The immigrant status does not explain individual immigrant entrepreneurial paths.

Abstract: In this qualitative study we aim at identifying if a refugee verses other immigrants take different paths in their entrepreneurial efforts as migrants. We used a qualitative multi case method based on semi conducted interviews within the Persian community, immigrant entrepreneurs in Sweden. A revised model of Kloosterman´s mixed embeddedness was used for the communication of the empirical findings (Kloosterman, Leun and Rath, 1999; Kloosterman, 2010). With the research question: How does the establishment of entrepreneurial self-employment look like for refugees (according to the UN definition including quote refugees) respective to the other groups of foreign origin (according to SCBs definition)? Do the refugees, remaining in Sweden, with entrepreneurial self-employment, differ from other immigrants, particularly within their identification of opportunities as entrepreneurs, and if so in which ways? We found no evidence that there should be any differences in the entrepreneurial opportunity depending on the immigrant’s status. Instead general human capital, entrepreneurial experience and adaptability to change including macro level changes are identified as explanatory factors for the immigrant entrepreneurial paths. The result questions, one part of Kloosterman’s research, specifically related to the locked in effect among the entrepreneurs.