The strength of family networks in transnational immigrant entrepreneurship

In this article we examine how five immigrant entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Singapore have internationalized their businesses and the role of transnational family networks in this process. We show that one of the key means by which these entrepreneurs are able to access resources and make use of contacts across borders is through transnational family and kinship networks that allow them to simultaneously engage in social and business activities in both countries. We discuss the characteristics of these family networks compared with other social networks that make them of particular value in internationalization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.