Informal Ethnic Entrepreneurship

Editors:

Veland Ramadani, South-East European University, Macedonia

Léo-Paul Dana, Montpellier Business School, France

Vanessa Ratten, La Trobe University, Australia

Abdylmenaf Bexheti, South-East European University, Macedonia

Publisher: SPRINGER

Aims and scope:

Most of the existing entrepreneurship literature focuses on formal enterprise but more recently more attention has been placed on informal entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship usually implies law abiding activity but informal entrepreneurship can involve unauthorized or illegal entrepreneurial activity that can include tax evasion and self-employment (Ratten, 2014; Rezaei, Gail and Dana, 2013). The informal economy provides individuals with business opportunities regardless of immigration status or educational qualifications and this is especially important to entrepreneurs (Ramadani, Hisrich and Gerguri-Rashiti, 2015).

In recent decades, in many cities in the industrialised world, especially in metropolitan areas, there was a large influx of people from different socio-cultural or ethnic origins (Dana, 2007; Dana and Morris, 2011; DeHart, 2010; Levent et al., 2003; Light and Johnston, 2009; Ramadani et al. 2014; Waldinger et al., 2006). With the growth and positioning of these ethnic groups in western societies, ethnic entrepreneurship is increasingly arousing interest for socio-economic studies. Ethnic group represents a segment of society whose members are thought to have common origin and culture and take part in joint activities in which the origins and culture are an important part of them (Yinger, 1985). Recent years there has been a great orientation of ethnic groups in self-employment. These movements recognised by many authors as ethnic entrepreneurship. Ethnic entrepreneurship is a process of identifying opportunities in the market, undertaking innovative, unsafe and dangerous activities by individuals who are not members of the majority population in a given country, to ensure prosperity for themselves, family and whole society.

Informal entrepreneurship for ethnic groups can have a positive impact on society but is impacted by political conditions, managerial skills and financing problems (Dana, 1999). In addition, ethnic entrepreneurs in the informal sector often rely on cash-based transactions that are not taxed or subject to government regulation that take place in perspective economies. Given the importance of informal entrepreneurship in society, it is important to understand the motivations for ethnic entrepreneurs starting these business ventures. An understanding of how and why these business ventures are started by entrepreneurs and the role of ethnicity in the start-up phase is helpful in supporting more individuals to be entrepreneurs in all countries. An entrepreneurial motivator for both genders is the lack of corporate opportunities but this may be more prevalent in the female ONE. Given the lack of work opportunities for minorities, this book stresses that the entrepreneurial motivation to start informal businesses will be more important to ethnic groups than domestic population. Due to the increased attention placed on ethnic entrepreneurship and informal entrepreneurship, this book will be focused focuses on the following research question: "What are the factors influencing ethnic groups to start an informal business and how does this link to the creation of innovative business activity?"

Therefore, this book welcomes all the chapters that aim at either testing the relevance of the concept of ethnic entrepreneurship and informal economy.

More specifically, the book will focus on research dealing with the following issues:

•         Evolution of ethnic entrepreneurship and informal business in the world;

•         Ethnic entrepreneurship and informal business activity in developed and emerging economies;

•         Innovation, creativity and ethnic entrepreneurship from an informal business practices;

•         Understanding the diversity of ethnic entrepreneurial strategies;

•         The economics of co-ethnic employment: incentives, welfare effects and policy options

•         Ethnic minority business and the employment of illegal immigrants.

The editors intend to bring with this book a significant value to ethnic informal entrepreneurship researchers, policy-makers and entrepreneurs. All chapters suitable for publication in this book will be double-blind reviewed, following the publisher's review process guidelines.

Chapters details:

• Up to 4 authors, 4500-6000 words
  

Timetable:

The book is scheduled to be published in 2018. The following timetable/deadline dates are given for your information:

• Submission of full chapters: March 15, 2018
  
• First feedback from reviewers: April 30, 2018
  
• Submission of the revised chapters: May 31, 2018
  
• Expected delivery date to the publisher: June 2018
  

Contact information

•         Veland Ramadani, v.ramadani@seeu.edu.mk

•         Léo-Paul Dana, lp.dana@montpellier-bs.com

•         Vanessa Ratten, v.ratten@latrobe.edu.au

•         Abdylmenaf Bexheti, a.bexheti@seeu.edu.mk

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