Hi folks,

The following was posted on my Afro-Biz mailing list.

Katim

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> From: Katim S. Touray <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [Fwd: Afro-Biz: Call for papers for Conference on Immigrant
Businesses, Amsterdam, October 7-9, 1999]
> Date: Saturday, May 22, 1999 2:00 PM
>
>
>
> Jan Rath wrote:
>
> > Call for Papers
> > for conference on Immigrant Businesses in the (In)formal Economy
> >
> > Background
> >
> > Small businesses are very much part of contemporary informational or
> > post-industrial economies. They are-among other things-sources of
> > innovation, employment growth and of social mobility. As numerous examples
> > from many cities in the European Union, and in advanced economies in
> > general, illustrate, immigrant entrepreneurs are part and parcel of this
> > development. These immigrants are affecting advanced urban economies in
> > various ways as, for example, by revitalising formerly derelict shopping
> > streets, introducing new ('exotic') products or by fostering the emergence
> > of new spatial forms of social cohesion. Setting-up a business often means
> > one has to revert to informal economic activities to survive. The specific
> > mix of informal and formal economic may have significant implications for
> > the process of socio-economic incorporation of newcomers, and, therefore,
> > also for patterns of social cohesion of the societies involved more in
> > general.
> >
> > Notwithstanding the apparent diversity of both the origins of the immigrant
> > entrepreneurs and the various types of businesses they have established in
> > different countries, there are clearly similar underlying processes.
Lacking
> > in most cases access to significant funds of (financial) capital and also
> > deemed lacking in appropriate educational qualifications, most fledgling
> > immigrant entrepreneurs can, in principle, only set up shop in markets with
> > low barriers of entry in terms of capital outlays and required educational
> > qualifications. Most immigrant entrepreneurs are, hence, funnelled towards
> > market segments at the lower end. In these market segments, production is
> > mainly small-scale, usually very labour-intensive and low in added value,
> > while cut-throat competition reigns. Accordingly, many firms fail but due
to
> > the low barriers of entry, there are also many new start-ups. Cutting costs
> > is an obvious strategy in these markets. This can be done in formal ways,
> > but the scope here being rather limited, many firms (especially recent
> > start-ups) may revert to informal practices by cutting corners with respect
> > to taxes, labour regulations, minimum wages, employing workers who are not
> > allowed to work (e.g. children, undocumented immigrants), and also,
> > possibly, by engaging in other, illicit, transactions. Immigrant
> > entrepreneurs are, consequently, expected to be over-represented in
specific
> > kinds of informal economic activities.
> >
> > These informal economic activities-and, therefore, also the specific mix
> > between informal and formal economic activities-may be articulated in
> > different ways in the various countries as they are highly contingent on
the
> > institutional framework. Differences between countries with regard to
> > policies towards immigration, traditions of immigration and insertion of
> > immigrants, paths of economic development and, also, with respect to the
> > regulatory frameworks (especially the welfare state and its concomitant
> > arrangement of socio-economic rules and regulations) and the associated
> > enforcement regimes will generate different trajectories of opportunities
> > for economic activities (formal and informal). This may result in diverging
> > paths of integration for immigrants on a national and even on a local level
> > with significant policy implications.
> >
> > The rise of immigrant entrepreneurship and its relationship with informal
> > economic activities is a very complex and, in some respects, rather opaque
> > process involving important questions from both a scientific as well as a
> > policy perspective. Seen from a policy maker's point of view, the most
> > crucial questions centre, eventually, on the dilemma of giving priority to
> > enforcing rules on economic activities (upholding the rule of law) versus
> > allowing certain activities in order to facilitate the process of
> > socio-economic incorporation of immigrants which is essential to maintain
> > and promote social cohesion. This latter option may encompass changing the
> > regulatory framework (a formal change of rules, as is the case in so-called
> > economic development zones), or tolerating, in principle, unlawful
> > activities (a change in enforcement), or upgrading the skills of the
> > entrepreneur and thereby increasing the competitive edge. To be able to
> > grasp this dilemma on a higher level, a more profound understanding of the
> > dynamics behind the involvement of immigrant entrepreneurs in these
informal
> > economic activities in its complex socio-economic context is imperative.
> >
> > Immigrant entrepreneurship and the informal practices of immigrant
> > entrepreneurs have been the subject of a number of studies in various
> > countries in Europe, North America and Australia. However, overall results
> > have contributed to a rather fragmented and also to a , in a certain sense,
> > skewed pool of knowledge as most researchers have confined their analyses
> > solely to one country, its welfare state and its regulatory framework and
> > have emphasised cultural practices and preferences of immigrant ethnic
> > entrepreneurs, and more or less ignored the dynamics of markets in advanced
> > economies. The next logical step, therefore, is doing research on immigrant
> > entrepreneurs on the fringes of the formal economy from an international
> > comparative perspective that will explicitly address the processes of
> > economic change as well as the institutional arrangements.
> >
> > International comparative programme
> >
> > The Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies at the University of
> > Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in collaboration with the OTB Research
Institute
> > for Housing, Urban and Mobility Studies at the Delft University of
> > Technology have established an international network for exchanging
> > knowledge and experiences on the issue of immigrant entrepreneurship on the
> > urban economic fringe. The international network is coordinated by Dr Jan
