Special Issue
Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal (SBEJ)
“Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region”
Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) unfolds within distinct institutional, cultural, and ecosystemic configurations that challenge universalized models of entrepreneurial activity. This Special Issue invites research that contextualizes entrepreneurship in MENA on diverse topics impact on entrepreneurship process and outcomes including: the role of government, informal networks, religious and cultural norms, hybrid governance, gender dynamics, refugees, and military/political conflict. We encourage theoretical contributions grounded in the region’s heterogeneity, exploring how MENA-specific phenomena expand existing paradigms and extend beyond the region. Submissions may address micro-level behaviors, meso-level ecosystem dynamics, or macro-institutional influences, and employ diverse methodologies including ethnography, longitudinal comparison, or big-data analysis. Ultimately, we seek to advance indigenous theorizing that not only enriches global entrepreneurship scholarship but also informs practice and policy.
KEY DEADLINES
Submission of extended abstracts (5-6 Pages) for In-Person PDW: December 31, 2025
Submission of full papers: December 31, 2026
EDITORIAL TEAM
David Audretsch, Indiana University, USA (daudrets@iu.edu)
Garry Bruton, Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University, USA, (g.bruton@tcu.edu)
Adnan Maalaoui, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College for Business and Entrepreneurship, KAEC, KSA (amaalaoui@mbsc.edu.sa)
Ahmed Sewaid, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College for Business and Entrepreneurship, KAEC, KSA (asewaid@mbsc.edu.sa)
Christina Theodoraki, IAE Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management, France, (christina.theodoraki@iae-aix.com)
Shaker Zahra, Carlson School of Management, the University of Minnesota, USA, (zahra004@umn.edu)
RELEVANCE AND NOVELTY
Entrepreneurship research has historically been grounded in contexts dominated by Western institutional, cultural, and economic paradigms, limiting our understanding of entrepreneurial dynamics in other regions (Banerjee, 2021; Bruton, Zahra, & Cai, 2017; Bruton, Zahra, Van de Ven, & Hitt, 2021). This special issue addresses this critical gap by focusing on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region characterized by unique institutional structures, cultural norms, and socioeconomic conditions. MENA entrepreneurship unfolds in environments marked by hybrid governance systems, informal institutional arrangements, religious and cultural frameworks, and divergent resource availability. Among these institutional features, the role of the state is particularly prominent: in many MENA countries—especially in the Gulf—the government plays a dominant economic role, shaping markets, directing capital, and actively orchestrating entrepreneurship through public policy, sovereign investment, and institutional mandates. Consequently, the region offers a fertile context for generating novel theoretical insights that challenge, refine, and extend mainstream entrepreneurship theories.
Despite the region's strategic global significance, scholarly understanding of MENA's entrepreneurship remains limited. Understanding entrepreneurship in this context is thus critical not only for economic development within the region but also for global economic stability and security. Moreover, the MENA region exhibits significant heterogeneity across its countries in terms of institutional quality, economic development, cultural norms, and resource availability. This heterogeneity creates valuable opportunities for identifying novel insights and refining entrepreneurship theories. Comparative analyses between countries sharing similarities along one dimension (such as cultural background) but differing in another dimension (such as institutional frameworks or resource availability) can help disentangle the distinct roles these dimensions play in shaping entrepreneurial outcomes. For example, comparisons between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which are rich in resources and exhibit top-down entrepreneurial ecosystems, and North African countries, characterized by grassroots-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems with fewer resources, can offer unique insights into how varying institutional conditions influence entrepreneurial behaviors and success.
Importantly, the takeaways from this special issue will not be limited to the MENA region alone. Insights generated from examining entrepreneurial dynamics within MENA have broader implications and can offer valuable lessons for other regions experiencing similar institutional, cultural, or economic challenges. Contributions that explicitly place the MENA region within a comparative framework, thereby highlighting implications for global entrepreneurship practice and theory, are welcomed. By foregrounding the unique institutional, cultural, and socioeconomic dimensions of entrepreneurship in MENA, this special issue aims to advance contextualized and indigenous theorizing. In doing so, it will enrich our global understanding of entrepreneurship by demonstrating how local dynamics can challenge existing paradigms and generate novel theoretical and empirical insights relevant to other regional contexts. Moreover, we recognize that entrepreneurship in the region is often shaped not only by market and institutional factors, but also by ongoing political conflict, militarization, and instability—from Syria and Libya to Palestine—whose long-term effects on market formation, entrepreneurial agency, and resource flows remain under-theorized. This special issue thus represents an important opportunity for entrepreneurship scholarship to evolve by embracing and integrating diverse global experiences and theoretical perspectives.
