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The Case Story of Inga, an Estonian Craft Shop Owner in Finland

The Nordic Diaspora—So Familiar But So Different

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Diaspora Networks in International Business

Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

Abstract

This chapter reveals the essential roles of trust and bridging social capital in an immigrant business start-up process, which takes place in an environment lacking business opportunities based on serving one’s own ethnic community. The narrative unveils how the business start-up process of Inga—an Estonian in Finland—is intertwined with the personal and professional processes of her social inclusion in a new host country. There were several liabilities to overcome during the business start-up process, despite the cultural proximity of her home and host countries. Her story reveals a little-studied phenomenon of the Nordic diaspora.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Satu Aaltonen & Elisa Akola

Authors
  1. Satu Aaltonen
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  2. Elisa Akola
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satu Aaltonen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics, Belt & Road, Institute of International Business, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Maria Elo

  2. Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Maria Elo

  3. Migration Institute of Finland, Turku, Finland

    Maria Elo

  4. Mona School of Business and Management, The University of West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica

    Indianna Minto-Coy

  5. International Migration Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada

    Indianna Minto-Coy

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Aaltonen, S., Akola, E. (2019). The Case Story of Inga, an Estonian Craft Shop Owner in Finland. In: Elo, M., Minto-Coy, I. (eds) Diaspora Networks in International Business. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91095-6_18

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