Modes of entry to male immigrant entrepreneurship in a rural context: Start-up stories from northern norway

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this article is to address rural and gender gaps in the immigrant entrepreneurship literature by analysing the start-up narratives of nine male entrepreneurs in Finnmark in northernmost Norway. Research Design & Methods: The article is based on a qualitative fieldwork including business visits and in-depth interviews. The transcripts from the interviews were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach (CGT). Findings: The article contributes to the entrepreneurship and to the immigrant entrepreneurship literature by highlighting the gendered experiences of male immigrant entrepreneurs, by identifying three distinct modes of entry into rural immigrant entrepreneurship and by revealing how the experiences of entrepreneurs are shaped by the family and spatial contexts. Implications & Recommendations: This study notes that the modes of entry to rural immigrant entrepreneurship are diverse, but often related to the pursuit of an initial feeling of belonging in the new region of settlement. Hence, developing our knowledge of how to not only attract but also retain and increase the feeling of local belonging of immigrants may be important for many rural regions in the Western world. Contribution & Value Added:The originality of this article is to address rural and gender gaps in the immigrant entrepreneurship literature by analysing the start-up narratives of nine male entrepreneurs in Finnmark in northernmost Norway.