Journal of Business Venturing (2021): Economic Inequality – Is Entrepreneurship the Cause or the Solution? A Review and Research Agenda for Emerging Economies by Gary Bruton, Chris Sutter, Anna-Katharina Lenz

In this paper we examine whether entrepreneurship is a cause or solution to economic inequality in emerging economies. We use an institutional lens as we review 40 articles and we find that economic inequality, or the persistence of a wide dispersion in economic outcomes over time, can be exacerbated or ameliorated by entrepreneurship. These articles suggest that the nature of the relationship between entrepreneurship and inequality in emerging markets is related to the sector in which entrepreneurship occurs (formal or informal), and how entrepreneurship influences the institutional context, leading to more inclusive or more exclusive institutions. We build on these insights to create an agenda for future research. To enrich our research agenda, we augment the insights from the initial review with an additional 68 articles from a range of disciplines regarding inequality in emerging markets. The result is a rich research agenda for entrepreneurship scholars interested in entrepreneurship and economic inequality in emerging markets. more