Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies

Dear Colleagues,

The growing interest in entrepreneurship across emerging economies such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and South Africa stems from their rapid growth and the idiosyncratic challenges they face. In these countries, entrepreneurship is seen as the key to economic growth, poverty alleviation, and improved living standards, requiring new economic policies to achieve sustainable development.

Thematic Focus

A major theme of this Special Issue is the considerable influence of formal and informal institutions on entrepreneurship in developing markets. While several emerging economies have adopted commercial laws similar to those in developed countries, the implementation of these laws often lacks efficiency, hindering their intended economic benefits. Under these circumstances, informal institutions play a critical role in fostering entrepreneurship, making it crucial to understand the interplay between formal and informal institutions. Entrepreneurs, especially in micro and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), often rely on non-market strategies, like building social networks to secure competitive advantages and facilitate business growth. In addition, they engage in social and frugal innovations to adapt to resource constraints and institutional voids. These strategies are vital for navigating global value chains and international markets, highlighting the importance of adequate institutional support and policy frameworks.

Research Themes and Questions

1. Institutional Influences on Entrepreneurship
• How do formal and informal institutions interact to influence entrepreneurial activities in emerging economies?
• What role do informal institutions play in fostering entrepreneurship where formal institutions are weak or inefficient?
2. Non-Market Strategies and Innovation
• What non-market strategies do entrepreneurs in developing markets employ to overcome resource constraints and institutional voids?
• How do social and frugal innovations emerge and evolve in response to the unique challenges of emerging economies?
• What is the impact of political corporate social responsibility on the success of SMEs in these regions?
3. Diversity and Inclusion in Entrepreneurship
• What are the unique entrepreneurial experiences of marginalized groups, such as women, indigenous peoples, youth, and various ethnic/religious minorities in developing markets?
• How do social networks and cultural norms influence entrepreneurial activities among these historically disadvantaged groups?
• What specific barriers do marginalized entrepreneurs face, and what strategies do they employ to overcome them?
4. Sector-Specific Entrepreneurship
• How do different forms of entrepreneurship, such as sport entrepreneurship, agripreneurship, aquapreneurship, and eco-entrepreneurship, manifest in emerging economies?
• What unique contributions do these forms of entrepreneurship make to community and national development?
5. Geographical and Comparative Studies
• What can be learned from comparative studies of entrepreneurial activities between emerging economies in different regions, such as Africa, Latin America, and East Asia?
• How do intra-regional variations within continents like Africa impact entrepreneurial success and challenges?
6. New Theoretical Frameworks
• What alternative theoretical frameworks, besides institutional theories, can help to explain the dynamics of entrepreneurial activities in developing markets?
• How do entrepreneurial activities in emerging economies influence and reshape their institutional contexts?

We invite scholars to submit manuscripts addressing any of the above themes and research questions, as well as additional topics relevant to this Special Issue. Submissions should provide robust empirical analysis, innovative theoretical insights, or comprehensive reviews that advance our understanding of entrepreneurship in emerging economies. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary studies that challenge existing paradigms and introduce new perspectives.

Dr. Mahdi Tajeddin
Dr. Chantal Hervieux
Dr. Mohamed Drira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• entrepreneurship
• emerging economies
• informal institutions
• frugal innovation
• social innovation
• non-market strategies
• inclusivity and marginalized groups