RESEARCH AREAS
In line with recent calls for more contextualized and indigenous theorizing in entrepreneurship (Banerjee, 2021; Bruton, Zahra, & Cai, 2017; Bruton, Zahra, Van de Ven, & Hitt, 2021), this special issue focuses on the unique entrepreneurial dynamics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We encourage theoretical innovation based on MENA-specific phenomena – viewing local contexts not as mere “idiosyncrasies” but as sources of insight challenging and enriching mainstream entrepreneurship theories. We invite contributions spanning micro-level (individual) perspectives, macro-level (institutional) analyses, and intermediate, ecosystem-level inquiries. Further, we embrace contributions that place the MENA in a comparative perspective. Below we identify nine broad themes that can inform entrepreneurship scholarship and theory on the MENA region but with key takeaways that extend to global entrepreneurship theories.
Institutions, Networks, and Governance
Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region operates within a complex landscape shaped by overlapping systems of formal and informal institutions. While formal institutional processes – laws, regulations, and bureaucratic structures – provide an official framework for entrepreneurial activities, informal institutions frequently complement or even supersede these formal mechanisms (Hutchings & Weir, 2006). Wasta, characterized by leveraging personal connections to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and secure resources, plays a critical informal role in entrepreneurial ecosystems across the region (Abosag & Ghauri, 2022; Adham, 2022). Further, tribal and clan affiliations affect entrepreneurial outcomes by establishing trust, reciprocity, and resource access, often forming an integral part of business relationships and networks. This coexistence between formal and informal institutions creates distinctive institutional environments characterized by ambiguity, flexibility, and sometimes contradiction. Moreover, many of the formal institutions in the region retain remnants of colonial legal frameworks that coexist with hybrid governance systems, blending official state authority with informal patronage networks (Bruton, Ahlstrom, & Li, 2010). Entrepreneurs operating within these settings must creatively navigate and negotiate these complexities, finding innovative solutions to overcome institutional voids. This theme invites research into how informal networks and hybrid governance arrangements both constrain and enable entrepreneurial action, offering insights into trust formation, network utilization, and strategic maneuvering in institutionally complex contexts.
Culture, Religion, and Social Norms
Entrepreneurial behavior in MENA is significantly shaped by prevailing cultural, religious, and social norms. Islamic principles permeate various dimensions of entrepreneurship, especially influencing financing structures such as profit-and-loss sharing models (e.g., Musharakah and Murabaha), and deeply informing ethical business practices (Kayed & Hassan, 2011). This religious foundation introduces moral considerations into entrepreneurial decision-making, emphasizing community welfare, equitable risk-sharing, and ethical responsibility over purely financial returns. Cultural values emphasizing collectivism, family honor, and social cohesion further condition entrepreneurial behaviors, often leading entrepreneurs to prioritize stability, continuity, and communal benefits above aggressive growth and personal profit maximization (Dana & Dana, 2008). Concepts like qadar (fate) and baraka (blessing) deeply influence entrepreneurial cognition and decision-making processes, fostering humility, risk aversion, and a cautious approach to business ventures. Entrepreneurs in the region, thus, frequently adopt strategies reflecting these values, creating ventures aligned closely with community needs and collective well-being. This domain of research can offer nuanced insights into how deeply embedded values influence entrepreneurial intent, opportunity recognition, and strategies.
