Capitalizing on Opportunities during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Business Transitions among Chinese Immigrant Entrepreneurs in France
| Autor: | Xiabing Chen (陈柙兵), Simeng Wang (王思萌) |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), CERMES3 - Centre de recherche Médecine, sciences, santé, santé mentale, société (CERMES3 - UMR 8211 / U988 / UM 7), École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP), Sorbonne Université (SU), ANR-20-COVI-0046,MigraChiCovid,Migrations chinoises de France face au Covid-19 : Émergence de nouvelles formes de solidarité en temps de crise(2020) |
| Předmět: |
Cultural Studies
Online and offline business transitions Economic growth Entrepreneurship [SHS.SOCIO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Sociology Sociology and Political Science media_common.quotation_subject Immigration Social engagement Chinese entrepreneurs [SHS.SCIPO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Political science digital business [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences Asian studies Empirical research the Covid-19 pandemic Anthropology 8. Economic growth Pandemic France Business China media_common |
| Zdroj: | HAL Journal of Chinese Overseas Journal of Chinese Overseas, Brill Academic Publishers, 2021, 17 (2), pp.293-317. ⟨10.1163/17932548-12341446⟩ Journal of Chinese Overseas, Brill Academic Publishers, 2021, 17 (2), pp.293-317 |
| ISSN: | 1793-0391 1793-2548 |
| DOI: | 10.1163/17932548-12341446⟩ |
| Popis: | This article analyses business transitions among Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs in France during the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on a historical overview of the development of ethnic Chinese businesses over the last century and an empirical study carried out in five different industrial sectors (import and export, retail, catering, hotel, and tobacco) of the French economy, we examine what challenges these entrepreneurs have faced during the pandemic, what strategies they have adopted in response to these challenges, and what has enabled them to shift business patterns and commercial practices in this unprecedented situation. Our findings show that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition of Chinese immigrant entrepreneurship in France, from offline operations to digital business. However, the pandemic may not be the direct cause of this business transition; rather, it has created unique conditions which facilitate the transition. Before the pandemic, some Chinese entrepreneurs had already made or partially made the transition to “integrating online and offline businesses,” “hiring beyond Chinese ethnic networks,” and “paying attention to the local country’s policy directions,” which helped them greatly reduce the negative impacts of the pandemic. During the pandemic, two unprecedented business opportunities were opened up: “fostering local production” and “seeking low-risk sectors,” which some Chinese entrepreneurs have proactively pursued since April/May 2020. These may be the new trends for Chinese entrepreneurs in France in the future. Theoretically, our study suggests that business transitions among Chinese entrepreneurs in France need to be examined beyond the framework of pure economic rationality, taking into consideration the intersection of new dynamics of Chinese migration into host country and the cross-cultural, cross-institutional, cross-thinking, and cross-border social engagement of the entrepreneurs themselves before, during, and after the pandemic. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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