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

In this introduction we review the extant literatures that highlight the importance of the Middle Eastern institutional and cultural context in shaping business's (IB) strategies and practices across several countries Drawing on the literature, as well as the six articles included in this special issue, we are able to (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 challenges and gaps faced by IB practices in the Middle East. Based on this, 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.