Mixed Embeddedness: (In)formal Economic Activities and Immigrant Businesses in the Netherlands

• Published in: International journal of urban and regional research 1999-06, Vol.23 (2), p.252-266
• Main Authors: Kloosterman, Robert, Van Der Leun, Joanne, Rath, Jan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business; Economic analysis; Economic conditions; Economics; Entrepreneurship; Immigrants; Immigration; Informal Sector; Minority Businesses; Netherlands; Social Networks
• ISSN: 0309-1317; 1468-2427
• DOI: 10.1111/1468-2427.00194

Immigrants from non‐industrialized countries have become part and parcel of the social fabric of many advanced urban economies, including those in the Netherlands. A significant number of these migrants opt for setting up shop themselves. Lacking access to large financial resources and mostly lacking in educational qualifications, they are funnelled towards the lower end of the opportunity structure of these urban economies. To survive in these cut‐throat markets, many migrant entrepreneurs revert to informal economic activities that are strongly dependent on specific social networks – mostly consisting of co‐ethnics – to sustain these activities on a more permanent basis. To understand the social position of these migrant entrepreneurs and their chances of upward social mobility, one has to look beyond these co‐ethnic networks and focus on their insertion in the wider society in terms of customers, suppliers and various kinds of business organizations. To deal with this latter type of insertion, we propose the use of a more comprehensive concept of mixed embeddedness that aims at incorporating both the co‐ethnic social networks as well as the linkages (or lack of linkages) between migrant entrepreneurs and the economic and institutional context of the host society. We illustrate this concept by presenting a case study of Islamic butchers in the Netherlands. — Les immigrants des pays pas industrialisés sont devenus une part intégrale du tissu social de nombreuses économies urbaines développées, y compris celles des Pays‐Bas. Un nombre significatif de migrants choisissent de s’établir à leur compte. N’ayant pas accès à des ressources financières importantes et ayant peu de qualifications académiques, ils sont entraînés vers le bas des structures de débouchés de ces économies. Pour survivre dans ces économies très dures, beaucoup d’entrepreneurs immigrants retournent aux activités économiques informelles qui dépendent fortement des réseaux sociaux spécifiques – principalement co‐ethniques – pour soutenir ces activités de façon plus permanente. Afin de comprendre la position sociale de ces migrants entrepreneurs et leurs possibilités de mobilité sociale vers le haut, il faut regarder plus loin que ces réseaux co‐ethniques et explorer leur insertion dans la société en général par rapport aux clients, fournisseurs et divers types d’organisation commerciales. Pour traiter de ce type d’insertion, nous proposons d’utiliser un concept d’incorporation mélangée plus