PUSH AND PULL FACTORS INFLUENCING THAI IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN MALAYSIA

Authors

  • Laila Yanai Accenture Malaysia, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8295-8567
  • Zizah Che Senik Centre of Value Creation and Human Well-being Studies (INSAN), Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9923-8550
  • Nur Sa’adah Muhamad Centre of Value Creation and Human Well-being Studies (INSAN), Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3331-8563
  • Hamizah Abd Hamid Centre of Global Business and Digital Economy Studies (GloBDE), Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8031-8075
  • Nurul Atasha Jamaludin Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3545-3398

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss2pp19-47

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the push and pull factors that influence Thai immigrant entrepreneurs (TIEs) to conduct a business in Malaysia. As a neighbouring country, Malaysia is one of the favourite migration destinations for TIEs, with an influx of them involved in restaurant businesses across the country. This phenomenon offers this study with an unconventional background for immigrant entrepreneurship as it occurs within the context of developing, non-Western countries.

 

Methodology: Outlined by previous studies on push and pull factors of immigration and immigrant entrepreneurship, this research employed a qualitative approach focusing on the experiences of six TIEs operating Thai/Siamese restaurants in Bandar Baru Bangi, a town located approximately 30 km south of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Data were collected mainly through face-to-face interviews among owners of restaurants in their premises, which ensures richness in the data.

 

Findings: The findings indicated several categories of business-based emigration factors for TIEs to Malaysia, spanning from economic, political, and social factors.

 

Contributions: Overall, the present research extends the knowledge of immigrant entrepreneurship especially within the non-Western context. Practice-wise, this study provides implications for policymakers in relation to business activities conducted by migrants in neighbouring countries, which are useful for both Malaysia and Thailand as the host and the origin country respectively.

 

Keywords: Thai immigrant entrepreneurs, Thailand, Malaysia, restaurant business, push and pull factors.

 

Cite as: Yanai, L., Che Senik, Z., Muhamad, N. S., Abd Hamid, H., & Jamaludin, N. A. (2020). Push and pull factors influencing Thai immigrant entrepreneurs conducting business in Malaysia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 5(2), 19-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss2pp19-47

Author Biographies

  • Laila Yanai, Accenture Malaysia, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Laila Yanai is from Thailand. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), majoring in International Business in 2018. Currently she is working as an Accounting Associate at Accenture Malaysia. She is interested in transnational studies related to her home country, Thailand.

  • Zizah Che Senik, Centre of Value Creation and Human Well-being Studies (INSAN), Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Zizah Che Senik (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). She obtained BSc at University of Alabama, USA, MBA in UKM, and Ph.D. from Murdoch University, Australia. She received a Post-Doctorate Diploma in Entrepreneurship at Cambridge Judge Business School, UK. Her research interests include international entrepreneurship, cross-culture management, SMEs internationalization & dynamics capabilities, immigrant entrepreneurship and qualitative research.  

  • Nur Sa’adah Muhamad, Centre of Value Creation and Human Well-being Studies (INSAN), Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Nur Sa’adah Muhamad (DBA) is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics & Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). She received her LL.B and LL.BS from International Islamic University Malaysia, and later graduated with an MBA and Doctor of Business Administration from UKM-Graduate School of Business, UKM. Her current research interests include strategic/organizational management, social service innovation, Islamic-based services and qualitative studies.

  • Hamizah Abd Hamid , Centre of Global Business and Digital Economy Studies (GloBDE), Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Hamizah Abd Hamid (Ph.D.) is a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She obtained her Ph.D from University of Otago, New Zealand, focusing on migrant entrepreneurs in Malaysia. Her research interests include topics on cross-cultural entrepreneurship and international business, supported by various domestic and international research bodies. She specializes in qualitative methods and welcomes new collaborations through hamizah.h@ukm.edu.my.

  • Nurul Atasha Jamaludin, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

    Nurul Atasha Jamaludin is currently a Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Economics & Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). She graduated with BBA and MBA from UKM. Her research interests include entrepreneurship, immigrant entrepreneurship, social capital, organizational behavior, and qualitative research.

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Published

2020-06-25

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2: Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

PUSH AND PULL FACTORS INFLUENCING THAI IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURS CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN MALAYSIA. (2020). Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 5(2), 19-47. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss2pp19-47