(2020):
Attitudes and political positions of migrants from the Middle East and the “Conservatism paradox”.
[International Workshop on Immigration, Integration and Attitudes, Mannheim, 22/09/2020 - 23/09/2020].
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Aspiring Migrant Entrepreneurs in Germany—Potentials and Pitfalls in the Start-Up Process
Project Directors
Dr. Bettina Müller,
Dr. Christoph Sajons
MZES-funded
2019 – 2026
Research question/goal:
Previous studies have shown that migrant entrepreneurs are a valuable contribution to the economy of their host countries. Furthermore, self-employment is a means for migrants to achieve upward social mobility. However, a number of formal and informal hurdles must be overcome to become self-employed, which often prevent migrants from fully developing their potential as entrepreneurs. In this study, we apply a mixed-methods approach (qualitative interviews with institutional and financial experts as well as migrant entrepreneurs and a quantitative analysis of survey data) to examine the potential of migrant entrepreneurs in Germany and the specific problems they are facing in the start-up process.
Current stage:
In 2025, we advanced the project on two fronts. First, we drafted a systematic review of articles on possible differences in the treatment of individuals and entrepreneurs by financial institutions, which we are currently revising. We find only limited empirical support for the common assumption that minority groups are discriminated against in the finance sector. Second, we resolved remaining operational questions for a field experiment with banks in Germany, so that we can start the data collection in 2026.
Publications
Presentations
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(2020): Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie auf Gründungen. Selbstständige und Unternehmen mit Migrationshintergrund. [MEGA - Migrant Entrepreneurship Growth Agenda National Meeting Germany, (virtual), 10/11/2020 - 10/11/2020]. More