A Qualitative Study of the Nascent Entrepreneurial Process of an Immigrant within an Irish Context of a Cross-Cultural Adaptation

This thesis intersects the theoretical fields of nascent entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation. The key research question that guides this research is: What is the nascent entrepreneurial journey of an immigrant within an Irish context of cross cultural adaptation? The study explores the notion that the nascent entrepreneurial and cross-cultural adaptation journeys of immigrants in this study are intertwined and dynamically interact with each other. Despite much academic interest in nascent entrepreneurship, there is a lack of qualitative studies that focus on understanding the nascent entrepreneurial process of immigrants on a longitudinal basis. Additionally, the immigrant/ethnic specific entrepreneurship theories frequently overlook the nascent entrepreneurial experiences of an individual and instead focus on group level analysis with a limited application of cross-cultural adaptation variables. It is within this theoretical space that this research seeks to make its contribution. Understanding this under-researched phenomenon within an Irish context adds an additional research opportunity. Methodologically based on a qualitative, longitudinal quasi-ethnographic research approach, the study focused on a close and in-depth investigation of six immigrants over a period of 18 months. The researcher, who is also an immigrant, used the methods of participant observation, qualitative interviewing, and informal communication to create new insights and enlighten the nature of this elusive process. The findings of the research enhanced the understanding of the nascent entrepreneurial journey of an immigrant situated within an Irish context of cross-cultural adaptation. The study design gave voices to the individual immigrants which has been missing from previous studies. Capturing the arrival of an economic recession during the time of the study, the research showed how the individuals negotiated their positions and resources, and how they dynamically moved either closer or further away from achieving their aims. These aims, which were simple in theory, yet complicated in practice, were centred around the continuous efforts of moving from surviving towards living

Leisure Space Reflecting Changing City Demography: Tracking the Phase of an International Quarter Development in Parnell Street East, Dublin

Ireland has undergone significant economic and social change and with highlevels of immigration there are now more than 100 different nationalities livingin Dublin city. The broad question is has the leisure space in the city adapted toreflect the increasingly multicultural Dublin population? The particular topic ofconcern in this research note is to track the development of Parnell Street Eastarea from its emergence as an Asian enclave, to efforts by immigrant entrepreneursto create a Chinatown, to the more recent Dublin County Council policyof developing it as an international quarter. This is the first part of the largerongoing study and this paper focuses on the Asian cohort of entrepreneurs. Thekey research questions are: (1) How has this leisure space developed? (2) Whathas been the role of local Asian immigrant entrepreneurs in these developments?and (3) What role have policy-makers played in this process? The study’s preliminaryfindings are presented in a chronological manner with three key phasesof development identified and discussed. Within these developmental phases,the voices of key players are presented, offering a comprehensive picture ofhow this leisure space has been developing since its inception and what rolesboth Asian immigrant entrepreneurs and local policy-makers have played

The value of leadership practices when there is no one to lead: A nascent entrepreneurship context

Although a considerable amount of literature shows how entrepreneurs develop and utilize social capital to create and grow their ventures, there is scant learning on how nascent entrepreneurs with few ties actually create and utilize social capital to help turn their early ideas into ventures. This paper reveals the role of relational leadership in social capital development and shows how it enhances persistence among very early-stage nascent entrepreneurs, even when they have no employees or partners to lead. Learning from our 18-month in-depth case studies of early-stage nascent entrepreneurs in one European country is used to propose a theory of social capital development in nascent entrepreneurship. Implications for future research and for nascent entrepreneurial practice are discussed

Understanding the interplay between immigrant nascent entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation

Purpose All entrepreneurs face challenges during their venture start-up process, but immigrant entrepreneurs face additional and distinctive challenges due to their contextual newness. This paper focuses on understanding the intertwined journeys of nascent entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation of immigrants in a small Western European country where immigrant entrepreneurship is still a relatively new phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach The induction-driven, 18-month longitudinal empirical inquiry focused on six early-stage nascent entrepreneurs. Qualitative methods included participant observation during an enterprise program, qualitative interviews and ongoing informal communication. Findings The data uncovered the interplay between the nascent immigrant entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation. This led to the development of a novel conceptual framework which highlights how the cross-cultural adaptation domain links with the process of recognition, evaluation and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities by immigrant entrepreneurs. While varying temporarily and contextually, cross-cultural adaptation was found to create both enabling and constraining tensions within the nascent entrepreneurial experiences of immigrants. Research limitations/implications It is recognized that undertaking just six cases may present a significant limitation of the research, but a close examination of even one individual\u27s lived experience can yield valuable insights. It is hoped that future work will test the highlighted research propositions and other findings in different empirical contexts, and so add to the emerging conceptual framework on nascent immigrant entrepreneurship within the context of cross-cultural adaptation. Originality/value No previous qualitative studies have been undertaken seeking to understand how cross-cultural adaptation interacts with the early stages of nascent immigrant entrepreneurial activity. By integrating new venture creation and cross-cultural adaptation theories, this research contributes to the conceptualisation of early stages of nascent entrepreneurial activities of immigrants in a new host environment. The implications of the research are also relevant to enterprise support bodies, policymakers and practitioners who support immigrant entrepreneurship

