Exclude Me Not: The Untold Story of Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Sweden

Arash Kordestani, Setayesh Sattari, Kaveh Peighambari and Pejvak Oghazi
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Setayesh Sattari: School of Business and Economics, Linnæus University, Växjö 351 95, Sweden
Kaveh Peighambari: School of Business and Economics, Linnæus University, Växjö 351 95, Sweden
Pejvak Oghazi: School of Business and Economics, Linnæus University, Växjö 351 95, Sweden

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: This article examines the perspectives of immigrant entrepreneurs on the barriers they face regarding their inclusion in public procurement in Sweden through the so-called supplier diversity programs. Drawing upon modern stakeholder theory and transaction cost economics, this study aims to identify potential barriers such entrepreneurs face in succeeding as suppliers to the public sector. Data were collected through interviews with immigrant entrepreneurs who had experience with the public procurement tender process in Sweden. The results reveal that immigrant entrepreneurs doing business with public procurement face several barriers, ranging from economic to social ones such as information, advertising, human resources, and undercapitalization. The interviewees believe that such barriers weaken their performance and hinder their success in public procurement tenders. When it comes to supplier diversity programs, the entrepreneurs under study were either unaware of such programs in public procurement in Sweden or did not believe in their effectiveness.

Keywords: entrepreneurship; barrier; supplier diversity; public procurement; corporate social responsibility; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:9:p:1584-:d:111039

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