School of Business publications portal
This portal is no longer updated. Aalto University School of Business Master's Theses are now in the Aaltodoc publication archive (Aalto University institutional repository)
School of Business | Department of Management Studies | MSc Degree Programme in Strategy | 2016
Thesis number: 14352
Do 'they' have a chance? - Opportunity structure for individual Russian immigrant entrepreneurs in Finland
Author: Sogacheva, Anna
Title: Do 'they' have a chance? - Opportunity structure for individual Russian immigrant entrepreneurs in Finland
Year: 2016  Language: eng
Department: Department of Management Studies
Academic subject: MSc Degree Programme in Strategy
Index terms: strategia; strategy; maahanmuutto; immigration; yrittäjyys; entrepreneurship; ekosysteemit; ecosystems
Pages: 98
Key terms: entrepreneurship ecosystem; international entrepreneurship; immigrant entrepreneurship; opportunity entrepreneurship; institutional theory
Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to investigate how institutions in Finland support opportunity enactment by individual Russian immigrant entrepreneurs who are willing to migrate to Finland to start-up a high-growth venture. It addresses the theoretical gap concerning the interaction between an entrepreneurial migrant and the host institutions as part of an entrepreneurship ecosystem. This has been achieved by looking into the experiences of entrepreneurial migrants and entrepreneurship ecosystem actors.

A holistic multiple case study with multiple informants has been conducted. A total of 11 interviews serve as the data sources. The transcribed interviews have been coded to yield a thorough data analysis. Each case has been analyzed independently after which the findings were compared and contrasted across the cases.

First, the key entrepreneurship ecosystem players relevant for Russian immigrant entrepreneurs have been identified and presented in a descriptive diagram. Second, the perceived institutional voids have been identified and improvement suggestions have been proposed to aid social integration and business success of Russian entrepreneurs. The findings of the study assist Finnish ecosystem actors to better understand what type of policies and practices can best support the emergence of opportunity-based entrepreneurs from Russia and the sustainable development of their firms. Moreover, they serve as an overview for potential migrants of how Finnish ecosystem actors can shape access to network resources and opportunity structure for immigrant entrepreneurs.
Master's theses are stored at Learning Centre in Otaniemi.