Plenary Lecture
The Global Impact of Female Immigrant Entrepreneurship:
Studying a Growing Economic Force in Small and Medium sized Business Enterprises
Professor Daphne Halkias
Visiting Professor
Senior Research Fellow
Consultant for Special Projects to the Executive Vice President
Hellenic American University
Athens Campus
12 Kaplanon Street
Athens, Greece 10680
E-mail: daphne_halkias@yahoo.com
Abstract:
While the extant literature reviews issues of female entrepreneurship,
the minority group of female immigrant entrepreneurs has not been adequately
investigated. As the female immigrant entrepreneurship population is growing
across continents, it is important to identify key social and business
demographics contributing to the life cycle issues of these small
businesses started by female immigrants – and their economic impact
on host societies. The scope of female immigrant entrepreneurial activity
may be understood by looking at industry sector, use of technology, firm
employment growth potential, and work-family balance issues.
The implications for economic, social, and immigration policy from such
a study are varied. The conclusions from previous studies have pointed
to significant evidence for two important conclusions:
- Women entrepreneurs can be found in every country and under all circumstances.
Whether involved in early stage activity or in established businesses, female
immigrant entrepreneurship is an increasingly important part of the economic
profile of any country. This group also includes female immigrant entrepreneurs.
- A significant and systematic gap still exists in the entrepreneurial involvement
and business ownership of men compared to women. This gap is more pronounced in
high-income countries and in more technology-intense sectors. While it is beyond
the scope of this report to be prescriptive about policy recommendations to
enhance women’s entrepreneurship, it is clear that understanding the differences
that exist is an important first step to formulating sound strategies and
initiatives.
Such as their host country counterparts, female immigrant entrepreneurs are becoming
an increasingly important component of the world economy, its productivity growth,
and its struggle against poverty. The need to conduct comparative research on the
entrepreneurial activities of this group cross nationally is greater than ever before.
Comparative research on the incorporation of immigrant groups in the global marketplace
is an essential next step, especially for international research protocols since many of
the immigrant entrepreneurship studies remain focused almost exclusively on incorporation
in the American context.
Such a narrow focus no longer benefits social science or international business research
in a globalized world, where movement across national borders has become commonplace. The
United States is no longer the primary receiving country. Many other countries now share
the increasingly common challenges posed by immigrant integration in their national and
regional economies. Moreover, only through international comparisons can the impact of
immigrant entrepreneurship on the incorporation process be revealed. The growth and
sustainability of immigrant entrepreneurship is a key economic and social factor for
the long-term prospects of successful incorporation worldwide and calls for immediate
scholarly study and analysis.
Brief Biography of the speaker:
Daphne Halkias, PhD
daphne_halkias@yahoo.com
(a) Professional Preparation
Alliant International
University, San Diego, CA
(b)
Appointments
Visiting Professor
Senior Research
Fellow
2006 - Present
Consultant for Special Projects to the
Executive Vice President
Hellenic American University – Athens Campus,
Athens, Greece
Academic Member/Researcher
2006 - 2008
Athens Institute for Education
and Research, Athens, Greece
Research/Teaching Associate
2003 - 2005
Department of Management, College
of Management,
Long
Island University, NY
Visiting Graduate Professor
2004 - 2006
International MBA Program
American College of Greece, Athens, Greece
Research Associate
2000 - 2005
National Center for the Study of
Corporal Punishment
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Chairperson, Dept. of Psychology and Education
1988 - 2004
University of LaVerne, Athens Greece
School Psychologist
1990 - 1999
TASIS Hellenic International School, Athens, Greece
Consulting Psychologist
1988 – 1991
-
The Pinewood
School, Thessaloniki, Greece
-
U.S. Air Force
Hospital, Athens, Greece
-
U.S. Embassy,
Athens Greece
Director of Clinical Services
1980 - 1987
Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation center, San Diego, CA
Chairperson, Chemical Dependency Studies
1980 - 1987
National University, San Diego,
CA
Associate Professor, Behavioral Science
1985 - 1987
National University, San Diego, CA
Invited Guest Speaker:
-
World Entreprenruship Summit 2008,
London, Topic: “Entrepreneurship and
Minorities”
-
Center for Global and Strategic Management at The
Copenhagen Business School,
Fredrickberg, Denmark, Invited presentation on he topic: “The
Female Immigrant Entrepreneurship Project at Hellenic American
University”, September, 2007
-
University of Paris Diderot,
Paris, France, Invited Presentation on the Topic:
-
Oxford Conference on Business and Economics,
St. Hughes College, Oxford University, Oxford, UK, Invited
