Longitudinal qualitative study reveals digital technologies expand social capital in female migrant entrepreneurs, highlighting pathways to overcome intersectional barriers.
Key Points
To investigate how self-employed African female migrants utilize digital technologies to navigate socially constructed ethnic and gender disadvantages in their business ventures.
Conducted a 4-year longitudinal qualitative study involving 16 female migrant entrepreneurs in Northeast Scotland.
Applied social capital and intersectionality theoretical lenses to analyze evolving narratives and categorize emerging themes.
Adoption of digital technologies enabled entrepreneurs to transcend ethnic silos and gendered expectations, significantly expanding their enterprise horizons.
Digitalization altered business contexts by mitigating social isolation, supporting operational continuity, and cultivating broader professional networks.