Recent literature considers the significance and determinants of transnational entrepreneurship arising from the immigrant communities. However, empirical evidence remains fragmented, largely due to the contextual diversity of the phenomenon. Using data collected from the Chinese Canadian community, the current study examines the transnational entrepreneurs' characteristics, drivers, and factors affecting their successes. The results portray a typical transnational entrepreneur as a 45-year-old or older man who is married with one child, has completed Master's or higher education programmes, and does not have a full-time job. For these transnational entrepreneurs, seeking business opportunities is an important reason for their migration to Canada in the first place and, subsequently, business expansion by drawing resources from dual locations becomes the primary driver toward a transnational mode of economic adaptation. The findings highlight the importance of context-specific determinants of transnational entrepreneurship and provide important implications for practice and policy making.

There is widespread recognition of the vital role small and medium enterprises (SME) play in the sustainability of the Canadian rural landscape. However, rural entrepreneurs face barriers and challenges throughout the start-up and growth stages of their ventures. The rapid development of e-commerce, coupled with increasing big-box competition and shifting demographics challenge the sustainability of rural SMEs. The literature recognizes gaps in SME owner capability, pertaining to business planning, the use of financial information, the implementation of Information Technologies, and funding. It should be noted that the effectiveness of Government policies regarding support for training in these areas through publically funded agencies is well documented. However, research regarding the effectiveness of these agencies in reaching and meeting the needs of rural venture owners is primarily restricted to funding requirements. This paper examines the utilization and satisfaction of venture support agencies and community organizations by rural SME owners in 14 communities through a Business Expansion and Retention (BR&E) research project conducted in Alberta, Canada. The results indicated that agency usage can be effectively predicted by firm size, degree of localization, and planning. Results indicate that while many owners identified the need for assistance in training and funding, the utilization of support agencies, underscored by the lack of user satisfaction, may hinder rather than enhance venture viability and growth. The implications for government policy are discussed in the context of enhancing the effectiveness of support agencies, thereby contributing to the viability of ventures and the sustainability of rural communities.

Purpose -Chinese new small-and medium-sized technology enterprises face an important strategic decision when they operate in overseas markets. That is, should they remain independent? Independent small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rely on their own internal resources while dependent SMEs resort to external resources through partnerships. The paper aims to evaluate various market contexts in which one strategy is preferred to the other. Design/methodology/approach -Hypotheses developed from the literature review are tested with the quantitative data which were collected through questionnaires. Findings -This paper assesses Chinese new technology SMEs' market environments and their internal resources. Findings from this paper suggest that different market contexts and different internal resources lead to different strategies. Originality/value -This paper makes contributions to existing studies on two fronts. First, it investigates Chinese new technology SMEs' performance in the overseas market. Chinese new technology SMEs have been a new phenomenon in the world market and few studies have been reported on these firms' strategies and performance. Second, this paper assesses SMEs' strategic option of independence and dependence against the background of high-tech industries which require heavy R&D investments and have been highly risky and uncertain.