Do genetic traits of humans influence approaches to entrepreneurship: A comparative study of asian origin entrepreneurs in kenya and native kenyan businessmen

Abstract

Many Asians migrated to Kenya in the late 19th century. Some of these Asians have been running successful entrepreneurship ventures, some of which are over a century old. The study investigated whether there are any differences in the approach to entrepreneurship between the businessmen of Asian origin and those of African origin. A questionnaire was administered to 80 entrepreneurs of Asian origin and 75 of African origin doing businesses in two major Kenyan cities, Nairobi and Kisumu. The Asian origin entrepreneurs were more into manufacturing businesses, more exposed to challenges, and had global education and a higher element of being next generation entrepreneurs than those of African origin. African origin Entrepreneurs were more likely to initiate businesses on their own, enjoyed community support and enrolled for more technical training, but were more risk averse. This article revolves around the theme of how socioeconomic evolution affects the way businesses are conducted.

Citation

Prakash, A. and Ouma, J.A. (2013), "Do genetic traits of humans influence approaches to entrepreneurship: A comparative study of asian origin entrepreneurs in kenya and native kenyan businessmen", International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 94-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-16-01-2013-B005