Global Congress on Women Entrepreneurship

Abstract

The phenomenon of female entrepreneurship has gained significant attention for its role in economic development and social integration, particularly within migrant populations. However, existing literature often overlooks the diverse experiences of migrant female entrepreneurs from different cultural backgrounds and how these shape their entrepreneurial activities. This study addresses this gap by providing a comparative analysis of Middle Eastern and Brazilian female entrepreneurs in Sweden, focusing on their strategic adaptations rather than solely their challenges. Through 23 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs operating in sectors such as retail, food services, and consulting, the study identifies their coping strategies. The findings reveal how these entrepreneurs leverage cultural capital as a competitive advantage, with Brazilian entrepreneurs adapting their products to local market preferences while maintaining cultural authenticity, and Middle Eastern entrepreneurs integrating cultural and religious identity into their business models to strengthen community ties. Additionally, both groups cultivate social networks in distinct ways, engage in cross-cultural collaborations, and utilize digital tools to expand market reach and navigate Sweden’s business ecosystem. By adopting a comparative and strategy-focused approach, this study advances the entrepreneurship literature by demonstrating how migrant women actively shape their business environments through strategic adaptation. It highlights the significance of cultural and institutional contexts in entrepreneurial success and provides insights that can inform inclusive policies and support mechanisms. In doing so, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersection of migratin, gender, and entrepreneurship, offering a foundation for future studies and policies aimed at fostering a more equitable and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Biography

Ghazal Zalkat holds a doctoral degree in Innovation Sciences, with a specialization in Industrial Management from the Engineering and Innovation Department, School of Business, Innovation, and Sustainability at Halmstad University, Sweden. She works with multidisciplinary research projects, which allows her to interact with entrepreneurs, immigrants, and different organizations to design and implement innovative programs and tools that support entrepreneurship and socioeconomic integration. She has published articles in international peer-reviewed journals, such as Small Business Economics, Journal of Rural Studies, Sustainability and Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies.

Luís Irgang holds a Ph.D. in Innovation Sciences with a major in Industrial Management and Innovation from Halmstad University. He serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Halmstad University's School of Business, Innovation, and Sustainability, teaching Strategic Planning, AI and Innovation Management, and Management of Technology subjects. He has joint research projects in Health Innovation and Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energies. He has published articles in international peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of Health Organization and Management, Benchmarking, and Technological Forecasting and Social Change.

Roberto Falcão is adjunct professor of the Graduate Program in Administration (PPGA-Unigranrio), CNPq SEBRAE Fellow - ALI Project. Doctor in Administration (PhD) - IAG PUC (2018), Master - MSc in Business Management from FGV - EBAPE Rio (2014). Strategy researcher and immigrant entrepreneurship (Universidade Federal Fluminense). Member of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Brazilian team. Collaborator of research groups at Southern Denmark University (SDU) and University of Western Australia (UWA). Postgraduate in Marketing from ESPM (1998), Graduated in Agronomic Engineering from Universidade Federal de Viçosa - MG (1992). He is part of team of the Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurship Research Project (UFF/Unigranrio) and co-leader of a Research Group with the same name.

Henrik Barth is an associate professor in innovation sciences, specializing in innovation management. His research focuses on immigrant entrepreneurship and inclusion, collaborating with companies, NGOs, and public actors. With over 4,200 hours of teaching experience across multiple disciplines, he has been recognized as an “Excellent Teaching Practitioner.” He previously served as Head of the Business Department and Dean at Halmstad University for nine years. Barth has contributed to 30 research projects and published over 40 articles in journals such as Journal of Small Business Management, Journal of Rural Studies, and Journal of Cleaner Production.