Homeland Export and
Investment Promotion
Organizations: Bridges to the
Diaspora Business Community?
Liesl Riddle, PhD
The George Washington University
School of Business
UN Expert Convocation, “Strengthening the Business Sector and Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries: the Potential of
Diasporas,” New York, 5 October 2006.
Opportunity
Awareness
Market
Attractiveness
Information
Export & Investment Promotion
Organizations
Regulations &
Requirements
Training
Procedures &
Paperwork
Consumer &
Organizational
Buyer Info
Brokering
Relationships
Financing
& Distribution
EPO/IPAs
Bridging the Diaspora-Homeland Divide
DIASPORA CAPITAL
POTENTIAL
Financial
Social
Human
EPOs
&
IPAs
HOMELAND
ECONOMY
Entrepreneurs
Managers
Firms
TYPICAL EPO/IPA
ACTIVITY
DIASPORA EPO/IPA
ACTIVITY
TARGET
MARKETING
Foreign buyers & MNCs whose
motivation is pecuniary
Transnational individuals whose
motivation is both pecuniary &
altruistic
KNOWLEDGE
PROVISION
Foreign & local market research,
information about export &
investment procedures &
processes
Identifying ways to harness &
disseminate diaspora members’
knowledge of markets and
investment procedures &
processes
NETWORKING
SERVICE
Brokering partnerships &
Identifying ways to leverage
offering contacts to service
diaspora members’ existing
providers & government officials contacts
to individuals with few to no
contacts in the market
ADVOCACY
SERVICE
Representing the intersts of local Representing the interests of
entrepreneurs and firms to local transnational entrepreneurs &
government
firms to local & foreign
governments and multilateral
agencies
Homeland Export & Investment Promotion
Programs for the Diaspora
 Stimulate diaspora awareness/interest
 Develop tailored products/services to scale-up and
facilitate diaspora investment and buying interest
 Possible partnerships with diaspora organizations