New multiculturalism is visible in the context of entrepreneurship, and other forms of economic activity. In the case of Poland migration adds another layer to diversity within mature organizations (like corporations), as well as within the labour market. Those phenomena are not new, as expatriates has been present in companies in Poland for a long time. But the scale, directions, and changing form of migration influences the entrepreneurial and organizational landscape. Poland attracts both transit, and permanent migrants. They often engage in entrepreneurial activities – traditional, imitation based ones, as well as more diversified and innovative ones.
One of many potential questions is if the concept of superdiversity, quite fashionable in migrant entrepreneurship studies, can be useful in a Polish business context. Superdiversity, as a phenomenon, reshapes social and business landscape in many countries around the world. The term is quite new, was coined by sociologist Steven Vertovec in 2007, is most often used in a context of migrations and refers to some levels of population diversity that are significantly higher than before. Such ‘diversification of diversity’ offers new opportunities and challenges on a country, regional, metropolitan as well as organizational level. As Vertovec claims, people are creating and practicing new, crosscutting contacts and relationships in diversifying cities every day.
Another question is connected with ties migrants use and build in their economic activities. The importance of ethnic ties has been studied for a very long time. But how those ties are used to create intangible resources, or to gain access to material resources? How, and under what circumstances migrant entrepreneurs prefer to use local or transactional networks?
In the presentation I will refer to some of my studies that may shed light to the abovementioned questions.
