Title: Governmental intervention and entrepreneurs' personal values: qualitative evidence from Saudi Arabia

Authors: Fawwaz Ali Alhammad; Ghazi A. Al-Weshah; Abdullah Aljarodi

Addresses: Amman College for Financial and Managerial Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Marj Al Furs, Shafa Badran, Amman, Jordan ' Faculty of Business, Al-Balqa Applied University, P.O. Box 19117, Al-Salt, Jordan ' College of Business Administration (CBA), University of Business and Technology (UBT), P.O. Box 33335, 21448, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to fill a gap in our understanding of the governmental interventions (GIs) and entrepreneurs' personal values in a non-western setting namely, in Saudi Arabia. To that end, a case study was undertaken to better understand how Saudi entrepreneurship perceives their government's engagement with entrepreneurship, and how this may affect their personal values. Using theoretical sampling, nine in-depth interviews were conducted with Saudi entrepreneurs from Jeddah city. Findings revealed that, from the entrepreneurs' perspective, GIs creates complications, threats, and ambiguity for their entrepreneurial business ventures. The study proposed a model that explains the interaction between GIs and entrepreneurs' personal values. Moreover, the study identified two types of connections the entrepreneurs used to solve the problems and obstacles face their entrepreneurial business, namely, networking and wasta (nepotism), these different types of connections are associated with two different groups of personal values. Finally, the study provided an agenda to improve entrepreneurs' personal values and enhance the interaction between governments and entrepreneurs.

Keywords: governmental intervention; entrepreneurship; networking; nepotism; entrepreneurs' behaviour; Saudi Arabia.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2021.111989

Middle East Journal of Management, 2021 Vol.8 No.1, pp.23 - 41

Received: 19 Dec 2019
Accepted: 07 Feb 2020
Published online: 22 Dec 2020 *

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