doi: 10.58763/rc2024201
Scientific and Technological Research Article
El emprendimiento migrante venezolano en México
Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurship in Mexico
Alba Gabriela Ramírez
Hernández1 
*
RESUMEN
El emprendimiento constituye un medio de integración para las personas migrantes y es clave fundamental del desarrollo humano. Bajo la necesidad teórica de conocer ¿cómo es el emprendimiento de los migrantes venezolanos en México?, el objetivo general fue describir el emprendimiento migrante venezolano en México. El estudio se abordó desde el paradigma constructivista y desde el enfoque etnográfico, lo cual permitió un conocimiento profundo del emprendimiento migrante, analizado desde las Teorías de las Ciencias Sociales. Los datos se recabaron mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas guiadas durante la observación directa de campo, a partir de una muestra intencional no probabilística, constituida por ocho emprendedores migrantes venezolanos establecidos en México. Los parámetros de selección respondieron a la disponibilidad de los participantes; los datos se revisaron mediante un análisis iterativo basado en observaciones constantes, garantizando así la integridad metodológica. Efectivamente, existen coincidencias destacadas entre los resultados y la revisión de la literatura. Se identificó que los migrantes venezolanos poseen emprendimientos por oportunidad, los cuales son exitosos en el contexto mexicano, que les brinda múltiples oportunidades para el desarrollo de sus competencias, superando incluso las dificultades.
Palabras clave: emprendimiento, migración laboral, venezolanos.
Clasificación JEL: F22; J61; R23
ABSTRACT
Entrepreneurship constitutes a means of integration for migrants and is a fundamental key to human development. Under the theoretical need to know the entrepreneurship of Venezuelan migrants in Mexico, the general objective was to describe Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurship in Mexico. The study was approached from the constructivist paradigm and the ethnographic approach, which allowed a deep knowledge of migrant entrepreneurship to be analyzed from the Theories of Social Sciences. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews guided during direct field observation from a non-probabilistic intentional sample of eight Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs established in Mexico. The selection parameters responded to the availability of the participants; the data were reviewed through an iterative analysis based on constant observations, thus guaranteeing methodological integrity. Indeed, there are remarkable coincidences between the results and the literature review. It was identified that Venezuelan migrants have ventures by opportunity, which are successful in the Mexican context, providing them with multiple opportunities to develop their competencies and even overcome difficulties.
Keywords: entrepreneurship, labor migration, venezuelans.
JEL Classification: F22; J61; R23
Received: 14-09-2023 Revised: 31-10-2023 Accepted: 20-12-2023 Published: 15-01-2024
Editor: Carlos Alberto Gómez Cano 
1Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Ciudad de México, México.
Cite as: Ramírez, A. (2024). El emprendimiento migrante venezolano en México. Región Científica, 3(1), 2024201. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2024201
INTRODUCTION
A traditional literature review was carried out in the databases Book Citation Index - Science (BKCI-S), Book Citation Index - Social Sciences and Humanities (BKCI-SSH), indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (1900-present). The search resulted in the scarce production of literature on Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurship in countries of the Latin American region. In order to visually show the results of the literature review on Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurship in Latin American countries, a line graph was created. On the x-axis are the keywords and strong phrases used in the Web of Science search, while on the y-axis are the numbers corresponding to the number of investigations.
Source: Own elaboration
Considering the lack of research on Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurship in Mexico, we identified a gap in the literature.
METHODOLOGY
The present research is descriptive in the sense that it characterizes people and their realities with the purpose of knowing their respective patterns of behavior and their identity codes (Arias, 2012). This is a qualitative investigation where an ethnographic approach was adopted. Data collection was done through direct observation, and its review was carried out through constant observations from an iterative analysis, which is typical of qualitative analysis. Field research was carried out using semi-structured interviews guided by ten to eight questions applied to Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs in the Mexican context. A non-probabilistic purposive sample was used, which corresponds to an ethnographic study (Martínez, 1998). The selection parameters responded to the availability of the participants.
