International business research and scholarship in the Middle East: developments and future directions

Pawan Budhwar,Vijay Pereira,Yama Temouri,Hoa Do

doi:10.1080/00208825.2021.1959881

Abstract

In this introduction we review the extant literature that demonstrate the importance of the Middle Eastern institutional and cultural context in shaping international business’s (IB) strategies and practices across several countries. Drawing on the literature, as well as the five articles included in this special issue, we (1) outline the state of socio-cultural, historical and economic forces that shape international business in several Middle Eastern nations; (2) utilize institutional theory to evaluate the constraints of international business practices in the Middle East; and (3) highlight the key gaps in the literature and the challenges faced by IB scholars and practitioners in the Middle East. We subsequently propose an agenda for future research in order to lay the foundation for international business scholars to advance the theorizing and application of IB practices in the Middle East context.

Highlights

The Middle East region has unique and interesting implications for scholarly interest
This article outlines the state of socio-cultural, historical and economic institutional conditions in a number of Middle Eastern nations that play an instrumental role in studying international business (IB) practices in this region
The included articles bring forward insights about sustainable international business practices in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, such as the drivers of CSR measurement and investment in the UAE, the nature of the association that corporate ethics and CSR have with organizational citizenship behavior, the extent to which firms in the Middle East engage in CSR reporting, the influencers of strategic change processes in the Oman, entry mode strategies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and a systematic review and integrative framework of the past, present and future of mergers and acquisitions (M&A’s) in the MENA region

Summary

Introduction

The Middle East region has unique and interesting implications for scholarly interest. More work is needed in exploring how institutional forces influence IB practices in the region, and in theorizing how new themes of research, such as IHRM, expatriates, MNCs subsidiary management, innovation strategies and firm internationalization, can be incorporated into IB research.

Results

Conclusion