Immigrant Effect and Collective Entrepreneurship: The Creation and Development of a Turkish Entrepreneurial Group

Abstract

This study addresses multifaceted business development via collective entrepreneurship in a return migration setting. Instead of focusing on the necessity lens on how migrants adapt economically and develop livelihoods, this study addresses migrant success and the outcome of migratory paths and learnings in entrepreneurial strategy. This single case study examines a Turkish migrant family in Germany and, in particular, the second-generation returnee to Turkey, and his venturing and resulting entrepreneurial and business groups. Returnees are known to invest in housing and local venturing, if they do not return as pensioners, but very little is known about the business strategies that transnational migrants introduce in the ‘home’ context and their success factors, even less on adolescent returnees’ development. Thus, this study examines the interconnection of the migrantness, the entrepreneurial development, and the transfer of knowledge and ideas (i.e., immigrant effect) in business growth. It contributes to the research literature on returnees and transnational diaspora and, in particular, extends our understanding on the immigrant effect on collaboration and alliance building.