Skip to main content

Understanding Diaspora Transnationalism

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies of Entrepreneurship in Africa ((PSEA))

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the notion of diaspora transnationalism which underpins much of the argument of the book. The chapter draws on the historical perspectives to elaborate on the origins of remittances and diaspora direct investment. The analysis goes back to the prehistoric roots of migratory movements geared at seeking additional resources and remitting to left-behind relatives in the country of origin (COO). From these historical accounts, it is clear that remittances play an important role in assuring the welfare of family and by extension the nation-state. Contemporary diaspora transnationalism espouses similar contours though it takes different forms and is enhanced by modern technology and global forces.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aikins, K., & White, N. (2011). Global diaspora strategies toolkit (pp. 31−40). Dublin: Diaspora Matters, Impress Printing Works.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aldrich, H. E., & Waldinger, R. (1990). Ethnicity and entrepreneurship. Annual Review of Sociology, 16(1), 111–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anas, A., & Xiong, K. (2003). Intercity trade and the industrial diversification of cities. Journal of Urban Economics, 54(2), 258–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basch, L., Schiller, N. G., & Blanc, C. S. (1994). Nations unbound: Transnational projects, postcolonial predicaments, and deterritorialized nation-states. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauböck, R., & Faist, T. (2010). Diaspora and transnationalism concepts—Theories and methods. IMISCOE Research, Amsterdam University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benzing, C., & Chu, H. M. (2009). A comparison of the motivations of small business owners in Africa. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 16(1), 60–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bewayo, E. D. (1995). Uganda entrepreneurs: Why are they in business. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 6(1), 67–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruneau, M. (2010). Diasporas, transnational spaces and communities. In R. Bauböck & T. Faist (Eds.), Diaspora and transnationalism: Concepts, theories and methods (pp. 35–50). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casale, G. (2006). The Ottoman administration of the spice trade in the sixteenth-century Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 49(2), 170–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christian, D. (2000). Silk roads or steppe roads? The silk roads in world history. Journal of World History, 11(1), 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu, H. M., Benzing, C., & McGee, C. (2007). Ghanaian and Kenyan entrepreneurs: A comparative analysis of their motivations, success characteristics and problems. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 12(03), 295–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, R. (1997). Global diasporas: An introduction. London: UCL Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtin, P. D. (1984). Cross-cultural trade in world history. Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, O., & Liu, X. (2009). Returnee entrepreneurs and firm performance in Chinese high-technology industries. International Business Review, 18(4), 373–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Debass, T., & Ardovino, M. (2009). Diaspora direct investment (DDI): The untapped resource for development. United States Agency for International Development, USAID Publication. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADO983.pdf.

  • Dees, J. G. (1998). Enterprising nonprofits. Harvard Business Review, 76, 54–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Haas, H. (2012). The migration and development pendulum: A critical view on research and policy. International Migration, 50(3), 8–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Djajić, S., & Michael, M. S. (2013). Guest worker programs: A theoretical analysis of welfare of the host and source countries. The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, 22(3), 454–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Efendić, A., Babić, B., & Rebmann, A. (2014). Diaspora and development. Sarjevo: Embassy of Switzerland in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillespie, K., Riddle, L., Sayre, E., & Sturges, D. (1999). Diaspora interest in homeland investment. Journal of International Business Studies, 30(3), 623–634.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godin, G., Conner, M., & Sheeran, P. (2005). Bridging the intention–behaviour gap: The role of moral norm. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44(4), 497–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldring, L. (1996). Blurring borders: Constructing transnational community in the process of Mexico-US migration. Research in Community Sociology, 6(2), 69–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, D. (2016). Business ownership and employment in immigrant-owned firms in Canada. In Economic Insights. Vancouver: University of British Columbia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guarnizo, L. E. (1997). The emergence of a transnational social formation and the mirage of return migration among Dominican transmigrants. Identities Global Studies in Culture and Power, 4(2), 281–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammar, T., Brochmann, G., Tamas, K., & Faist, T. (1997). International migration immobility and development: Multidisciplinary perspectives.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, F. L. K. (1981). American and Chinese passage to differences. Honolulu: University Hawaii Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Javorcik, B. S., Özden, Ç., Spatareanu, M., & Neagu, C. (2011). Migrant networks and foreign direct investment. Journal of Development Economics, 94(2), 231–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khanna, T., & Palepu, K. G. (2010). Winning in emerging markets: A road map for strategy and execution. Boston: Harvard Business Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingma, M. (2007). Nurses on the move: A global overview. Health Services Research, 42(3p2), 1281–1298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuznetsov, Y. (2006). Diaspora networks and the international migration of skills: How countries can draw on their talent abroad. Washington, DC: World Bank Institute.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kyle, D. (1999). The Otavalo trade diaspora: Social capital and transnational entrepreneurship. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 22, 422–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, P. (2001). Transnational migration: Taking stock and future directions. Global Networks, 1(3), 195–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Light, D. (2007). Dracula tourism in Romania cultural identity and the state. Annals of Tourism Research, 34(3), 746–765.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinelli, A. (1982). The political and social impact of transnational corporations. In H. Makler, A. Martinelli, & N. Smelser (Eds.), The new international economy. Beverly Hills, London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massey, D. S. (1990). American apartheid: Segregation and the making of the underclass. American Journal of Sociology, 96(2), 329–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, D. C. (1965). Toward a theory of motive acquisition. American Psychologist, 20(5), 321.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIlroy, J., & Croucher, R. (2013). The turn to transnational labor history and the study of global trade unionism. Labor History, 54(5), 491–511.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nancy, Y. W., & Aaron, C. A. (1998). Personal taste and family face: Luxury consumption in Confucian and Western societies. Psychology & Marketing, 15(5), 423–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neuman, E. (2016). Ethnic concentration and economic outcomes of natives and second-generation immigrants. International Journal of Manpower, 37(1), 157–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newland, K., & Tanaka, H. (2010). Mobilizing diaspora entrepreneurship for development. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, T. M., & Riddle, L. (2007). Why diasporas invest in the homeland: A conceptual model of motivation. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.987725.

