Relational capital and immigrant entrepreneurship in Italy

In recent years, immigrant entrepreneurship has experienced significant growth in Italy. Understanding the value of relational capital is crucial for studying the entrepreneurship of foreign-born individuals. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the quantitative dimension of foreign-owned entrepreneurship in Italy (RQ1), identify the drivers of this phenomenon (RQ2), and examine the value of relational capital for the creation and development of immigrant-owned enterprises (RQ3). This research contributes to expanding the literature on relational capital in the context of foreign entrepreneurship in Italy by contributing to two distinct fields: relational capital and immigrant entrepreneurship studies. Regarding practical implications, the paper emphasizes the significance of relational capital as an intangible asset in the development of foreign companies. It employs a qualitative methodology through a multiple case study to support its research. To achieve the objective of observing relationships, this study utilizes the C.A.O.S. model, an interpretative model that is valuable for analyzing relational capital within immigrant entrepreneurship, especially in the early stages. In fact, relational capital allows start-ups to overcome their main difficulties: the organizational aspect and financial capacity. The limitation of this study pertains to the number of pilot cases observed, which was limited to four. Future research endeavors will focus on studying additional firms to gather more comprehensive data on this topic.