Ethnic Business Organizations’ Impact on Member Turkish Business Owners for Access to Municipal Business Supports and Services

Abstract

Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands continue to experience structural barriers in the labor market, despite increasing trends in migrant entrepreneurship. This study explores how Turkish entrepreneurs utilize social capital to access municipal support mechanisms, with a specific focus on the comparative experiences of members and non-members of Turkish Ethnic Business Organization (EBO). Through comparative and in-depth interviews, the research reveals significant differences in the ways EBO members and non-members mobilize bonding and bridging social capital to convert available resources into entrepreneurial opportunities. Drawing on the capability approach, the study shows that EBO membership contributes to the development of both structural and personal conversion factors—such as access to institutional actors, resource awareness, and administrative support—which facilitate the transformation of municipal services into functional outcomes for business owners. In contrast, non-members struggle to navigate these systems due to weaker or absent sustainable networks. A key contribution of the study is the introduction of the concept of "ethnic bridge"—a hybrid form of social capital that emerges from intra-ethnic networks but functions as a bridge to institutional support. The study proposes an intermediary capital form between bonding and bridging capital in existing social capital theory. The study provides a nuanced and actor-centred understanding of how EBOs not only preserve cultural identity but also act as strategic facilitators of integration into institutional structures. By emphasizing comparative insights and conceptual innovation, this research advances the academic discourse on ethnic entrepreneurship and calls for greater recognition of hybrid network forms in supporting their capabilities.