Social Support in Migrant Entrepreneurship Before and During the Coronavirus Crisis.

Successive waves of immigration have long shaped societies, cultures and traditions, and supported the growth and development of host economies. Immigrants are consumers, taxpayers, investors, job creators and entrepreneurs. However, immigrant communities, and immigrant entrepreneurs in particular, face distinctive challenges in regard to good understanding of the local context and local market, awareness of laws and regulations, networking, nuances of language and mentality, or cultural aspects of doing business. Each of these elements individually, and all of them together, may determine the success of a venture. Migration is a complex phenomenon that touches on a multiplicity of economic, social, psychological and security aspects. It is through social connections that individuals learn about migration destinations and evaluate the potential of migration. To migrants, who are often not equally equipped with human, financial, and cultural capital, social connections are a vehicle to mobilise resources in a person's social environment what is particularly relevant in migrants willing to establish and run a business. Social support that networks provide comes in different forms and can involve tangible assets, information, guidance, or motivation. Social support is an effective resource in reducing stress and promoting well-being. This paper aims to investigate the role and importance of social support for immigrant entrepreneurs in Portugal. It examines perceptions of informational, instrumental, appraisal and emotional support. The study explores the meaning of social support for immigrant business venturing before and during the coronavirus crisis. It seeks to understand how social support is activated in different situations. Findings suggest social support is one of key functions of social relationships, a mean of relevant business-related resources for immigrants and of utmost importance in major crisis situations such as the Covid-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]