Gender and Entrepreneurship
Patriarchal norms, restrictive legal frameworks, and limited access to economic resources for women drive significant gender disparities in the MENA region (Nziku et al., 2024). Historically, these structural barriers have marginalized women entrepreneurs, severely, limiting their participation and success in business ventures. However, there is a rising tide of women-led entrepreneurial initiatives successfully navigating these constraints through innovative and adaptive strategies. Organizations like Egypt’s Entreprenelle exemplify how female entrepreneurs leverage training programs, digital technology, and targeted networks to overcome gendered structural barriers (Bullough et al., 2021). Such initiatives highlight the potential for greater agency and empowerment of women entrepreneurs, even within restrictive socio-cultural and institutional frameworks. Notably, female founders in MENA often adopt innovative and adaptive strategies: using home-based or online business models to bypass public-space restrictions, drawing on family networks for seed funding in lieu of formal finance, and excelling in women-centric market niches. The intersectionality of gender with informal institutional practices such as wasta, as well as formal regulatory environments, raises significant questions regarding inclusion, resilience, and empowerment within entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Entrepreneurial Mindsets and Opportunity Recognition
Entrepreneurs in MENA frequently develop distinctive mindsets shaped by their immediate social, economic, and cultural contexts. Exposure to local challenges such as unemployment, infrastructural inadequacies, and social disparities fosters unique forms of opportunity recognition deeply rooted in lived experiences and cultural frameworks. Unlike traditional entrepreneurship theories emphasizing aggressive growth and risk-taking, entrepreneurial mindsets in MENA often prioritize ventures characterized by social responsibility, community upliftment, and long-term stability (Kayed and Hassan, 2014). Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data also suggest that necessity-driven entrepreneurship remains significant in parts of MENA; many founders are motivated to “become their own boss” due to scarce jobs (GEM, 2020). Cultural and religion further reinforce cautious optimism, humility, and community-oriented values among entrepreneurs. These beliefs shape how opportunities are perceived, evaluated, and pursued, often directing entrepreneurial efforts towards socially meaningful and ethically grounded ventures. This contextualized approach to entrepreneurship challenges conventional entrepreneurial models. It invites scholarly exploration into how culturally embedded mindsets influence entrepreneurial intent, risk management, and strategic choices which will inform global entrepreneurship theories.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Policy Context
Entrepreneurial ecosystems in MENA exhibit significant variation driven by differing institutional frameworks, government policies, and local entrepreneurial cultures. In Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where the state is a central economic actor, substantial state investments in startup hubs, regulatory sandboxes, and accelerators (e.g., Hub71 in Abu Dhabi) typify top-down approaches aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship (Autio et al., 2014). This top-down model is characterized by abundant capital (often sovereign funds), high-level political backing, and policies deliberately designed to encourage entrepreneurship (e.g. visa reforms for entrepreneurs, government procurement for startups, and the creation of free zones with favorable regulations). In contrast, North African countries often feature grassroots-driven ecosystems exemplified by initiatives like Cairo’s The GrEEK Campus, where community-driven entrepreneurship thrives through bottom-up collaborations (Spigel, 2017). This bottom-up development is fueled by the community itself: the RiseUp Summit (an annual entrepreneur-led conference in Cairo) and coworking spaces across the region grew organically as entrepreneurs banded together to share resources and knowledge. Such ecosystems are typically characterized by strong entrepreneurial networks, mentorship cultures, and shared community spaces, even if government support was initially lacking. These diverse trajectories underscore the critical importance of context-specific policy frameworks, actor coordination, and institutional variety in shaping entrepreneurial outcomes. Understanding the interactions and tensions between different ecosystem actors such as governments, private sector entities, and community organizations can offer valuable insights into how supportive environments can be effectively cultivated in emerging markets.
Technology and Innovation
MENA entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to technological innovation to navigate the region’s unique economic and infrastructural challenges. In recent years, a wave of tech startups has adapted global digital business models to local contexts, demonstrating a kind of frugal innovation tailored to regional constraints (Weyrauch & Herstatt). Companies such as Egypt’s Swvl and Algeria’s Yassir illustrate how innovative business models can be adapted to local market constraints, particularly in sectors like mobility and payments (George, McGahan, & Prabhu., 2016). These ventures tackle pressing local problems (i.e., unreliable public transport, low financial inclusion) with innovative yet affordable solutions. In essence, they creatively reengineer proven digital models (like Uber, Lyft, mobile payments) to fit local realities such as lower-income customer bases, patchy infrastructure, and complex regulatory settings. These digital platforms and mobile technologies provide crucial opportunities for enhancing economic participation, especially for marginalized groups like women and youth. However, despite these opportunities, technology-driven entrepreneurship in the region frequently encounters significant barriers such as insufficient regulatory clarity, restricted access to capital, and infrastructural limitations. The concept of technology and innovation in the MENA context highlights the adaptability of entrepreneurs who operate in resource-constrained environments. Their experiences can inform broader theoretical debates on innovation diffusion and scalability under constraints.