The research design followed three main research moments: theoretical, methodological, and practical. Finally, the data were interpreted under a constructivist paradigm, comparing the results with the different Social Science Theories, finding outstanding coincidences.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Products and services offered by Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs
Certainly, if the family constitutes the fundamental basis of society, the enterprise is positioned as the central core of the economy (Cajigas et al., 2020). The analogy with which the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) describes entrepreneurship shows its fundamental importance; therefore, it is necessary to study entrepreneurship in all its fullness. The present research findings showed remarkable coincidences between some aspects found in the profile of Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs and the literature review.
The origin of the word "entrepreneur" comes from the English word "entrepreneurship" which, in turn, comes from the French term "entrepreneur" (Pereira, 2007). Entrepreneurship constitutes an inner strength that catapults to the achievement of objectives (Arango, 2017), which consists of the ability and willingness to manage a venture with the aim of obtaining profits (Audretsch et al., 2015). In this sense, it is relevant to inquire about intentionality; learning; whether or not they are opportunity-based ventures; their management with respect to the coordination of resources; specifying the ability to explore profitable opportunities; and where the will to undertake is born. One of the activities observed in the entrepreneurs studied was documentation, which made it possible to gather interesting data for business development.
Venezuelan entrepreneurs' entrepreneurial spirit is evident in the characteristics of their businesses. It is worth asking: What are the businesses of Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs about? The characteristics of the products and services offered by Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs correspond to developing specific skills, hobbies, direct observation, specific research, expertise, and market research.
Entrepreneurship scholars Braunerhjelm et al. (2009) state that value creation in entrepreneurship does not occur conventionally. Interestingly, the heterogeneity that characterizes Venezuelan migrants' entrepreneurship initiatives makes it easier for them, in the first instance, to distinguish themselves from their competitors in terms of the target market. Secondly, their businesses are notorious for their ability to meet the very specific needs of a clientele with high standards because they require personalized attention, which they satisfy through the consumption of a given product or service.
Indeed, one of the repercussions of adopting the customization strategy lies in the possibility of placing prices directly proportional to the associated value, increasing the possibility of acquiring better profits. This dynamic allows Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs to assign rates determined by the value associated with the uniqueness of their products and/or services. An economic dynamic previously explained by the Entrepreneur's Profit Theory mentions that profits are due to the residual nature between the price paid to the owner in exchange for the service. Consequently, this capacity that favors decision-making when setting prices allows them to generate high business profitability, thus guaranteeing their survival. In this regard, Richard Cantillon was a pioneer in the field of entrepreneurship for explaining in his work Essay on the nature of commerce in general that the entrepreneur establishes the value of that which he offers according to the elements involved during the production process (Cantillon, 2015); an argument widely developed in the Entrepreneur's Theory of Profit. In general, the entrepreneurs interviewed understand the importance of differentiation. The incorporation of value-added elements is evident, which are presented in a tangible way and, at other times, in an intangible way, thus shaping the genesis of multiple competitive advantages.
Differentiation is a strategy applied by Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs. The evidence shows the predominance of some singular element, almost always given by the ability to customize the product, even the service, which allows them to distinguish themselves from their competitors. In addition, it can be intuited that their business choices are guided by personal values, a typical attribute of entrepreneurs.
Moreover, Casson (1991) states that an entrepreneur is one who coordinates resources. Indeed, Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs recognize their resources as tangible and intangible. Tangible resources refer to savings, while intangible resources are linked to academic training, work experience, and previous experience with their own ventures. It is necessary to study Venezuelan entrepreneurs' intrinsic qualities when trying to understand their business creation processes since this would be equivalent to "distancing the dancer from the dance", in the words of Gartner (1988), who explains the nature of entrepreneurship.
