The Creative Urban Diaspora Economy: A Disparity Analysis among Migrant Entrepreneurs

This paper highlights the ‘magic of diasporas’ − as a source of progress in a globalizing world − with special attention for migrant (or ethnic) entrepreneurship. The present study aims to identify and examine the critical critical success factors of migrant enterprises and their socioeconomic implications in modern cities. We will assess the business performance of migrant entrepreneurs by employing a new analytical instrument, coined Super-Efficient Data Envelopment Analysis (Super-DEA). Next, we will offer a multidimensional visualization of the relative differences in the performance of migrant entrepreneurs by introducing a recently developed technique from the cognitive sciences, coined Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs). This analytical apparatus will be tested on the basis of a sample of Moroccan entrepreneurs in four Dutch cities, namely Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. The study will be concluded with some strategic conclusions. * Tinbergen Institute, The Netherlands.