Mindfulness, refugees’ perception of the host community, social capital and entrepreneurial outcomes – a study of refugees in Uganda

Purpose - With the continued influx of refugees, entrepreneurship is increasingly becoming a viable avenue for refugee socioeconomic integration. The paper examines the effects of mindfulness, refugees’ perceptions of the host community and social capital on refugees’ entrepreneurial abilities, intentions and success. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses data from two studies conducted in refugee settlements in Uganda. Study 1 used a sample of 395 refugees, while Study 2 used a sample of 181 refugee entrepreneurs. Serial mediation analyses were conducted for both studies using the PROCESS Macro. Findings - As hypothesized, mindfulness, perceptions of the host community and social capital were significantly correlated to refugees’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy, alertness and intentions. Mindfulness and perceptions were further correlated with perceived entrepreneurial success. The serial mediation hypothesis of the effects of mindfulness on entrepreneurial self-efficacy, alertness and intentions via refugees’ perception of the host community and social capital was supported. On the other hand, whereas refugees’ perceptions of the host community mediated the effects of mindfulness on entrepreneurial success, social capital did not. Social implications - The study suggests that socioeconomic integration policies, processes and interventions, especially those promoting refugee entrepreneurship, should pay close attention to the social perceptions between the refugees and the host communities. Originality/value - The paper provides insights into how mindfulness and perceptions of the host community influence refugees’ social capital and, consequently, their entrepreneurial ability and outcomes. The study suggests that the nature and quality of the social capital of refugees in less developed countries should be given further attention.