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.

摘要

在本介绍中，我们回顾了现存的文献，这些文献证明了中东制度和文化背景在塑造多个国家的国际商业 (IB) 战略和实践方面的重要性。利用文献以及本期特刊中的五篇文章，我们 (1) 概述了几个中东国家塑造国际商业的社会文化、历史和经济力量的状况；(2) 利用制度理论评估中东国际商业惯例的制约因素；(3) 突出文献中的主要空白以及中东 IB 学者和从业者面临的挑战。