Family entrepreneurship culture, entrepreneurial intent, futures and foresight in Scottish Pakistani communities

• The future for the businesses owned and managed by the Pakistani community in Scotland is likely to be mixed, as some develop toward heritage businesses whilst others fall victim to changing economic conditions.
• Entrepreneurial intent and the perceived importance of education are both strong within the community. Perceived ideals of how that education and entrepreneurial intent might best be channeled vary widely.
• Highly varied career aspirations for the next generation play a key role as some but by no means all families see the continuation of the family business as the ideal.
• For some families, business sale or closure will be appropriate. For others, involvement in the family business may be sought as a goal in itself or as a platform for further business start-up. Still others view the business as a means of supporting the family so that the next generation have the opportunity to do something of their own choosing.

Family businesses are an important sector of the economy and the Pakistani community in Scotland has as long been associated with the creation of family businesses, the vast majority of which remain in the first generation to settle in Scotland. Their future ownership remains unclear and is a matter of some economic and social importance. The current paper reviews the literature around culture, entrepreneurial intent and aspirations within this distinct community to provide foresight on the factors likely to influence future plans. By aligning this work with current literature from the field of family business, the paper develops foresight be considering both the community and business aspects as part of a coherent whole. The future for the businesses owned and managed by the Pakistani community in Scotland is likely to be mixed, as some develop toward heritage business status whilst others fall victim to changing economic conditions. Highly varied aspirations for the next generation also play a role as some but by no means all families see the continuation of the family business as the ideal.