Considerations for Scaling a Social Enterprise: Key Factors and Elements

The number of social enterprises has grown exponentially in recent times. International research regarding how social enterprises scale is starting to emerge and is becoming an area of increased focus. Due to their hybridity, social enterprises experience unique scaling challenges, and research has started to examine these experiences. This theoretical paper reviews existing literature on social enterprise scaling and, based on this, proposes a conceptual model for understanding the interdependent factors and elements social enterprises must navigate when scaling. The proposed conceptual model will provide a base for further empirical research. When validated, it will also provide a practical tool for social enterprises exploring scaling possibilities and inform future enterprise and policy supports in this area

Grassroot Power of Communities of Practice – The Case of SDG Literacy

With emerging consensus on an urgent need to address the potentially catastrophic issues of climate change, threats to the natural world and social injustice, Generation Z is spearheading a quiet revolution, elevating sustainability from desirable to essential. Achievement of the UN SDGs has emerged as a megatrend (Mittelsaedt et al., 2014) and universities are playing a key role in developing graduates’ sustainability knowledge, skills and mindsets (Andrews and Soares, 2017). To empower our students to solve ‘wicked sustainability problems’ (Levin et al., 2012) we, as educators, need to move beyond our discipline silos and develop cross-disciplinary collaborations that lead to innovations in our teaching, learning and assessment. We will present exemplars in practice emerging from a university-wide Community of Practice (CoP) (Wenger, 2015) in sustainability literacy called SDG Literacy which was established in 2020. The comprehensive nature of the SDG framework has brought colleagues from various disciplines together, such as business, engineering, chemistry, tourism, culinary arts and social work. The SDG Literacy CoP focuses on and promotes the enhancement of sustainability literacy and organically developing some of the key competencies listed under the new European GreenComp framework (Bianchi et al., 2022) among faculty and student cohorts. These growing impactful initiatives are aligned with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and the broader strategic aims of the university. Collaborative initiatives emerged such as co-creation of CPD in Education for Sustainability for staff, sustainability focused modules for students from different disciplines, creation of open educational resources (OERs), regular showcases of excellence of practice events, integrated assessments and development of collaborative industry-based partnerships. The SDG Literacy CoP and its growing influence within the university is an excellent example of the power of grassroot cross-disciplinary communities of practice to catalyse the promotion of sustainability strongly supported by our students - future leaders - and matched by the strategic university focus on people, planet and partnerships. In a call to action, we hope to inspire participants, by our story, to apply ideas of interdisciplinarity in practice. References Andrews, D., & Soares, S. (2017). Growing spaces: developing a sustainability–literate graduate. In DS 88: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE17), Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, Oslo, Norway, 7 & 8 September 2017 (pp. 328-333). Bianchi, G., Pisiotis, U. and Cabrera Giraldez, M., (2022). GreenComp The European sustainability competence framework, (No. JRC128040). Joint Research Centre (Seville site). Levin, K., Cashore, B., Bernstein, S., & Auld, G. (2012). Overcoming the tragedy of super wicked problems: constraining our future selves to ameliorate global climate change. Policy sciences, 45(2), 123-152. Mittelstaedt, J. D., Shultz, C. J., Kilbourne, W. E., & Peterson, M. (2014). Sustainability as megatrend: Two schools of macromarketing thought. Journal of Macromarketing, 34(3), 253-264. Wenger-Trayner, E. and Wenger-Trayner,B. (2015). Introduction to Communities of Practice Available at: https://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice

Empowering Responsible and Sustainability-Aware Business Graduates Through Digital Authentic Assessment

Business schools must engage in fundamental change to retain their legitimacy and position themselves as providers of solutions to urgent economic, social and environmental crises. Achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has emerged as a megatrend and business education must enhance graduate skills to contribute to their achievement. The world requires the next generation of graduates to become responsible business leaders who will address wicked sustainability problems. Hence, we need pedagogy that enables students to become sustainability literate and thus develop appropriate knowledge, skills and mindsets. Authentic assessment provides transformative learning opportunities that empower students to achieve meaningful impact in the real world. Despite some recent research that connects authentic assessment and sustainability, there is a dearth of empirical research on authentic assessments for sustainability in business disciplines. We outline a pedagogical initiative designed with the aim of enhancing sustainability literacy among business students using innovative digital tools as part of authentic assessment strategy. We designed and implemented authentic assessment strategies that engage students with learning across a number of different delivery modes and in a ‘deep’ reflective manner with meaningful tasks. Business students on undergraduate, postgraduate and executive programmes follow the same format with some adjustments made to reflect the different discipline/module focus. This includes completion of: (i) a sustainability literacy test through the UN supported Sulitest platform, (ii) a written reflection on learning, stemming from the Sulitest that utilises the DIEP reflective model, (iii) the creation of digital artefacts such as a short video shared on LinkedIn; student activism involving contacting political representatives/brands; creation of social media content in partnership with sustainability-focused organisations; podcasts with invited guests; writing of opinion pieces for media; and creation of e-portfolios that showcase students\u27 work. We believe this deep reflection and awareness signposts efficacious action emerging from our transformative learning pedagogy, based digital authentic assessment design. This pedagogical approach equips students with sustainability-specific knowledge, global citizenship skills, digital skills, and creative and inquisitive mindsets

