EXAMINING ADAPTATION STRATEGIES OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURS IN CHINA: THE CASE OF GUANGDONG

Abdoulkadre Ado (), Elie Chrysostome and Zhan Su
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Abdoulkadre Ado: Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Elie Chrysostome: State University of New York, Plattsburgh, NY, USA
Zhan Su: Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada

Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), 2016, vol. 21, issue 04, 1-25

Abstract: This paper examines how sub-Saharan Africans do business in China, particularly in the province of Guangdong. Through a qualitative approach, the paper analyzes data obtained from twenty interviews with sub-Saharan Africans. It’s a descriptive study that explores the strategies, tactics and attitudes adopted by those sub-Saharan Africans to cope with a particularly difficult Chinese business environment. Using the concepts of foreignness and adaptation, the study identified four categories of immigrant entrepreneurs: the assimilators, the conservatives, the adventurers and the cautious. Concomitantly, this research identified factors and skills that contributed significantly to immigrants’ success in China. The paper also underlines challenges sub-Saharan Africans still face in China and the unconventional tactics they use. The study represents an insightful exploration of an increasingly important subject but still under-studied. It calls for a thorough research toward the understanding of African businesses in China.

Keywords: Culture; foreignness; immigrant; Guangzhou; China; Africa; entrepreneurship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1142/S1084946716500278

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