Refugee self-employment: how resettlement journeys shape entrepreneurial behavioural attributes

Entrepreneurial behavioural attributes are ancillary to business start-ups and the development process. Refugees navigate complex economic, political, social, and cultural issues in their home, transition, and host countries. These multiple contexts that refugees are embedded in shape the development of their entrepreneurial attributes. Using qualitative data collected from 19 New Zealand refugee entrepreneurs, this study explores how refugee 'flight' and 'settlement' shape their entrepreneurial behavioural attribute development. The results indicate that hardships and asylum-seeking experiences, such as changing circumstances and living in multiple countries, create conditions or situations that enhance six key behavioural attributes required for self-employment. The refugees' self-confidence, hard work ethic, resilience, adaptability, resourcefulness, and active learning attributes are sharpened due to their experiences in home, transition, and host countries. These key behavioural attributes facilitate entrepreneurial action and refugee integration through business start-ups and development in the host countries.