Survey of women׳s experiences of care in a new freestanding midwifery unit in an inner city area of London, England: 2. Specific aspects of care

Objective to describe and compare women׳s experiences of specific aspects of maternity care before and after the opening of the Barkantine Birth Centre, a new freestanding midwifery unit in an inner city area. Design telephone surveys undertaken in late pregnancy and about six weeks after birth. Two separate waves of interviews were conducted, Phase 1 before the birth centre opened and Phase 2 after it had opened. Setting Tower Hamlets, a deprived inner city borough in east London, 2007–2010. Participants 620 women who were resident in Tower Hamlets and who satisfied the Barts and the London Trust’s eligibility criteria for using the birth centre. Of these, 259 women were recruited to Phase 1 and 361 to Phase 2. Measurements and findings the replies women gave show marked differences between the model of care in the birth centre and that at the obstetric unit at the Royal London Hospital with respect to experiences of care and specific practices. Women who initially booked for birth centre care were more likely to attend antenatal classes and find them useful and were less likely to be induced. Women who started labour care at the birth centre in spontaneous labour were more likely to use non-pharmacological methods of pain relief, most notably water and less likely to use pethidine than women who started care at the hospital. They were more likely to be able to move around in labour and less likely to have their membranes ruptured or have continuous CTG. They were more likely to be told to push spontaneously when they needed to rather than under directed pushing and more likely to report that they had been able to choose their position for birth and deliver in places other than the bed, in contrast to the situation at the hospital. The majority of women who had a spontaneous onset of labour delivered vaginally, with 28.6 per cent of women at the birth centre but no one at the hospital delivering in water. Primiparous women who delivered at the birth centre were less likely to have an episiotomy. Most women who delivered at the birth centre reported that they had chosen whether or not to have a physiological third stage, whereas a worrying proportion at the hospital reported that they had not had a choice. A higher proportion of women at the birth centre reported skin to skin contact with their baby in the first two hours after birth. Key conclusions and implications for practice significant differences were reported between the hospital and the birth centre in practices and information given to the women, with lower rates of intervention, more choice and significant differences in women’s experiences. This case study of a single inner-city freestanding midwifery unit, linked to the Birthplace in England Research Programme, indicates that this model of care also leads to greater choice and a better experience for women who opted for it

Exploring the impact of authentic assessment on sustainability literacy through reflective and action-oriented tasks: A roundtable podcast

Business schools must engage in fundamental change to retain their legitimacy and position themselves as providers of solutions to urgent economic, social, and environmental crises. To this end, we need pedagogy that enables students to become sustainability literate graduates and thus develop appropriate knowledge, skills, and mind-sets. This roundtable discussion podcast comprises six colleagues engaged in conversation and reflection around a pedagogical initiative designed with the broad aim of enhancing sustainability literacy among business students using innovative digital tools as part of an authentic assessment strategy. The pedagogical approaches we discuss engage students with learning across several different modes and in a ‘deep’ reflective manner (Meyers & Nulty, 2009).  We discuss our use of the UN supported Sulitest platform, specifically our use of the Sulitest quiz tool. The podcast transcript has been annotated through footnotes to direct the listener/reader to further reading on the various topics that emerge in our discussion

The Relationship between Class I and Class II Methanol Masers

The Australia Telescope National Facility Mopra millimetre telescope has been used to search for 95.1-GHz class I methanol masers towards sixty-two 6.6-GHz class II methanol masers. A total of twenty-six 95.1-GHz masers were detected, eighteen of these being new discoveries. Combining the results of this search with observations reported in the literature, a near complete sample of sixty-six 6.6-GHz class II methanol masers has been searched in the 95.1-GHz transition, with detections towards 38 per cent (twenty-five detections ; not all of the sources studied in this paper qualify for the complete sample, and some of the sources in the sample were not observed in the present observations). There is no evidence of an anti-correlation between either the velocity range, or peak flux density of the class I and II transitions, contrary to suggestions from previous studies. The majority of class I methanol maser sources have a velocity range that partially overlaps with the class II maser transitions. The presence of a class I methanol maser associated with a class II maser source is not correlated with the presence (or absence) of main-line OH or water masers. Investigations of the properties of the infrared emission associated with the maser sources shows no significant difference between those class II methanol masers with an associated class I maser and those without. This may be consistent with the hypothesis that the objects responsible for driving class I methanol masers are generally not those that produce main-line OH, water or class II methanol masers.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA