Transnational networks, transnational entrepreneurship and role of the state: The Cases of Serbia and Albania

Development and migration policies, laws, legal framework for entrepreneurship in Serbia and Albania

No sampling or purposive sampling (CLARIFICATION FORM PI)

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Transnational entrepreneurs: citizens of Serbia/Albania who have studied or worked abroad for more than a year and then came back and founded a company in Serbia/Albania or expanded the business they started abroad, and the success of their business depends on regular cooperation with foreign countries. Focus was on a particular type of transnational migrant entrepreneurs who are actually return migrant entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs were reached through professional and private networks, but they were all initial informants.

Interviews were semi­structured and conducted in person with 15 entrepreneurs from Serbia (12 living in Serbia and 3 living between countries – Serbia/Slovenia/Germany, Serbia­/Hungary, USA­/Serbia). Interviews were conducted in Serbian and Albanian and later translated into English. They were used for the web survey creation.

A wider definition of transnational entrepreneurs was applied: In addition to citizens of Serbia/Albania who studied or worked abroad for more than a year and then returned and established a company in Serbia/Albania, we included those who were still abroad, but operated with Serbia/Albania, as well as employees in transnational companies.

Entrepreneurs were reached through professional and private networks. The snowball method was used to reach respondents through their networks. In Serbia (Albania), the sample included 15 business owners in Serbia (3 business owners in Albania), 10 business owners abroad (1 business owner abroad), 14 employees in transnational companies in Serbia (16 employees in transnational companies in Albania) and eight employees in transnational companies abroad (3 employees in trans companies abroad).

Survey was self-completed web survey conducted with 47 respondents from Serbia (28 live in Serbia and 19 still abroad – UK, Australia, India, USA, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Cyprus, France, Norway, Hungary) and 23 from Albania. The questionnaire consisted from 35 mostly closed question, with “other as offered answer and the possibility to explain what “other” is.