Growth, Scaling, and Entrepreneurial Finance
Access to capital remains a persistent barrier for entrepreneurs in MENA, influencing their growth and scaling strategies. The limited availability of traditional venture capital infrastructure has led entrepreneurs to explore alternative sources of funding, such as family-based financing, rotating savings and credit associations, and Islamic finance instruments like Musharakah (partnership financing) and Murabaha (cost-plus financing) (Obaidullah & Khan, 2008). These alternative financing mechanisms rely heavily on personal trust, community reputation, and ethical financial practices, reflecting broader cultural and social norms. Moreover, scaling strategies in MENA are often regional or intra-regional rather than global, driven by pragmatic considerations of market similarity, regulatory alignment, and proximity. Still, the path to scaling up is fraught with challenges. Many entrepreneurs face limited growth capital beyond seed stage. Many ventures practice “financial bootstrapping” by necessity where they keep operations lean, reinvest profits, and creatively use credit from suppliers or advance payments from customers to fund growth. This can instill strong fiscal discipline but may also limit the speed of scaling. On the other hand, when capital is injected (say from a government fund or international VC), startups must learn to accelerate quickly in an ecosystem that is still maturing. Studies within this theme can deepen our understanding of entrepreneurial decision-making regarding growth, governance structures, and financial management under resource-constrained conditions, offering valuable insights into financial innovation and strategic adaptability in emerging market contexts.
Sustainability and Environmental Entrepreneurship
MENA faces acute environmental challenges, including water scarcity, desertification, climate change, and urban waste management, which are increasingly catalyzing entrepreneurial responses. Ventures like Jordan’s Taqetna (developing affordable renewable energy solutions for off-grid areas), Egypt’s Baramouda (recycling agricultural waste into organic fertilizers), and Lebanon’s FabricAID (upcycling and reselling second-hand clothes to reduce textile waste) highlight how entrepreneurs creatively transform environmental constraints into business opportunities. These companies illustrate innovative approaches to sustainability, leveraging local resources and developing scalable solutions aimed at ecological preservation and social impact. However, sustainability-focused entrepreneurs in MENA must navigate significant structural barriers, including entrenched subsidies that favor unsustainable practices, weak regulatory enforcement, and limited investor awareness of sustainability-driven business models (York & Venkataraman, 2010). Understanding how these entrepreneurs strategically address these systemic barriers, engage stakeholders, and achieve financial sustainability despite challenging conditions offers valuable theoretical insights into institutional entrepreneurship where entrepreneurs are not just operating within a system, but actively trying to change system norms around sustainability. Research in this area can inform policy development and investment strategies aimed at fostering sustainable entrepreneurship, providing broader lessons on how contextually embedded ventures can successfully balance profitability and ecological responsibility.
Refugee Entrepreneurship
Refugee entrepreneurship in MENA cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the broader political and military conflicts that drive displacement. Protracted crises—such as those in Syria, Palestine, Libya, and Yemen—have not only uprooted millions but also destabilized markets, eroded institutional capacity, and restructured the geographies of economic opportunity across the region. These conflicts shape not just the conditions of exile but also the constraints and possibilities for entrepreneurial activity in host and transit countries. In MENA, entrepreneurship has become a crucial mechanism for survival, economic empowerment, and community rebuilding among refugees and displaced populations. Syrian refugees, for example, have successfully established micro-enterprises in sectors such as food services, crafts, and retail, despite facing substantial legal, social, and economic barriers in host countries like Turkey and Jordan (Lång et al., 2024). The Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, in particular, represents a remarkable case of grassroots entrepreneurial ecosystem development within an environment marked by extreme resource scarcity and regulatory restrictions. Over the years, refugees in Zaatari have launched an estimated 3,000+ informal startups inside the camp, from bakeries and barbershops to bike rentals and satellite TV installers, creating a bustling market economy where none was initially planned.
These entrepreneurial activities challenge traditional conceptions of entrepreneurial agency, market creation, and resilience (Jiang et al., 2021). Displaced entrepreneurs demonstrate unique capacities for adaptability, innovation, and community solidarity under profoundly adverse conditions. Investigating refugee and displaced entrepreneurship in MENA can provide valuable insights into how entrepreneurs mobilize limited resources, leverage informal networks, and create market opportunities within highly constrained and uncertain environments , often shaped by the lingering effects of conflict, statelessness, and geopolitical marginalization. This theme highlights the potential for entrepreneurship as a tool for resilience and socio-economic inclusion (Pongeluppe, 2024), offering important implications for humanitarian policy, development practices, and inclusive economic growth strategies.
POTENTIAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS
For this special issue of Small Business Economics (SBEJ), we seek contributions that focus on
the MENA region, where the questions below could be addressed in this call, amongst others. We invite contributions from various research methods and techniques, interdisciplinary research at the intersection of entrepreneurship, and other disciplines. We welcome qualitative, quantitative, and conceptual papers. While a wide range of papers submissions are invited, we are looking for novel theoretical and practical contributions for entrepreneurship scholarship.
