Institutions and international entrepreneurship: directions from an emerging economy

Abstract

The conceptualization of the phenomenon of fmns doing business outside their home country as "intemational entrepreneurship" has captured academic interest of late. However, this stream of research has primarily looked at flTms from developed economics entering international markets. In this paper, we specifically look at firms from emerging economics going international. We detail the historic trajectories of three Indian industries that have been performing well internationally in the recent past Despite the differences in the nature of opportunity among these three industries, what enabled them to overcome constraints in internationalization "as active reliance on institutions that provided them the requisite skills and legitimacy. We theorize about the role of institutions in enabling international entrepreneurship, particularly from emerging economies.