A resource interaction perspective on resource use and development in migrant entrepreneur networks

Many scholars indicate that a more complex, interactionist approach to migrant entrepreneurs’ resources is needed. The aim of this paper is to use the Resource Interaction Approach (RIA) and the Actors, Resources, Activities model (ARA) to identify the processes by which resources development occurs through interactions in three network types (ethnic, transnational, and local), and to show the use of those resources in migrants’ entrepreneurial activities. Examples derived from 135 interviews confirm RIA as a fruitful approach to explaining this phenomenon. The paper contributes to stronger integration between RIA and the ARA model; it also supports arguments regarding the nature and processes of resource interactions and shows the role of network type in shaping those interactions. The paper also contributes to migrant entrepreneurship literature by providing a new perspective on the ways resources are created within networks.