However, the ability to identify one's own resources requires self-knowledge, something that implies a competence acquired throughout life, clearly linked to maturity. Research supports the powerful influence of self-perception on entrepreneurial decisions. For example, a better opinion of oneself positively impacts the possibilities of achievement (Contreras & González, 2019). Consequently, self-confidence comes from self-assessment with assertiveness, according to which strengths and weaknesses are known. Personality Trait Theory points to self-confidence and personal value orientation as two of the main attributes of the entrepreneur, as suggested by Christensen (1994) and de Fernal & Solomon (1986).
Self-knowledge as competence and differentiation as a strategy coincide in one point: both processes can occur in a tangible or intangible form. Integrating this competence (self-knowledge) with the differentiation strategy, in terms of products and services, facilitates the creation of added value, thus allowing the creation of competitive advantages. It is clear that Venezuelan entrepreneurs act driven by a strong desire to achieve independence through a company of their own (Arango, 2017). This coincides with the Theory of Economic Development, according to which entrepreneurs seek to maximize their resources and, therefore, achieve profits. Although there is profit motivation, this does not mean that the main motivation is lack.
All the characteristics manifested in this study confirm a tendency, namely, that Venezuelan migrants in the Mexican context undertake ventures for opportunity. Aguirre (2019) distinguishes this type of initiative by mentioning two paths: ventures out of necessity, which arise as a survival response to shortages, and ventures out of opportunity, linked to a set of favorable circumstances. Precisely, Kirzner's Theory of the Entrepreneur places the insight of entrepreneurs as a quality that alludes to the ability to discern the circumstances, the means, and the opportune moment to achieve something. Initially, in order to take advantage of the opportunities in the receiving country, Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs needed to remain attentive to occasions and act wisely (Castillo, 1999).
Lifetime of the ventures
The purpose of knowing the data that outlines entrepreneurship according to each of its stages allows a better approach to the phenomenon. This can facilitate the identification of some organizational behavior patterns, trends, and the reasons why some phases are especially critical for entrepreneurship, allowing a series of suggestions to mitigate risks, as warned by the GEM. In this sense, it suggests the interdependence of several factors to explain entrepreneurship, one of them being the operating time, as outlined by researchers Reynolds et al. (2005) and Kelley et al. (2017). The phase of the organizational life cycle is a useful element in characterizing businesses (Bosma & Kelley, 2019). It is considered a prominent data because it is an indicator that accounts for the survival of ventures.
Most Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs qualify as established business owners, with an average of eight years of operation, where the most recent venture is four years old, and the oldest is twenty-one years old. These are mature ventures that have exceeded 3.5 years of operation, according to the classification established by GEM. In sum, the life span of Venezuelan migrant businesses in the Mexican context is an indicator of success; the sustainability of their ventures testifies in some way to overcoming various challenges by demonstrating their ability to face problems (Sexton, 1980).
The Psychological Approach to Entrepreneurship warned that a condition for guaranteeing the survival of businesses is the adequate development of entrepreneurship. In turn, this is achieved through a vigorous drive established by the need for achievement and independence in entrepreneurs. Thus, from a biological (and also psychological) point of view, the laws of human nature relating to the preservation of life itself also apply to the survival of business.
Now, what are the psychological attributes that identify entrepreneurs who work adequately for the survival of their ventures? In the first instance, there is the need for achievement studied by McClelland (1961). Secondly, there is sufficient and well-directed energy to achieve economic independence (Dunkelgerg & Cooper, 1982), which must be directed toward growth.
Reasons for starting your own business
Motivations influence people's behavior. Previously, Venezuelan migrants were clearly identified as having a propensity to develop ventures by opportunity, where decisions were made taking advantage of a set of favorable circumstances. Multiple elements worthy of analysis were found, including the existing congruence between the motives for starting a venture and the theoretical foundations developed in this research.