Institutions, Networks, and Governance
· How do entrepreneurs in MENA leverage informal networks and personal ties (e.g., wasta, tribal affiliations) to access resources and navigate institutional voids, and what new insights about trust and social capital emerge?
· In hybrid governance environments, how do entrepreneurs strategize (e.g., navigating bureaucracy, leveraging informal patronage), and how do these strategies expand existing models of institutional entrepreneurship?
· How do colonial legacies (like transplanted legal frameworks) continue to shape entrepreneurial behavior in MENA, and how might contextualized theory account for these historical influences?
· How do diaspora networks and returnee entrepreneurs contribute to institutional change or fill market gaps in their countries of origin?
Culture, Religion, and Social Norms
· How do Islamic values and religious practices shape entrepreneurial behavior (e.g., choice of financing models, emphasis on social justice), and what new theoretical frameworks might capture this integration?
· In what ways do collectivist cultural norms and family obligations influence entrepreneurial mindsets and opportunity recognition?
· How do entrepreneurs in conservative MENA societies legitimize innovative ideas while respecting cultural and religious norms?
· Do dominant entrepreneurship concepts (e.g., risk propensity, entrepreneurial orientation) manifest differently in MENA due to cultural factors, and how might this inform indigenous theories of entrepreneurship?
Gender and Entrepreneurship
· How do women entrepreneurs navigate patriarchal and institutional barriers (e.g., using family support, digital platforms, or women-focused networks), and what does this reveal about agency and resilience?
· What impact do policy reforms and support programs (inheritance laws, government initiatives) have on female-led ventures, and what gaps remain between policy and practice?
· How do societal gender roles influence opportunity recognition and growth for women entrepreneurs in MENA?
· What role do mentors, role models, and diaspora networks play in shifting cultural perceptions
of women in entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurial Mindsets and Opportunity Recognition
· How do entrepreneurs in MENA perceive and pursue opportunities amid adversity (e.g., conflict, unemployment), and how might this extend theories like effectuation or bricolage?
· How do experiences of instability (e.g., political upheaval, economic crises) shape entrepreneurial intentions and planning versus adaptability?
· In what ways do MENA entrepreneurs integrate social or moral goals into opportunity evaluation (e.g., community upliftment or religious alignment), and how does this compare to global models?
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Policy Context
· How do ecosystem actors (incubators, investors, government agencies) collaborate or conflict in supporting MENA ventures, and what does this reveal about effective models in emerging markets?
· What is the impact of public policy initiatives (e.g., seed funds, regulatory sandboxes) on entrepreneurial outcomes, and how do top-down initiatives in Gulf countries differ from bottom-up efforts elsewhere?
· How do diaspora and transnational linkages shape MENA entrepreneurial ecosystems?
· Why do certain cities (e.g., Dubai, Beirut, Amman) emerge as entrepreneurial hotspots despite shared constraints, and what factors drive these differences?
Technology and Innovation
· How are MENA entrepreneurs adapting global digital business models to local market needs (e.g., cash-based transactions, content localization), and what does this imply for generalizability of innovation theories?
· What patterns of frugal or jugaad innovation emerge in resource-constrained MENA contexts, and how do these challenge mainstream innovation models?
· How do government policies and innovation strategies (e.g., smart cities, STEM reforms) influence entrepreneurial innovation trajectories?
· What networks do tech entrepreneurs in MENA use to access knowledge and capital (e.g., global accelerators, diaspora ties), and how do these compare with established innovation hubs?
Growth, Scaling, and Entrepreneurial Finance
· What typical growth paths do MENA ventures follow (e.g., regional expansion, diversification), and how do regulatory or political risk factors shape these strategies?
· How do entrepreneurs fund startups and growth in the face of weak capital markets (e.g., reliance on family wealth, diaspora, Islamic finance), and what does this mean for governance and performance?
· How does Islamic finance expand participation for certain groups (e.g., more observant entrepreneurs, those without collateral), and what theoretical insights emerge?
· What role do exits (e.g., acquisitions, IPOs) play in the MENA entrepreneurial ecosystem, and how do exit strategies differ in less-developed exit markets?
Sustainability and Environmental Entrepreneurship
· How do MENA entrepreneurs identify and exploit opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship (e.g., clean energy, water conservation), and what drives opportunity recognition under environmental stress?
· How do institutional factors (e.g., subsidies, regulation) support or hinder green entrepreneurship in MENA?
