Immigrant entrepreneurs out of the shell? An investigation of individual characteristics on the propensity to seek external advice.

Immigrant entrepreneurs are typically categorized as disadvantaged as they often lack access to the networks that can provide financing, information, and external advice which are fundamental for the survival and sustainability of their businesses. Analysing a sample of 238 entrepreneurs (119 ethnic and 119 native entrepreneurs) of SMEs located in the metropolitan city of Milan (Italy), the chapter focuses on individual factors that are linked to ethnic firm owners’ decisions to seek external advice. The findings of this study suggest that ethnic entrepreneurs’ gender, education and individual resilience impact their behavioural choices regarding the use of external sources of advice. Our study contributes to the under-researched area that links individual resilience, entrepreneurs’ characteristics and behaviours and it sheds light on the importance of human capital and gender-based differences for mobilizing social capital in disadvantaged contexts.