The willingness to create ventures by opportunity is probably favored greatly by the degree of schooling attained, which is a demographic factor. At this point, it should be clarified that demographic factors are attributes that provide relevant information about a given group of people, and their usefulness lies in their providential contribution to characterization. Interactions between sociodemographic variables and the environment have been found to influence entrepreneurial decisions (Contreras & Gonzalez, 2019). In this case, Venezuelan migrants (human group) are studied regarding their entrepreneurship (doing) in the Mexican context.
A relevant characteristic presented by Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs was their high level of schooling, which impacts the type of ventures they develop. Researchers Mazuera et al. (2022) conducted a quantitative study in which they identified that the educational level of Venezuelans was the only sociodemographic factor positively related to entrepreneurship. These results confirm the findings of this research. In turn, certain variables are linked to Venezuelans' entrepreneurial intention in migration contexts, which were described by this source. Initially, there are push factors, including the economic and social crisis, family regrouping, and situations of violence in the country of origin (Venezuela). While pull factors are associated with the perception of opportunities in the destination country.
Another research that contributed elements consistent with the findings of this study was conducted by Alvarez & Castro (2020), entitled "Border resistance and vulnerability of women migrant entrepreneurs in Colombia"; according to him, the main motivation for female migration lies in the search for a better quality of life for them and their family groups. Considering that the qualitative study in question considers women migrant entrepreneurs, it is possible to note the persistence of the desire for personal improvement. At the same time, it can be observed that formality is associated with a business by opportunity, which gives the organization a formal authority, pointed out by Weber (2012) as an element of power. Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs own businesses that comply with the obligations established by the laws of the receiving country, in this case, the Mexican ones. Bureaucratic theory describes the formal organization as a set of organized functions oriented to rationality and efficiency (Chiavenato, 2001). These are indications of the quality of regular migrants, which even allows them to pay taxes properly.
Another key aspect is the psychological profile of entrepreneurs. David McClelland (1961) was the first to study the psychological traits of entrepreneurs in his work entitled The Achieving Society, recognizing in them initiative, creativity, and leadership. The Psychological Approach to Entrepreneurship specifies that the motivations for entrepreneurship underlie in the depths of the unconscious, just like the elements that make up the individual's personality (Masouras, 2019). Indeed, motivation is the engine to develop a given economic activity. Considering that the intentionality to undertake is intimately linked to the motivations of the person, what is the engine of Venezuelan migrants to undertake? In the first place, the initiative to develop an economic activity on one's own account (Schumpeter, 1934).
Secondly, the motivation to have a source of income, since Venezuelan entrepreneurs focused their efforts on maximizing profits through their ventures (Schumpeter, 1928); a central argument, moreover, of the Theory of Economic Development. This coincides perfectly with the opportunity to do business, which is the third motivation expressed by Venezuelan migrants, linked to the attribute of ambition (Davids, 1963), in the profitable sense of the word. Finally, the motivation that mobilizes the will of Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs is to meet personal needs, not necessarily economic ones. This may be the intense desire for self-improvement present in migrants, as pointed out by Barba (2007). In general terms, the data show a coincidence between the characteristics of the psychological profile of the successful entrepreneur and the qualities of the migrants.
Participation in entrepreneurship training programs
Entrepreneurship education is considered a key element for business success. Therefore, among a group of entrepreneurs, it is relevant to inquire whether they took specific training for entrepreneurship before, during, or after. The entrepreneurial experiences of Venezuelan migrants in the Mexican context stand out for their success. The lifespan of their respective businesses demonstrates this. A high level of education indeed prevails, complemented with specific training for entrepreneurship. In this context, the GEM considers entrepreneurial education (Castellanos, 2010) within a range of possibilities: basic, high school, higher, and vocational. According to this definition, both specific training programs and all those stimulating educational experiences, the creation of companies that promote entrepreneurship in some way or another have a positive influence.
