outstanding score of 131, where 20 is good, 40 is outstanding, and 60 is exceptional. This places the CUD professor among the world’s foremost academics for scholarly significance in innovation and entrepreneurship.
The research recognizes three distinct waves of immigrant entrepreneurship, revealing the varying motives, characteristics, and experiences of each migrant generation. From the first group that was ‘pushed’ into self-employment because of job displacement, to the second who was ‘pulled’ towards entrepreneurship owing to their cultural disposition, and the third, which has been diverted towards enterprise out of frustration from lack of opportunity, the study also spotlights their common challenges in terms of access to enterprise capital and support services.
Concluding with a reflection on enabling measures, the study considers practical solutions and policy interventions that could increase and enhance entrepreneurship in migrant populations. It points to the development of communities of practice for like-minded entrepreneurs, education and capacity building such as language skills development, as well as institutional support through renewed immigration policies.
This is one of the first studies in the field to explore an immigrant community’s entrepreneurial experience from a cross-national comparative perspective, especially across three countries. The subsequent publication marks a significant milestone in Dr. Yasin’s academic career, to be recognised among the world elite of researchers in entrepreneurship. He commented, “I am delighted that my publication has been accepted in the world’s leading journal for entrepreneurship. I hope to continue researching this area but focussing on the United Arab Emirates, owing to its large diasporic and super-diverse communities of migrant entrepreneurs, as well as its world class entrepreneurship ecosystem. I would like to thank the senior management, leadership and especially CUD’s President, Dr. Karim Chelli for his support and encouragement.”
The landmark publication adds to the University’s flourishing reputation for impact-driven research, which helped the institution rise up the QS Word University Ranking for 2023 and to maintain its position as the number one university in Dubai. The full research paper can be accessed via the publisher, Springer at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11187-022-00656-z
