An intersectional perspective on the entrepreneurial intention of female Ukrainian migrants and refugees

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the article is to examine potential variations among migrants from Ukraine concerning their entrepreneurial intention, considering the nature of migration (economic or forced) and their motherhood.

Research Design & Methods: In May 2023, a quantitative study surveyed 404 Ukrainian women in Poland. Utilising a research panel enabled longitudinal analysis, which is particularly valuable in migration studies aiming to grasp the entrepreneurial intentions of female Ukrainian migrants and refugees. The study unveiled demographic disparities between the two groups, encompassing migrant and parental status.

Findings: Pre-war migrant women exhibit higher entrepreneurial intentions compared to female refugees. Motherhood significantly influences the entrepreneurial intentions of both groups, particularly among women with children under 3. We observed correlations between parental status and entrepreneurial intentions. Migration’s voluntary or involuntary nature significantly impacts these aspirations.

Implications & Recommendations: There’s a need for inclusive startup ecosystems for female migrants, requiring targeted programs to address language barriers and cultural adaptation and improve access to education, employment and childcare. Entrepreneurship support needs to be catered to on demand. An intersectional approach is crucial to address their unique circumstances.

Contribution & Value Added: The intersectional approach, which examines not only the entrepreneurial intentions among women but also their migration status (voluntary/involuntary) and parental status, is novel.

Keywords

entrepreneurial intention, intersectionality, female migrants, female refugees, motherhood

Author Biography

Jolanta Maj

PhD in political science (2014, Willy Brandt Center for German and European Studies University of Wrocław). Assistant professor at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Poland). Her research interests include diversity management and inclusion and their impact on business innovation and efficiency.

Alexandra David

PhD in sociology (2015, University of Twente in Enschede, the Netherlands). Senior Researcher at the West-phalian University Gelsenkirchen, Institute for Work and Technology (IAT) and lecturer at the Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany). Here, her research questions focus on diversity, migration, innovation, and integration, with a special focus on migrant and refugee entrepreneurship.

Aneta Hamza-Orlinska

Assistant Professor in Human Resource Management. She joined EM Normandie in 2021. She has a PhD in management from the Université Paris-Dauphine-PSL, awarded in 2019. Her research interests are diversity and inclusion, and the transfer of human resource management practices from multinational companies to their subsidiaries in Europe. Prior to joining EM Normandie, she worked in Trinity Business School, Dublin Business School and Paris-East Créteil University.

Maciej Filipowicz

PhD in social sciences (2015, University of Silesia in Katowice). An employee of the Opolskie Labour Office, and an associate of Opole University. His research interests are related to socio-cultural determinants of labour market participation (unemployment and employment), migration and social exclusion.

Sabina Kubieciel-Lodzinska

PhD in economics (2010, Wrocław University of Economics and Business). Assistant professor at the Opole University of Technology (Poland). Her research interests include economic migration, migrant entrepreneurship and the inclusion of refuges and migrants in the labour market.

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