The Incubator Theory posits that business training positively influences entrepreneurial intentionality (Bravo et al., 2021), but also, vice versa, entrepreneurial intentionality can be forged during training activities and during the course in various educational institutions (Sung & Duarte, 2015). In addition, multiple environments are conducive to stimulating entrepreneurial intentions: academia, private entities, guilds, public institutions, and non-governmental organizations. Public, private organizations, multilateral agencies, NGOs, and others that are born in organized civil society can perfectly encourage the creation of enterprises through incentive programs (Sarmiento, 2019). The training fosters knowledge and assertive decision-making, which are necessary elements to execute successful ideas and succeed in building value-added ventures (Sung and Duarte, 2015).
Researchers of the Marginalization Theory denounce the economic and social asymmetries prevailing in LATAM, which draw realities of marginalization that hinder the path of entrepreneurs, who assume great challenges in terms of overcoming these gaps (Álvarez, 2020). However, beyond the shortcomings in terms of training for entrepreneurship in Latin America pointed out by Saldarriaga and Guzmán (2021), Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs have managed to successfully overcome these challenges by locating organizations that offer them training and advisory services for their ventures, even free of charge.
In this sense, they have connected from different environments by taking training in accelerators, civil associations, chambers of commerce, private Venezuelan companies, Mexican federal institutions, master's degree programs, and international organizations. Among them, the GEM, academic, business, and social institutions have been preponderant in the formulation of policies and the creation of support programs, among other initiatives, to mitigate the barriers inherent to entrepreneurship training.
People who inspired the undertakings
The term "inspiration" is often debated to a great extent due to its subjective nature. This research considers it necessary to work on its influence in order to understand better its role in the entrepreneurial initiatives of Venezuelan migrants in Mexico. The role that networks play in people's lives has been proven, and, in general, Network Theory explains the importance of establishing assertive links for entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs, which can favor their projects. For this, it is necessary to comply with two aspects: to associate intelligently and to take care of the quality of the circulating information. In this way, it would be guaranteed to obtain benefits and profits in economic terms.
The association is important in virtue of being able to achieve the benefits of connecting with other people, which could stimulate, for example, a more proactive attitude towards risk-taking, the need for achievement, self-confidence, and the ability to face problems, considering that all these aspects are attributes of entrepreneurs, and are explained by the Personality Trait Theory. Researchers Monreal and Orellana (2019), specified the types of networks:
a) Formal networks: chambers of commerce, professional guilds, and banks.
b) Informal networks: friends, relatives, and coworkers.
Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs have expressed the role of their family groups as sources of inspiration for their respective businesses. Most of the study participants indicated their spouse, a son, a sister, a second cousin, and even a family business as inspiration. In this case, the role of informal networks, more precisely found in family members, was preponderant.
Closeness with other Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs
Venezuelan migrants unanimously stated that they knew other entrepreneurs of Venezuelan origin. Both the interviewees and their fellow Venezuelans agree on two characteristics: they are migrants, and they are entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneurial Event Model recognizes that a traumatic event in a person's life can mark him or her to such an extent that he or she acquires the necessary courage to make important decisions. An "entrepreneurial event" is the process of creating a company in the face of a significant life-changing decision with great emotional impact. Such a traumatic situation is known as "personal dislocation" (Shapero, 1985).
Generally speaking, migrants tend to experience many personal dislocation events, which may influence their entrepreneurship initiatives. Taking as a reference the taxonomy of Network Theory pointed out by Birley (1985), as well as Monreal and Orellana (2019), Venezuelan entrepreneurs coincide with their peers in spaces where formal networks exist as well as informal networks. The places in which members of the Venezuelan migrant entrepreneur community coincide are the following:
a) Formal networks: entrepreneurship activities organized by Mexican government agencies and civil associations, entrepreneurship bazaars, social networks.
b) Informal networks: acquaintances, relatives, even the coexistence given by sharing the same geographical area.
