Acculturation dynamics and entrepreneurial pathways for community development: a comparative analysis of immigrant and native entrepreneurs in Greece

Immigrant entrepreneurship significantly contributes to socio-economic development, particularly within service sectors like tourism. Despite extensive research, literature often overlooks how migration experience and adaptive processes shape entrepreneurial pathways and community contributions. This study addresses this gap by examining entrepreneurial dynamics in Greece’s tourism sector, comparing immigrant and native entrepreneurs. Drawing on acculturation theory, we analyse how acculturation conditions, orientations, and outcomes impact entrepreneurial outcomes. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA), we identify distinctive pathways through which entrepreneurs contribute to local communities, shaped by structural conditions, institutional frameworks, and individual coping strategies. Results show that both immigrant and native entrepreneurs share reliance on proactive orientation and adaptive coping. Immigrants, however, uniquely leverage ethnic networks and heightened emotional resilience towards community development. These findings show the interconnectedness of acculturation, adaptive orientations, and community outcomes, offering policymakers insights to develop inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and optimize community impact.