presentation and leader of Special Session on the topic: “Ethics
and International MBA: Transmitting Accountability and Sociaol
Responsibility in the Global Classroom”, June, 2007
-
6thGlobal Conference on Business and
Economics,Harvard University,
Invited presentation and leader of Special Session on the topic: “The
International MBA: Engineering the Global Classroom” , October, 2006
- INSEAD,
Fontainebleau, FRANCE Invited to the Wendel Ceter for Family
Enterprise to present research on father-daughter succession issues
in the family business, June, 2005
-
Yale University, New
Haven, Connecticut, USA Invited to Yale Eating Disorders Clinic by
Dr. Kathleen Hendrickson and Dr. Kelly Brownell to address clinical
psychology students on my research on eating disorders, November, 2005
-
New England Association of School and Colleges (NEASC),
Invited to Assessment Conference
jointly sponsored by NEASC and the University of New Hampshire on the
topic “Assessing Quality of Learning Outcomes in NEASC Institutions
Abroad: What Happens when an American Institution is also a “Local”
Institution?”, November, 2005
-
Oxford University, Oxford, UK,
Invited to Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics by Dr. Jonathan
Grimes to speak and consult on the efficacy of serotonin reuptake
inhibitors in the treatment of depression and eating disorders
(c)
Synergistic Activities
Consultation services and training corporations,
business, academic and medical organizations on issues of organizational
behavior and development, particularly: executive coaching, stress
management, cross-cultural relationships, leadership, strategy,
entrepreneurship and innovation, faculty development, communication
skills; also various medical/psychological topics
(d)
Selected Publications/Conference Appearances
-
Halkias, D., Harkiolakis, N., Thurman, P.,
Caracatsanis, S., “Internet Usage for Health-Related Purposes among
Greek Consumers” a research paper prepared for conference
presentation at the 6th Computer Informatics Conference, Crete,
Greece, July, 2007 .
·
Halkias, D., Harkiolakis, N., Abadir, S., Thurman, P., Akrivos, D.,
Caracatsanis, S., Characteristics and Business Profiles of
Immigrant-Owned Small Firms: The Case of Albanian Immigrant
Entrepreneurs in Greece , a research paper prepared for
conference presentation at the Oxford Business and Economics Research
Confernece, Oxford, UK, June, 2007 .
-
Halkias, D., “Distance Education in Support of Lifelong Learning:
The Case of the Hellas Alive Web Platform in Building Greek Language
Learning Communities”, a paper prepared for
presentation at the WACRA Case Study Conference, Florence,
Italy, January 2007
-
Halkias, D., Harkiolakis, N., “Ladywear:
The Case Study of a Greek
Entrepreneur Entering
the Regional Market”, a case study prepared for
presentation at 6th Global Conference on Business and
Economics,Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts,
October, 2006
-
Halkias, D., Harkiolakis, N., Abadir, S.,
“Complexity and Chaos Theory as Applied to Executive Coaching: A
Cross-National Study Surveying Business Executives’ Perceptions in
Greece, Lebanon and Egypt on Working with Coaches Using an “Edge of
Chaos” Perspective”, a research paper prepared for conference
presentation at John Hopkins University, August, 2006.
-
Halkias, D., Stavrou-Costea, E., Swierszc, P., Abadir, S., Akrivos,
D., “Daughters’ Intentions to Succeed Fathers in the Family
Business: Securing the Future of the Family Enterprise in Greece”,
a research paper prepared for the Congress of the International
Council of Psychologists, Kos, Greece, July 11, 2006.
-
Harkiolakis, N., Halkias, D., Stamoulis, D., “Barriers to the
Introduction of Technology in Small Family Business Enterprises
in Greece”, a research presentation being prepared for the
International Congress of Applied Psychology, Athens University,
Athens, Greece, July 11, 2006
-
Halkias, D., et al., “Advances in
E-Therapy and Psychological Treatment in Europe: Perceptions and
Barriers to the Introduction of Information Technology in Professional
Practice Among Greek Psychiatrists", Book of Abstracts of
Centennial Congress of the World Psychiatric Association, Madrid,
Spain, April 20, 2006
-
Halkias, D., et al., “Advances in
E-Therapy in Europe: Perceptions and Barriers to the Introduction of
Information Technology in Professional Practice Among Greek Counseling
Psychologists", Book of Abstracts of the 8th Conference
of the European Counseling Association, Panteion University,
Athens, Greece, April 1, 2006
-
Halkias, D., et al., “Making Sense of
Complexity and Chaos as Applied to Executive Coaching”, Book of
Abstracts of the 2nd Non-Linear Science Conference,
Foundation for Science and Technology, Heraklion, Crete, March 12,
2006
-
Harkiolakis, N., Halkias, D., Antoniou, A., “The Need for
Psychological Assessment of IT Personnel Involved with Organizational
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plans”, Proceedings of
the 7th Hellenic European Conference on Computer
Mathematics and its Applications, Athens, Greece, September 22,
2005
-
Halkias, D., et al., “Online Buyer Behavior
and Perceptions in Greece”, Proceedings of The National
Congress of Knowledge Management and Applied Systems Studies,
Tripolis, Greece, May 13, 2005
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