It should be noted that virtual spaces play an increasingly important role in contacting other Venezuelan entrepreneurs in Mexico; a trend noted by the Network Theory, which provides a classification of exchange networks, communication networks, and social networks. On the other hand, the closeness of these entrepreneurs to their environment may be occurring by virtue of their shared values, as suggested by the Role Theory. Another variable observed in Venezuelan migrants was the creation of their ventures taking advantage of geographical proximity, as supported by Hogendoorn et al. (2019), Sung & Duarte (2015) ,and Monreal & Orellana (2019).
Although the Entrepreneurial Event Model belongs to the Psychological Approach to Entrepreneurship, it has elements in common with the Marginalization Theory, typical of the Sociocultural Approach to Entrepreneurship; something that allows validating the central arguments of both. In this sense, the Marginalization Theory suggests that the occurrence of a critical event, such as migration, can act as a trigger to make decisions aimed at entrepreneurship (Monreal & Orellana, 2019); something that can cause personal dislocation.
In complement, the Incubator Theory points out the role of multiple institutions that contribute to the creation of enterprises (Sarmiento, 2019), for example, through the creation of incentive programs, among which the following stand out: academic institutes, guilds, private entities, public institutions, and non-governmental organizations. Indeed, an incubator organization could contribute to the venture in various ways, including: participating in the capital, providing economic support, management advice, or establishing itself as its main client (Alonso & Galve, 2008).
Finally, studies developed in the GEM Report (2016) found a welcoming trend among minority groups, such as migrants, which mutually reinforces entrepreneurship as long as there is a positive social perception of entrepreneurship in a given context, as stated by Fernández, Santander, Yánez and Camino (2016), and Kelley et al. (2017).
Experience with entrepreneurship in Venezuela
Multiple scholars describe previous work experience and specific business training as practices that positively affect entrepreneurial intentionality (Bravo et al., 2021). Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs possess both conditions; apparently, this was favorable for them when making entrepreneurial decisions in the Mexican context.
The literature on entrepreneurship indicates the importance of learning in opportunity entrepreneurship. The tacit knowledge from learning from previous experience also positively impacts the process of recognizing opportunities, which is so necessary to stimulate entrepreneurship (Labarcés, 2015).
Regarding the line of business, previous experience was observed in Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs, even with the same venture. In second place were those entrepreneurs whose initiatives were associated with their academic training. Of course, the consolidation of learning, expertise, and personal security acquired are elements directly linked to opportunity entrepreneurship (Aguirre, 2019).
On the other hand, Gartner (1985) considers the study of entrepreneurial activity from four aspects: the people involved, the organization, the previous process, and the environment. These elements can be visualized in Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs (people involved), who created companies with certain business lines (organization), related to their previous business experiences and some others, related to academic training (previous process). The environment (Mexico) is characterized by elements that favor entrepreneurship.
In summary, both previous work experience and experience in their own ventures are factors that favorably affect the ventures of the Venezuelan migrant population living in Mexico. Likewise, adaptability to environmental changes is recognized as a competence of Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs in the Mexican context (Busenitz et al., 2003).
In the same vein, the Incubator Theory suggests that the entrepreneur relies on previous experience acquired in other organizations, either during his or her time in a company or during his or her preparation in an educational institution, a phenomenon given by virtue of the expertise and training acquired for decision-making in business matters, essential to execute ideas with added value (Sung & Duarte, 2015).
Perception of entrepreneurial opportunities in Mexico
Entrepreneurship is a contextual event (Gartner, 1988) resulting from many influences, such as: age, educational level, and previous work experience. Indeed, the data showed that most Venezuelan migrants had their first entrepreneurship experiences in their country of origin. From a systemic point of view, Veciana (1999) proposes a three-level matrix useful for explaining entrepreneurship:
a) Micro level: constitutes the individual sphere
b) Meso level: represents the entrepreneurial sphere
c) Macro level: comprises the global sphere of the economy.
Considering Veciana's matrix, every entrepreneurial project requires an individual sphere (micro level), which is given by a person with the capabilities to undertake, sufficient will to realize it, and the right conditions at the right time. In other words, entrepreneurship encompasses the power to undertake and the will to concretize the appropriate actions (Audretsch et al., 2015).
Moreover, Kirzner's Theory of Entrepreneurship creates the term "alertness" to illustrate the alertness characteristic of the entrepreneur (Morcela et al., 2017). At the same time, the entrepreneur is the one who observes the trends presented at the meso level, as he or she identifies market failures and opportunities. This process requires collecting data and knowing how to interpret them; something that requires certain skills (Kirzner, 1997).
At the macro level, entrepreneurs are confronted with the conditions of the context of a given country, as described by the latter. His Conceptual Framework identifies the following as key aspects of venture development:
a) Conditions of the national context: favorable migration policies, expressed in the receptiveness of immigrants and migration policy (Mazuera, 2022).
b) Conditions of the business context: openness to entrepreneurship, which translates into the existence of administrative mechanisms and social values towards entrepreneurship.
These factors that characterize entrepreneurship are interdependent and have been proven to have an impact on entrepreneurship, as stated by Reynolds et al.(2015). Definitely, the reality of each country is unique and exceptional; the success or failure of a given business model will be affected by endogenous variables and exogenous variables of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (Suarez &Quezada, 2018).
Regarding the contributions of Network Theory, the key lies in the quality of information circulating in all networks, which facilitates the expression of entrepreneurship. In physical and virtual spaces, where information related to the formation of companies is shared, it improves the sighting of opportunities to create new ventures (Aguilar & Oseda, 2020).
Among the opportunities perceived by Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs are access to services (water, electricity, internet connection); training for entrepreneurship; the availability of materials or supplies for the business, infrastructure; a variety of people throughout the Mexican territory and, in some cases, they pointed out the credit facilities. In general, it can be affirmed that there is a favorable perception towards entrepreneurship in Mexico by virtue of the aspects mentioned by Venezuelan migrants, which magnifies their chances of achieving success in their respective ventures (Gaibor & Herrera, 2018).
Difficulties related to entrepreneurship in Mexico
Entrepreneurship is a path fraught with uncertainty, risk, and complexity (Townsend et al., 2018). However, a strong desire for self-improvement has given the entrepreneur enough energy to overcome all challenges, states David McClelland (1989).
For their part, Barba's (2007) research has found coincidences between the characteristics of the psychological profile of successful entrepreneurs with the qualities of migrants, including: desire for independence, satisfaction with risk, high need for achievement, strong need for competition, and preference for innovation. Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs have managed to counteract the challenges to entrepreneurship in the Mexican context by relying on some of their most valuable psychological traits. Among the difficulties reported are the obstacles to accessing financial credit, especially if they do not have a valid passport that allows them to open a bank account. One of the strategies applied was to join forces with local partners, i.e., entrepreneurs of Mexican origin. Other interviewees recognized difficulties in themselves, such as the need to keep up to date on entrepreneurship issues, including the fact that they are foreigners.
These findings coincide with the results of the study entitled "Venezuelan entrepreneurs: reconstruction of visions in the face of new realities" by Torres & Meleán (2021), who study the influence of the environment on the psychosocial traits of migrants from the point of view that these can be significantly altered in the midst of migration processes. Nevertheless, the Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs who participated in the research demonstrated their strength and capacity to manage uncertainty, develop technological competencies, and be resilient.
In this sense, the exponents of the Psychological Approach to Entrepreneurship ratify that the appropriate use of one's own psychological tools can reverse a person's current state and prepare him/her to face certain externalities. Among them, the Personality Trait Theory, according to which the psychological profile of the entrepreneur operates by pinpointing opportunities in the midst of high uncertainty dynamics (Christensen, 1994), necessarily implies a level of risk tolerance and other attributes studied by McClelland (1961) and Stuart Mill (1848). Likewise, the role of organizations and organized civil society is crucial to ensure the sustainability of the undertakings of vulnerable groups or those at risk of social exclusion, such as migrants (Hofstede, 1984). Given this, the Marginalization Theory warns that institutional mechanisms are necessary to enable the permanence of enterprises in the long term (Hofstede, 1984). Accordingly, the Network Theory understands the advantages of joining wills to counteract the difficulties since networks involve the association between customers, suppliers, banks, and other organizations; therefore, completely necessary for the venture (Sung & Duarte, 2015).
