Immigrant Networking and Collaboration: Survey Evidence from CIC

Sari Pekkala Kerr and William Kerr

No 25509, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Networking and the giving and receiving of advice outside of one's own firm are important features of entrepreneurship and innovation. We study how immigrants and natives utilize the potential networking opportunities provided by CIC, formerly known as the Cambridge Innovation Center. CIC is widely considered the center of the Boston entrepreneurial ecosystem. We surveyed 1,334 people working at CIC in three locations spread across the Boston area and CIC's first expansion facility in St. Louis, MO. Survey responses show that immigrants value networking capabilities in CIC more than natives, and the networks developed by immigrants at CIC tend to be larger. Immigrants report substantially greater rates of giving and receiving advice than natives for six surveyed factors: business operations, venture financing, technology, suppliers, people to recruit, and customers. The structure and composition of CIC floors has only a modest influence on these immigrant versus native differences.

JEL-codes: D85 F22 M13 O30 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ent, nep-ino, nep-mig, nep-sbm and nep-ure
Note: LS PR
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published as Immigrant Networking and Collaboration: Survey Evidence from CIC , Sari Pekkala Kerr, William R. Kerr. in The Roles of Immigrants and Foreign Students in US Science, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship , Ganguli, Kahn, and MacGarvie. 2020

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