Immigrant entrepreneurship in Malaysia: the case of mainland Chinese-owned SMEs

Mengdie Ruan, Angathevar Baskaran and Shanshan Zhou

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2025, vol. 39, issue 2, 141-166

Abstract: Using data obtained from 15 Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs, this paper investigates the personal characteristics of mainland Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs, their contributions to the Malaysian economy and the major constraints experienced by them. The findings are: 1) most Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs are aged 30 to 40, married, and hold minimum educational qualification of a bachelor's degree; 2) innovativeness is regarded as the most important personal trait, followed by sociability and decisiveness; 3) their contribution to the economy is significant in areas of employment and wealth creation, as well as the production of diverse goods and services for local and export markets; 4) while they experience some general constraints which are similarly encountered by native entrepreneurs, they also experience specific constraints such as language barriers, lack of policy assistance, and tax and visa problems. The study recommends the creation of a dedicated government department and the formulation of specific policies to support immigrant-owned SMEs.

Keywords: entrepreneur characteristics; Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs; immigrant entrepreneurship; ethnic minority entrepreneurship; small and medium enterprises; SMEs; Malaysia. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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