When Forced Migrants Go Home: The Journey of Returnee Entrepreneurs in the Post-conflict Economies of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo

This paper examines forced migrants who fled their homeland due to conflict and later returned to undertake entrepreneurial activity. Drawing on qualitative interviews with returnees to Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo, we contribute to the process-oriented view of entrepreneurship by showing how...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entrepreneurship theory and practice 2023-03, Vol.47 (2), p.430-460
Main Authors: Williams, Nick, Plakoyiannaki, Emmanuella, Krasniqi, Besnik A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship
Forced migration
Migrants
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Summary:This paper examines forced migrants who fled their homeland due to conflict and later returned to undertake entrepreneurial activity. Drawing on qualitative interviews with returnees to Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo, we contribute to the process-oriented view of entrepreneurship by showing how forced migration leads to historical bonds to the homeland which influence resultant entrepreneurial activity. We extend literature on institutional voids by demonstrating that they can be enabling, with formal voids substituted by informal networks. Returnees rely on informal ties due to mistrust of formal ties, and these are strengthened by shared experiences of conflict and lead to activities which satisfy non-monetary gains rather than profit.
ISSN:1042-2587
1540-6520
DOI:10.1177/10422587221082678