This research examined the characteristics of resiliency of older immigrants who are entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial team members. The research built on the growing management literature focused on immigrant/migrant entrepreneurship and the less-developed research devoted to older entrepreneurs. This project was the first to examine older immigrant entrepreneurs and explored the nature of their resiliency and impact on other migrants and the host community.
What was our approach?
Given the undeveloped state of the literature, this research employed qualitative methods in a mixed embedded approach (Kloosterman, 2010; Kloosterman and Rath, 2003; Rusinovic, 2006) to complete an exploration of relationship between resiliency and older entrepreneurship exhibited by immigrants to Canada. Windsor-Essex, Ontario is an ideal setting for the proposed pilot study because of its size and profile. The region is mid-sized, with an approximate population of 400,000 people (Windsor-Essex Economic Development, 2018), allowing for a more targeted research effort than can often be undertaken in much larger jurisdictions. Despite its size, Windsor is the fourth-most diverse community in Canada (Ontario Immigration, 2016). Windsor is a border community, an integral part of a larger economic ecosystem centred in Michigan as well as the one in Southern Ontario. Windsor is also a recognized manufacturing and innovation nexus for the country. Therefore, Windsor’s distinct profile combines a manageable size for an exploratory study with high levels of diversity, migrant movement, and economic activity.
- January 31, 2019: Interviewed and secured two Masters-level Research Assistants. Completed Research Ethics Board approval at University of Windsor
- March 15, 2019: Identified and began assembling data and interviewees for the history project. Lined up interviews with older immigrant entrepreneurs/members of the management team
- June 30, 2019: Completed first draft of history project
- August 15, 2019: Completed interviews with older immigrant entrepreneurs/members of the management team. Completed history project.
- October 1, 2019: Completed all interviews of older immigrant entrepreneurs/members of the management team. Continued transcription and analysis of interview data.
- November 30, 2019: Completed first draft of interview analysis paper/report.
- January 31, 2020: Completed interview analysis paper/report. Hosted the Local Conference on Immigrant Entrepreneurship and Resilience. Communicated main findings via presentations/conferences
- Knowledge Mobilization:
- We shared BMRC-IMRU research findings to academic, NGO, government and public audiences through the BMRC-IMRU website, newsletters, and research digests, and the websites and newsletters of the NCCE and the University of Windsor (UW) EPI Centre.
- We presented our research to academic audiences, such as the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada and the U.S. Association of Small Business Annual Conferences.
- We organized a regional conference that will discuss immigrant entrepreneurship and resiliency and include participation of public policy makers and local support organizations.
- We provided immigrants who participate with a summary report of our research and findings.
Principal Investigators:
- Gerry Kerr, Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, gkerr@uwindsor.ca
Co-investigators:
- Francine Schlosser, Odette School of Business, University of Windsor
Community Partners:
- Reza Shahbazi, Executive Director, New Canadians’ Centre of Excellence Inc. (NCCE Inc.)
- Kerr, G., Schlosser, F., Suntres, T. (Forthcoming). Understanding the Context of Resiliency of Recent Older Immigrant Entrepreneurs. In W. Cukier (Ed.), Immigrants Entrepreneurship in Canada Challenge and Opportunities. Palgrave MacMillan EDI Series.
- Kerr, G., Schlosser, F., & Suntres, T. (2021). Understanding the Context of Resiliency of Recent Older Immigrant Entrepreneurs. Presented at the Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business (RENT) (33rd Annual Meeting), Turku, Finland, November.
