I will survive

Entrepreneurial success can emerge through the gradual development of reflexive decision-making rather than linear planning or favourable starting conditions, according to research in the International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development. The research looked at how a business moved from stalled operations to sustained competitiveness by navigating structural constraints in Britain’s health and social care market over more than a decade.

The study follows a single enterprise, a London-based social enterprise founded by an African refugee woman over the course of thirteen years. The research was a longitudinal case study that tracked change over an extended period of time rather than capturing a simple snapshot of activity at a specific time. Moreover, it founded in a critical realist framework, which examined how an individual organisation operates within, and is shaped by, wider social and institutional structures. Central to the analysis is the notion of reflexivity, which is defined as the internal process through which an individual evaluates their circumstances, reassess their goals and adjust their actions in response to changing conditions.

In their case study, the team notes an early period of fractured reflexivity. Social ambition was strong, but strategic focus was limited. This resulted in zero measurable performance outcomes. Progress followed only as the entrepreneur developed autonomous reflexivity, enabling more disciplined decision-making, engagement with local business networks, and ultimately the establishment of operational credibility.

As the enterprise matured, communicative reflexivity became more and more important. Where there was dialogue with public-sector bodies then stats improved and access to competitively funded contracts opened up. Moreover, there was gradual recognition within London’s regulated health and social care system. This later phase coincided with the building of reputation, quality certifications, and even national awards. In turn, these all further supported access to the market.

More recently, the entrepreneur involved has demonstrated what we might call meta-reflexivity, continually evaluating the enterprise’s social mission along with its financial performance. She has reinvested profits into free training programmes for refugee women, embedded social value creation directly into the business model but still maintained commercial viability.

Given that conventional narratives often frame refugee entrepreneurs in terms of barriers and vulnerabilities, this case study demonstrates that refugee entrepreneurship within broader debates on migration, urban economies, and demographic change, can be framed far more positively.

Mutiganda, J.C. (2026) ‘Understanding the process of starting up and managing the performance of a refugee enterprise: a critical realist case study’, Int. J. Management and Enterprise Development, Vol. 25, No. 5, pp.1–17.