Unpacking the Black Box of Networks in Immigrant Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

ABSTRACT

With the rising number of migrations in the last few decades, immigrant entrepreneurship has increasingly attracted scholarly and policy attention globally. Yet, the nature and role of a crucial resource for immigrant entrepreneurs (IEs)—networks—have not been organized systematically. This paper systematically reviews and synthesizes existing literature at the intersection of immigrant entrepreneurship and networks, drawing from 132 studies identified from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Using the embeddedness approach, our analysis shows that migrant entrepreneurs utilize different network types that are socially, spatially, institutionally and multi‐contextually embedded. We also introduce the concept of the liability of migrant identity , which limits IE's access to host‐country networks and, subsequently, affects their business performance. This review contributes to the literature at the intersection of migrant entrepreneurship and networks by unpacking the black box of network types and their roles, while also offering definitional clarity on the various network types. Finally, we suggest avenues for future research, both as a firm starting point for new researchers on the topic and guidance for existing researchers aiming to advance the field.