Table 2. Chinese expat-preneurs’... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2.

Chinese expat-preneurs’ experiences in Portugal

First level codes Challenges and strategies from doing business abroad		Second level codes
Difficulties/circumstances refers to the factors determining the decision to go abroad with the intention to do business	Family pressure to go abroad “After graduated from university, I worked as an accountant in a company for one year, both wages and benefits were good, and I loved this job. But my mother insisted that working in Portugal for an uncle who had a retail store would be a better opportunity”. (Participant L)	Diaspora and family network
	Reunion with family at host country “My parents moved to Portugal from Italy, maybe for a better business opportunity in Portugal …. After they started a retail store, I went to Portugal for a family reunion in 2000 …” (Participant N)	Diaspora and family network
Family and business Refers to the management of family and business issues	Family/Business planning “I knew him [husband] by marriage interview (Xiangqin)… in Madrid, we first met on a blind date arranged by his uncle who knew me in Uganda …. My diligence in the Chinese community of Uganda was famous … I worked in a Chinese restaurant then, and the working environment was bad … I knew clearly that I have to consider marriage at the age of 22 … I did not have a rich family background … I wanted to leave the Chinese restaurant and changed my destiny through marriage, so I come to Portugal with him after the first blind date.” (Participant D)	Co-ethnic embeddedness
Opportunities Refers to business opportunities abroad	Family support in the host country “I travelled to Portugal in 2004 after the suggestion of my brother who had a retail store in Portugal… he said it would be much easier to make money in Portugal than in the Netherlands … that was indeed the case …making money was much easier than it is now” (Participant K)	Co-ethnic embeddedness
Host country Refer the links with the host country	Focus on work, business and money “If I did not make enough money, how can I keep my parent get good treatment in hospital? Money is not all powerful, but it gives me the confidence and belief to face the difficulties of life. Money kept my parent's life longer… Making money is a way to protect family.” (Participant C)	Instrumental relation with the host country
	Host country coming second when doing business “I hope Portugal always keep safe…. the economy keeps stable and developing…such we could do the business longer….” (Participant H)
	Language issues “The most difficult thing for me was the (Portuguese) language… as a clothing seller, I have to deal with all customers’ problems …For troubled customers, I can only let the Portuguese staff solve their problems, after all, the language is very important.” (Participant J)
	No commitment to the host country “I almost have no time to socialize with anyone… in the only spare time, I socialize with my friends in China or in other countries with Wechat… Wechat and business take up most of my life …”. (Participant N)
	Do business in a host location while it is profitable and before a new opportunity is captured elsewhere “I have no idea of how long I will stay in Portugal since the business is so unsatisfactory … if we find a better business chance in another foreign country or China, we will relocate to.” (Participant B)	Entrepreneurial itinerancy
Dealing with the condition of an ethnic minority	Interactions with Portuguese customers “The complicated customers trying to call the police at every turn… actually nobody does it at China… theft occurs every day in store, we bear the loss, while the thief does not assume any responsibility even if the police arrives… the invisible discrimination has always existed in the store, for instance, people call us ‘Chinoca’… and customers urinate in the dressing room…” (Participant D)	Ethnic discrimination

First level codesChallenges and strategies from doing business abroad		Second level codes
Difficulties/circumstances refers to the factors determining the decision to go abroad with the intention to do business	Family pressure to go abroad“After graduated from university, I worked as an accountant in a company for one year, both wages and benefits were good, and I loved this job. But my mother insisted that working in Portugal for an uncle who had a retail store would be a better opportunity”. (Participant L)	Diaspora and family network
	Reunion with family at host country“My parents moved to Portugal from Italy, maybe for a better business opportunity in Portugal …. After they started a retail store, I went to Portugal for a family reunion in 2000 …” (Participant N)	Diaspora and family network
Family and businessRefers to the management of family and business issues	Family/Business planning“I knew him [husband] by marriage interview (Xiangqin)… in Madrid, we first met on a blind date arranged by his uncle who knew me in Uganda …. My diligence in the Chinese community of Uganda was famous … I worked in a Chinese restaurant then, and the working environment was bad … I knew clearly that I have to consider marriage at the age of 22 … I did not have a rich family background … I wanted to leave the Chinese restaurant and changed my destiny through marriage, so I come to Portugal with him after the first blind date.” (Participant D)	Co-ethnic embeddedness
OpportunitiesRefers to business opportunities abroad	Family support in the host country“I travelled to Portugal in 2004 after the suggestion of my brother who had a retail store in Portugal… he said it would be much easier to make money in Portugal than in the Netherlands … that was indeed the case …making money was much easier than it is now” (Participant K)	Co-ethnic embeddedness
Host countryRefer the links with the host country	Focus on work, business and money“If I did not make enough money, how can I keep my parent get good treatment in hospital? Money is not all powerful, but it gives me the confidence and belief to face the difficulties of life. Money kept my parent's life longer… Making money is a way to protect family.” (Participant C)	Instrumental relation with the host country
	Host country coming second when doing business“I hope Portugal always keep safe…. the economy keeps stable and developing…such we could do the business longer….” (Participant H)
	Language issues“The most difficult thing for me was the (Portuguese) language… as a clothing seller, I have to deal with all customers’ problems …For troubled customers, I can only let the Portuguese staff solve their problems, after all, the language is very important.” (Participant J)
	No commitment to the host country“I almost have no time to socialize with anyone… in the only spare time, I socialize with my friends in China or in other countries with Wechat… Wechat and business take up most of my life …”. (Participant N)
	Do business in a host location while it is profitable and before a new opportunity is captured elsewhere“I have no idea of how long I will stay in Portugal since the business is so unsatisfactory … if we find a better business chance in another foreign country or China, we will relocate to.” (Participant B)	Entrepreneurial itinerancy
Dealing with the condition of an ethnic minority	Interactions with Portuguese customers“The complicated customers trying to call the police at every turn… actually nobody does it at China… theft occurs every day in store, we bear the loss, while the thief does not assume any responsibility even if the police arrives… the invisible discrimination has always existed in the store, for instance, people call us ‘Chinoca’… and customers urinate in the dressing room…” (Participant D)	Ethnic discrimination