Trials and tribulations for ethnic minority entrepreneurs in expanding their enterprises: a review of the literature

Entrepreneurship has been hailed as a solution to eliminate unemployment and improve the economy by developing and emerging economies around the world. For example, national policy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK) has driven entrepreneurship to be taught as a staple subject in educational institutions to ensure improved employability and growth in business numbers. Such actions have aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to support and sustain different areas in the domain of society, environment, and economy. However, through an initial scoping review, a dearth of studies investigated factors influencing the drivers and barriers to the survival and growth of ethnic minority-owned businesses. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to review the literature to determine factors that improved the growth of ethnic minority-owned businesses.

A systematic literature review (SLR) was adopted through a PRISMA approach to identify and review key studies. This review identified a dearth of primary research studies investigating drivers and barriers to the survival and growth of ethnic minority entrepreneurs, especially in the realm of transnational entrepreneurship and in the context of the MENA region. The findings from the SLR also informed the development of a conceptual framework which analyses ethnic minority entrepreneurs surviving and thriving in home and transnational environments. The findings from this research also inform policy, practice and theory-based implications. Based on the findings from the key findings of the SLR and the implications, recommendations are outlined at the end of this paper.