The role of (transnational) social capital in the start-up processes of immigrant businesses: The case of Chinese and Turkish restaurant businesses in Finland

Abstract

The article focuses on the business start-up process of Chinese and Turkish restaurant owners in Finland. Of particular interest are the role of social capital in establishing restaurant businesses and how variations in access to bonding and bridging social capital can explain differences between the two groups. The study is based on two sets of research: one which concentrates on Chinese restaurant owners and the other on the owners of Turkish, kebab fast-food outlets in southern Finland. Regardless of the general similarities of the groups, a closer look at the start-up processes and business activities reveals distinct patterns and processes associated with the entry pattern in Finland: that is, who entered Finland, why they entered the country and how. The two studies indicate that relevant social capital can be accumulated in different ways depending on the migration pattern of the group.