A racial identity approach to entrepreneurship: the lived experiences of African American and Black entrepreneurs

IF 6.5 1区经济学 Q1 BUSINESS Small Business Economics Pub Date : 2024-03-23 DOI:10.1007/s11187-024-00909-z

Susana C. Santos, Eric W. Liguori, Michael H. Morris, SherRhonda R. Gibbs

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Abstract

We focus on the role of racial identity in the entrepreneurial journey, its antecedents and expected outcomes. Building on entrepreneurial identity and racial identity literatures, we analyze 21 reflective interviews featuring African American and Black entrepreneurs leading successful businesses to develop a racial identity approach to entrepreneurship. Findings uncover that the relevance of racial identity, often perceived as a liability before embarking on entrepreneurial endeavors, triggers entrepreneurial action to escape racial segregation and discrimination. Within the context of the venture, racial identity manifests in two distinct ways: (a) through a value proposition and target market defined by racial centrality and ideology, showing how racial identity may be an asset; and conversely, (b) through racial salience when accessing resources, reflecting racial identity as liability. Creating a venture with a strong racial identity is an essential aspect of its racialized meaningfulness. The entrepreneur aims to provide a racial role model from the African American community to empower future generations and reinforce the perception of racial identity as a valuable asset. Our study challenges the notion of race-neutral entrepreneurship and supports that entrepreneurship is an emancipation mechanism for racial minorities.

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创业的种族认同方法：非裔美国人和黑人企业家的生活经历

摘要我们关注种族身份在创业过程中的作用、其前因和预期结果。在创业身份和种族身份文献的基础上，我们分析了 21 个反思性访谈，这些访谈的主人公都是领导企业取得成功的非裔美国人和黑人创业者，从而形成了一种创业的种族身份方法。研究结果表明，种族身份的相关性通常被认为是创业前的一项负担，但它却引发了创业行动，以摆脱种族隔离和歧视。在创业背景下，种族身份有两种不同的表现形式：(a) 通过由种族中心主义和意识形态定义的价值主张和目标市场，表明种族身份可能是一种资产；反之，(b) 通过获取资源时的种族显著性，反映种族身份是一种负债。创建一个具有强烈种族特征的企业是其种族化意义的一个重要方面。创业者旨在为非裔美国人社区提供一个种族榜样，以增强后代的能力，并强化种族身份是宝贵财富的观念。我们的研究对种族中立的创业概念提出了挑战，并支持创业是少数种族的一种解放机制。

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来源期刊

Small Business Economics Multiple-

CiteScore

14.10

自引率

9.40%

发文量

124

期刊介绍： Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal (SBEJ) publishes original, rigorous theoretical and empirical research addressing all aspects of entrepreneurship and small business economics, with a special emphasis on the economic and societal relevance of research findings for scholars, practitioners and policy makers. SBEJ covers a broad scope of topics, ranging from the core themes of the entrepreneurial process and new venture creation to other topics like self-employment, family firms, small and medium-sized enterprises, innovative start-ups, and entrepreneurial finance. SBEJ welcomes scientific studies at different levels of analysis, including individuals (e.g. entrepreneurs'' characteristics and occupational choice), firms (e.g., firms’ life courses and performance, innovation, and global issues like digitization), macro level (e.g., institutions and public policies within local, regional, national and international contexts), as well as cross-level dynamics. As a leading entrepreneurship journal, SBEJ welcomes cross-disciplinary research. Officially cited as: Small Bus Econ

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