Entrepreneurial Practices in an Age of Super-Diversity: A Study of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs in the UK

Whilst entrepreneurship has traditionally been seen as solely an economic pursuit, increasingly a complementary view has emerged, viewing entrepreneurship as a contextualised ‘social practice’—recognising how forms of entrepreneurship, taking place in everyday life, are situated in specific social contexts in which entrepreneurs are embedded. This paper contributes to on-going debates in the sub-fields of informal and ethnic entrepreneurship by outlining the heterogeneous nature of entrepreneurial practices amongst Ukrainian immigrants in the UK. The chapter highlights how individuals mobilise different forms of capital in developing their informal entrepreneurial practices, often utilising capital acquired in Ukraine to facilitate entrepreneurial practices in the UK and vice-versa using capital acquired in the UK to assist business ventures in Ukraine. The paper’s findings contribute to on-going debates by highlighting that the motivations of such entrepreneurs are driven out of opportunity as much as necessity. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the ramifications for policy and directions for further research.