> > Rath (University of Amsterdam) and Dr Robert Kloosterman (Delft University
> > of Technology). The theoretical starting point of the network is the
> > national and local environment of immigrant enterprises and not-as has been
> > done in most cases so far-a priori chosen ethnic groups of entrepreneurs.
> > Researchers from nine European countries-Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France,
> > Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom-constitute
> > the core network. At a preliminary meeting, held in Amsterdam in April
1999,
> > a comprehensive set of research issues for the following conferences as
well
> > as the overall themes for the programme as a whole were established.
> >
> > The first conference, on which overviews of the development of immigrant
> > businesses in the various countries will be discussed, will take place in
> > Amsterdam, October 7-9, 1999. The second conference that focuses on the
> > economic embeddedness of immigrant enterprises, will take place in
> > Jerusalem, Israel, June 18-20, 2000. The final conference, on which the
> > political and institutional embeddedness will be discussed,  will take
place
> > in Liverpool, England, March 2001.
> >
> > This research programme and the conferences have been sponsored by the
> > European Commission, the European Science Foundation, and the University of
> > Amsterdam.
> >
> > Call for papers for first conference, Amsterdam, October 7-9, 1999
> >
> > The first conference- taking place in Amsterdam on October 7-9, 1999-will
> > concentrate on the position of immigrant businesses in general. The primary
> > objectives are generating highly comparable state-of-the-art analyses with
> > regard to more general development of immigrant businesses in the various
> > countries, procuring overviews of the state of research regarding to these
> > issues, and critically evaluating the validity of the definitions and
> > concepts used in the various countries. In so doing, country-specific
> > processes and outcomes of the development of immigrant businesses as well
as
> > academic research can be identified. At the same time-by problematising the
> > current use of concepts such as 'the informal economy', 'the entrepreneur',
> > 'small businesses', 'immigrant/ethnic business' and so forth-a common
> > vocabulary can be developed. This will enhance the validity of the
> > international comparison. This first conference should be a starting point
> > for further collaborative and theoretical work and for identifying
> > structural determinants of immigrant entrepreneurship.
> >
> > In order to create a series of papers that will facilitate comparison and
to
> > enhance the coherence of the programme, the participants are strongly
> > encouraged to cover a similar set of topics:
> > · General background involving the socio-economic, political and
demographic
> > trends in the last two decades.
> > · The development of small enterprises in general and immigrant enterprises
> > in particular. The kind of sectors/markets/segments where immigrant
> > entrepreneurs can be predominantly found. The way immigrant enterprises are
> > linked to larger market. The horizontal or vertical mobility-if any-of
> > immigrant entrepreneurs, including the so-called breaking out of captive
> > markets. Possible locational variations with regard to these aspects.
> > · The regulatory regimes that exist with regard to (immigrant) enterprises
> > entrepreneurs (including the rules and regulations, policies and practices
> > with respect to the payment of taxes and social benefits, health care,
> > security, working hours, and the presence and employment of undocumented
> > immigrants and so on). The public or private arrangements aimed at
promoting
> > the interest of businesses in general or immigrant businesses in
particular.
> > · The characteristics or immigrant entrepreneurs as well as the
> > entrepreneurial strategies concerning the management of information,
> > financial management, the management of labour, marketing, and-if
> > applicable-the organisation of production.
> > · The work-force and the workplace regime.
> > · The state of the art with regard to academic research on these issues.
> > Certain entrepreneurial activities are carried out wholly or partly outside
> > the law. In such cases, it is important to specify the extent of the
> > informal or formal nature of the various economic activities.
> >
> > These topics are considered as essential empirical ingredients for a more
> > comprehensive view on immigrant entrepreneurship in an international
context
> > that allows thorough comparative analyses. Participants are, however, not
> > put in a straitjacket as these topics may be approached from different
> > theoretical angles.
> >
> > How to propose a paper
> >
> > Send in an abstract of your paper (300 - 500 words) by e-mail (integrated
in
> > your e-mail or attached as WordPerfect or Word file) to [log in to unmask]
> > Please send in your form as soon as possible. Researchers working in all
> > areas of the social sciences are encouraged to participate-including
> > historians, political scientists, anthropologists, geographers, economists,
> > and others-though we anticipate that this conference may be of particular
> > interest to economic sociologists.
> >
> > Travel & accommodation grants
> >
> > There is no registration fee. The only condition for participation is the
> > presentation of a paper that fits into the general framework. The costs of
> > travelling and accommodation are-in principle-for the participants.
However,
> > the coordinators of the network administer a small fund which allows them
to
> > award five grants to those participants whose papers-in their
> > view-contribute best to the general objectives of the network. The grant is
> > the total sum of the costs of travelling (apex fare) and accommodation in
> > Amsterdam. Participants who want to qualify for such a grant, are requested
> > to indicate that on their abstract. Their abstracts should be send in no
> > later than June 15, 1999.
> >
> > Further information
> >
> > Anyone who would like further information or who is interested in offering
a
> > paper should contact:
> >
> > Dr Jan Rath
> > Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES)
> > University of Amsterdam
> > Rokin 84
> > NL - 1012 KX  Amsterdam, the Netherlands
> > voice +31 20 525-3623 (secr. 3627)
> > fax +31 20 525-3628
> > e-mail [log in to unmask]
> > or check the internet at http://home.pscw.uva.nl/rath/ImmEnt.html
> >
> >
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