  • Nielsen, T. M., & Riddle, L. (2010). Investing in peace: The motivational dynamics of diaspora investment in post-conflict economies. Journal of Business Ethics, 89(4), 435–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0399-z.

  • Nkongolo-Bakenda, J. M., & Chrysostome, E. V. (2013). Engaging diasporas as international entrepreneurs in developing countries: In search of determinants. Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 11(1), 30–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, D. C. (1990). Institutions. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 5(1), 97–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oviatt, B. M., & McDougall, P. P. (2005). Defining international entrepreneurship and modeling the speed of internationalization. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 29(5), 537–554.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelliot, P. (1912). Les influences iraniennes en Asie Centrale et en Extrême Orient. Emile Nourry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pistrui, D., Huang, W., Oksoy, D., Zhao, J., & Welsch, H. (2001). The characteristics and attributes of new Chinese entrepreneurs and their emerging enterprises. Business Forum, 24(3–4), 31–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A. (1997). Immigration theory for a new century: Some problems and opportunities. International Migration Review, 31(4), 799–825.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A. (2003). Conclusion: Theoretical convergencies and empirical evidence in the study of immigrant transnationalism. International Migration Review, 37(3), 874–892.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A., & Fernández-Kelly, P. (Eds.). (2015). The state and the grassroots: Immigrant transnational organizations in four continents. New York: Berghahn Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A., & Manning, R. D. (1986). The immigrant enclave: Theory and empirical examples. In S. Olzak & J. Nagel (Eds.), Competitive ethnic relations (pp. 47–68). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A., & Manning, R. D. (2005). The immigrant enclave: Theory and empirical examples. The Urban Sociology Reader, 38, 583–594.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratha, D., Eigen-Zucchi, C., & Plaza, S. (2016). Migration and remittances Factbook 2016. World Bank Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reese, P. R., & Aldrich, H. E. (1995). Entrepreneurial networks and business performance. International entrepreneurship (pp. 124–144). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riddle, G. (2008). U.S. Patent No. 7,406,522. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riddle, L., & Brinkerhoff, J. (2011). Diaspora entrepreneurs as institutional change agents: The case of Thamel.com. International Business Review, 20(6), 670–680.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riddle, L., & Marano, V. (2008). Harnessing investment potential through homeland export and investment promotion agencies: The case of Afghanistan. In J. Brinkerhoff (Ed.), Diasporas and development: Exploring the potential. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riddle, L., Hrivnak, G. A., & Nielsen, T. M. (2010). Transnational diaspora entrepreneurship in emerging markets: Bridging institutional divides. Journal of International Management, 16(4), 398–411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Royle, M. T., & Hall, A. T. (2012). The relationship between McClelland’s theory of needs, feeling individually accountable, and informal accountability for others. International Journal of Management and Marketing Research, 5(1), 21–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandip, S. (2006). Trends and patterns of labor supply and unemployment in India. Processed, Delhi: ILO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saxenian, A. (2006). International mobility of engineers and the rise of entrepreneurship in the periphery (No. 2006/142). Research Paper, UNU-WIDER, United Nations University (UNU).

    Google Scholar 

  • Schiller, N. G., Basch, L., & Blanc, C. S. (1995). From immigrant to transmigrant: Theorizing transnational migration. Anthropological Quarterly, 68(1), 48–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skaff, J. K. (2003). The Sogdian trade diaspora in East Turkestan during the seventh and eighth centuries. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 46(4), 475–524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J. B. (1998). Buyer–seller relationships: Similarity, relationship management, and quality. Psychology & Marketing, 15(1), 3–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. P., & Guarnizo, L. E. (Eds.). (1998). Transnationalism from below (Vol. 6). New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokolowski, K., Schmalt, H. D., Langens, T. A., & Puca, R. M. (2000). Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: The Multi-Motive Grid (MMG). Journal of Personality Assessment, 74(1), 126–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorenson, T. L. (2007). Credible collusion in multimarket oligopoly. Managerial and Decision Economics, 28(2), 115–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarrius, A. (2001). Au-delà des États-nations: des sociétés de migrants. Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales, 17(2), 37–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thieme, S. (2008). Sustaining livelihoods in multi‐local settings: Possible theoretical linkages between transnational migration and livelihood studies. Mobilities, 3(1), 51–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wise, R. D., & Cypher, J. M. (2007). The strategic role of Mexican labor under NAFTA: Critical perspectives on current economic integration. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 610(1), 119–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeung, H. W. C. (2002). Transnational corporations and business networks: Hong Kong firms in the ASEAN region. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A., & George, G. (2002). International entrepreneurship: The current status of the field and future research agenda. In M. Hilt, R. Ireland, M. Camp, & D. Sexton (Eds.), Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating a new mindset (pp. 255–288). London: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Osa-Godwin Osaghae .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8.

Table 2.1 Inventory of Burkina Faso
Table 2.2 Inventory of Côte d’Ivoire
Table 2.3 Inventory of Ethiopia
Table 2.4 Inventory of Guinea
Table 2.5 Inventory of Mali
Table 2.6 Inventory of Nigeria
Table 2.7 Inventory of Zambia
Table 2.8 Inventory of Zimbabwe

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Osaghae, OG. (2018). Understanding Diaspora Transnationalism. In: Hack-Polay, D., Siwale, J. (eds) African Diaspora Direct Investment. Palgrave Studies of Entrepreneurship in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72047-0_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics