Black African perceptions of entrepreneurial outcomes in the UK

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to discover how ethnic entrepreneurs actually understand the performance of their business through clarification of key indicators they use in evaluating business success and failure. Design/methodology/approach The attribution of success and failure in business was investigated through in-depth interviews, bolstered by the self-determination theory, with some UK’s Black African entrepreneurs. Findings Findings suggest that ethnic entrepreneurs’ attribution of success and failure is not only subjectively constructed but also enacted through cultural symbolism. The combination of cultural and personal values provoked attitudinal idiosyncrasy that construes business failure as success. Originality/value The result offers valuable knowledge to academics/practitioners researching success and failure factors in the ethnic entrepreneurship field.