Relating theories of entrepreneurship among ethnic groups and entrepreneurship in space - the case of the Jewish population in Israel

Theories of entrepreneurship among immigrant groups and entrepreneurship in space are related in the context of Israeli spatial policy. The analysis covered the effects of location and of ethnic origin on self-employment, and on the relationship between self-employment and economic well-being. The study is based on Israel's 1983 census and includes the Jewish urban labor force. Rates of self-employment were highest in Israel's major metropolitan area - Tel-Aviv - and lowest in small development towns, in which a large proportion of the self-employed were in retail and construction. Self-employment did serve as an upward mobility route for individuals of Eastern origin, who were less successful as employees, and for individuals residing in locations offering inferior employment opportunities. While both location and ethnicity influenced entrepreneurship, their interaction effect was weak. Complex ethnic enclaves of entrepreneurship in specific locations have apparently not developed in Israel to the same extent as in the US. -from Author