Business Strategies, Performance, and Influencing Factors: Chinese and Japanese Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Canada

This study investigates the business strategies and performance of immigrant-owned firms in Canada through a comparative case study. Based on thematic analysis of two entrepreneurial firms in the restaurant industry – one owned by Chinese and the other by Japanese immigrants, the author uncovers some differences while looking for consistent patterns between the two immigrant groups. The findings show that the immigrant entrepreneurs have all adjusted their business strategies to the external business environment, but their business practice and economic performance are also influenced by the unique resource endowments and cultural characteristics of the immigrant entrepreneurs and their respective communities. Based on these findings, the author discusses the implications for research and policy making.