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Out of sight, out of mind: migration, entrepreneurship and social capital

Out of sight, out of mind: migration, entrepreneurship and social capital
Out of sight, out of mind: migration, entrepreneurship and social capital
The aim of this paper is to investigate whether return migrants are more likely to become entrepreneurs than non-migrants. We develop a theoretical search model that puts forward the trade off faced by returnees since overseas migration provides an opportunity for human and physical capital accumulation but, at the same time, may lead to a loss of social capital back home. We test the predictions of the model using data from Egypt. We and that, even after controlling for the endogeneity of the temporary migration decision, an overseas returnee is more likely to become an entrepreneur than a non-migrant. Although migrants may lose their social capital, they accumulate savings and experience overseas that increase their chances of becoming entrepreneurs.
social capital, entrepreneurship, selection, savings
0166-0462
890-903
Wahba, Jackline
03ae9304-c329-40c6-9bfc-d91cfa9e7164
Zenou, Yves
f7c3b72f-b6b6-4550-8b0f-00a127af082e
Wahba, Jackline
03ae9304-c329-40c6-9bfc-d91cfa9e7164
Zenou, Yves
f7c3b72f-b6b6-4550-8b0f-00a127af082e

Wahba, Jackline and Zenou, Yves (2012) Out of sight, out of mind: migration, entrepreneurship and social capital. [in special issue: Migration and Development] Regional Science and Urban Economics, 42 (5), 890-903. (doi:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2012.04.007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether return migrants are more likely to become entrepreneurs than non-migrants. We develop a theoretical search model that puts forward the trade off faced by returnees since overseas migration provides an opportunity for human and physical capital accumulation but, at the same time, may lead to a loss of social capital back home. We test the predictions of the model using data from Egypt. We and that, even after controlling for the endogeneity of the temporary migration decision, an overseas returnee is more likely to become an entrepreneur than a non-migrant. Although migrants may lose their social capital, they accumulate savings and experience overseas that increase their chances of becoming entrepreneurs.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 14 May 2012
Published date: September 2012
Keywords: social capital, entrepreneurship, selection, savings
Organisations: Economics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 73468
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/73468
ISSN: 0166-0462
PURE UUID: 9439a473-150f-44d4-bac9-e18fcca573c8
ORCID for Jackline Wahba: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0002-3443

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:38

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Contributors

Author: Jackline Wahba ORCID iD
Author: Yves Zenou

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