Entrepreneurship linked to the process of adaptation and integration to Mexico
Adaptation in migration situations is complex and usually takes months, even years. Although each process is overcome at an individual pace, it is worth examining how the adaptation and integration processes of Venezuelan migrant entrepreneurs have matured in the Mexican context. Most indicated that their ventures have contributed to their respective integration processes in Mexico. Specifically, they indicated that their ventures have allowed them to interact with different people and, at the same time, have allowed them to learn something about the culture and way of being of the people of the receiving country. They have also been able to understand the business and commercial dynamics in Mexico. Only one person said that his business was not exactly what helped him integrate into the new country, as that role was filled by his family group, who welcomed him when he arrived in Mexico.
The business is the catalyst for integration. Such a statement is true as long as one condition is met, namely the positive valuation of the venture (Marulanda et al., 2014). The Entrepreneurial Event Model teaches that entrepreneurial intention is sponsored by some elements in the entrepreneur: self-confidence, an optimistic personal attitude, readiness for action, and sustained behavior (Soomro et al., 2020).
Directly and indirectly, the entrepreneurship of the Venezuelan migrant population becomes relevant when incorporated into the dynamics of a given country. This is demonstrated by the results of the research "Border resistance and vulnerability of migrant women entrepreneurs in Colombia" developed by Alvarez and Castro (2020), which determined the importance of the economic and social contribution of migrant women to the receiving country, which is valuable because it points to entrepreneurship as a key element for active integration in the receiving country.
CONCLUSIONS
This research considered the Venezuelan migrant population residing in Mexico, specifically a population characterized by a planned and orderly type of migration, which has the potential for entrepreneurship, favored by a high level of schooling. This population has the skills to detect opportunities in the environment; it applies certain strategies to overcome adversities by taking advantage of its skills and developing competencies. It should be noted that there may be Venezuelan migrants with resident status who are not interested in entrepreneurship.
Certainly, entrepreneurship is a dynamic field where the only constant is the change of paradigms; therefore, it must be understood as a purely contextual event. In most cases, entrepreneurship has positioned itself as a key element for the economic growth of the entrepreneurs, their families and, evidently, the host country (in this case, Mexico), constituting a means of personal fulfillment within the schemes of the new life project, a vehicle for integration into the host country and a key to human development.
Complementarily, further research is recommended on other aspects linked to Venezuelan residents located in Mexico, inquiring about their arrival in the country, how the journey was, and why they chose Mexico as a destination, among other aspects. Likewise, other researchers are invited to explore similar topics related to other migrant communities located in Mexico in order to find the distinctive elements that may be useful for the integration of Venezuelan migrants in Mexico.
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FINANCING
None.
DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks first of all to God, to my husband, the Master in Structures Fabián Macal Pérez, to Dr. Juan Ignacio Reyes García, to the Scientific Writing Contest, organized by the Centro de Investigación en Educación, Naturaleza, Cultura e Innovación para la Amazonia - CIENCIA S.A.S – SCT and to the Fundación Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología.
AUTHOR'S CONTRIBUTION
Conceptualization: Alba Gabriela Ramírez Hernández.
Research: Alba Gabriela Ramírez Hernández.
Methodology: Alba Gabriela Ramírez Hernández.
Validation: Alba Gabriela Ramírez Hernández.
Writing - original draft: Alba Gabriela Ramirez Hernandez Hernandez.
Writing - revision and editing: Alba Gabriela Ramirez Hernandez Hernandez.