Migration, integration and wellbeing of Indian and Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs : a typology for theory and practice

Abstract

Immigrant entrepreneurs’ wellbeing fluctuates according to their migration stage. Yet, the extant literature focuses on the stresses associated with migration/integration and entrepreneurship, independent of each other. This is problematic for theory and practice. Addressing this gap, we propose a stage-based approach to intercultural wellbeing using the lived experiences of 20 Indian and Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs in New Zealand. Employing theoretical sampling, we selected immigrant entrepreneurs who had operated their businesses for more than two years and collected data using semi-structured interviews. Following the interpretive analytical approach, we then identified key themes emerging from the interviews, classified them according to the migration stage, and compared similarities and differences of wellbeing experiences between Indian and Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs. Our findings demonstrate that wellbeing experiences are different during pre-migration, settlement, and integration through business start-up and management stages. The intercultural nuances among immigrants create further economic, social, psychological, and physical wellbeing differences between Indian and Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs. Based on the findings, this study contributes theoretically by developing a wellbeing typology to categorise immigrant entrepreneurs into wellbeing hopefuls, wellbeing replenishers or illbeing realisers, well(ill)being endurers or wellbeing balancers. The migration stage and critical events that they experience shape which analytical category they belong to. This typology contributes by advancing entrepreneurial wellbeing, immigrant entrepreneurship, and migrant integration theories and elaborates on intercultural differences. Aligning with the typology, the study also outlines practical wellbeing management strategies of respite, reappraisal, and recovery that immigrant entrepreneurs could employ.