Migrant Entrepreneurs as Drivers of Wage and Labour Standards: Transnational Normative and Structural Embeddedness for Promoting Development in Kosovo

Migrant and diaspora entrepreneurs who create economic links between origin and immigration countries are increasingly seen as development actors. However, it remains unclear to what extent they improve working standards in their countries of origin and what motives and conditions shape their actions. Using a combined analytical frame—transnational normative and structural embeddedness—this article critically examines wage and labour norms promoted by migrant entrepreneurs and relates them to the opportunities and constraints they face when bridging markets across borders. Drawing on around 50 qualitative interviews with migrant entrepreneurs and stakeholders in Kosovo, particularly in the ICT sector, I argue that migrant entrepreneurs connecting to international markets often foster higher wages, social security and workforce training in the country of origin. Yet, these shifts result not only from transferred norms and values experienced in immigration countries but also from national and international market pressures. Despite a 40% increase in entry-level wages in some firms, businesses struggle to retain workers amid local competition and ongoing emigration to the European Union, where social protections are stronger. As a response, entrepreneurs increasingly call on the Kosovar state to strengthen social security systems and improve educational standards and to anchor their development efforts more firmly in institutional structures.