· How do cultural and religious norms shape motivations for sustainability-focused ventures, and what frameworks can capture these drivers?
· What strategies do sustainability-oriented ventures in MENA adopt to achieve financial viability and scale impact (e.g., hybrid models, partnerships, impact investing)?
Refugee Entrepreneurship
· How do refugees and displaced individuals in MENA identify opportunities and mobilize resources to create ventures (e.g., kinship networks, humanitarian aid channels)?
· What barriers (legal, social, financial) do refugee entrepreneurs face, and how do they creatively navigate these challenges?
· How does displacement shape entrepreneurial identity and motivations (e.g., necessity vs. social impact)?
· How do host-country policies and support programs (e.g., microfinance, training, integration) influence the success of refugee-founded ventures, and what lessons emerge for enabling entrepreneurship in marginalized communities?
By addressing topics such as those outlined above, scholars can help build a more contextualized understanding of entrepreneurship. An understanding that appreciates the everyday practices and innovations of entrepreneurs in the MENA region and develops theories that are both locally grounded and globally relevant. We hope these themes and questions inspire submissions that push the frontier of entrepreneurship research, demonstrating how studying the MENA context can not only fill empirical gaps but also generate new conceptual insights.
COMPLETE TIMELINE
· December 1-31, 2025: Submission window for Extended abstracts for early-stage Paper Development Workshop (PDW).
· January 31, 2026: Decision on abstracts for early-stage PDW
· April 20, 2026: Early-Stage PDW taking place at IERC 2026. The guest editors will invite prospective author(s) to join the workshop.
· December 1-30, 2026: Submission window for the Special Issue
· April 30, 2027: Decisions on the first submission
· October 31, 2027: Deadline to submit final papers
· December 31, 2027: Final Decisions
SUBMISSION DETAILS
The guest editors will manage the editorial and review process of the SBEJ Special Issue submissions. All papers will follow the referee process of Small Business Economics. Further, guest editors will only conditionally accept papers: all conditionally accepted papers will undergo a final review by the SBEJ Board; only then will papers be formally accepted for publication. Submissions must be original, unpublished works that are not concurrently under review for publication elsewhere. All submissions should conform to the SBEJ manuscript submission guidelines available at https://www.springer.com/journal/11187/submission-guidelines.
· Abstract submission: Authors interested in participating in the Paper Development Workshop (PDW) should submit an extended abstract (5-6 pages, excluding references, figures, and tables), outlying research question, hypothesis (if applicable), method, main findings, contribution by December 31, 2025, on the IERC 2026 platform - https://event.fourwaves.com/ierc2026 and by email to SBEJ.SI.MENA@mbsc.edu.sa
o Selected abstracts will be invited to join the PDW. The workshop aims to provide an opportunity to meet the guest editors and potential other contributors to the special issue and present initial ideas and research plans. The workshop will provide an opportunity to gain feedback, refine ideas, and strengthen the theoretical framing of the proposed contributions.
Participation in the PDW does not guarantee publication in the special issue. Also, participation in the PDW is not a requirement to submit a paper to the special issue.
Paper Submission: Your full manuscript should be submitted in December 2026 to the SBEJ website. When submitting please indicate that you are submitting to the “ENT in the MENA Region” special issue. If you have questions about the submission process, please contact the special issue’s guest editors at sbej.si.mena@mbsc.edu.sa – the website will accept submissions between December 1 and 31, 2026.
SELECTED REFERENCES
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Autio, E., Kenney, M., Mustar, P., Siegel, D., & Wright, M. (2014). Entrepreneurial innovation: The importance of context. Research Policy, 43(7), 1097–1108.
Bruton, G. D., Ahlstrom, D., & Li, H.-L. (2010). Institutional theory and entrepreneurship: Where are we now and where do we need to move in the future? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(3), 421–440.
Banerjee, S. B. (2022). Decolonizing management theory: A critical perspective. Journal of Management Studies, 59(4), 1074-1087.
Autio, E., Kenney, M., Mustar, P., Siegel, D., & Wright, M. (2014). Entrepreneurial innovation: The importance of context. Research Policy, 43(7), 1097–1108.
Bruton, G. D., Ahlstrom, D., & Li, H.-L. (2010). Institutional theory and entrepreneurship: Where are we now and where do we need to move in the future? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(3), 421–440.
Bruton, G. D., Zahra, S. A., & Cai, L. (2018). Examining entrepreneurship through indigenous lenses. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 42(3), 351-361.
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