Differences in the perception and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities by immigrants

This paper aims to examine the difference between immigrants and natives in Spain in their perception and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities. The study analyses data obtained from the Spanish Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) with regard to perception of business opportunities in the environment and their exploitation. A contribution is offered to the existing literature by offering insights into the differences in perceiving entrepreneurial opportunities between immigrants and natives. The results of this study reveal a difference between the level of opportunity perception and exploitation between immigrants and natives and found differences in opportunity perception depending on the immigrants׳ origin. Although immigrants from non-European Union countries perceive significantly more opportunities to create a business in Spain than European Union immigrants, they surprisingly do not exploit them in a significantly larger percentage.