Diaspora Entrepreneurship between History and Theory

The history of diaspora entrepreneurship is becoming a vibrant area of research.2 Its intricate nature invites and challenges scholars to combine in their analyses elements from the theories of entrepreneurship and the firm; international business studies; cultural history; and the history of the rise of the world economy and the West. This interdisciplinary case study of diaspora entrepreneurship examines the organizational form of nineteenth-century trading companies (TCs). In spite of their significant contribution to global trade, these international business institutions have attracted little attention among scholars, with the notable exceptions of Chapman (1977, 1985), Casson (1990, 1997) and Jones (1996, 2000). In this chapter, through a comparison of Western and Greek diaspora TCs, we strive for a better understanding of the distinguishing features of Greek diaspora business methods. At a more general level our analysis, through the interwining of history with theory, prompts a rethinking of conventional theoretical perspectives and provides insights on how the process of formation of concrete economic organizations is related to entrepreneurship.