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Barbarians at the Gate of the Middle Kingdom: The International Mobility of Financing Contract and Governance

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  • Victor Zitian Chen
  • Sunny Li Sun

Abstract

Focusing on equity ratchet as a practice, we study how foreign private equity (PE) investors interacted with local agents in the process of legitimation and legalization of foreign financing contract and governance in the Chinese PE industry, while it was underdeveloped. Based on seven cases in China, we propose a three-stage microprocess model of international institutional entrepreneurship in an emerging field with high ambiguity: framing a motivational vision to promote a new practice; early adoption by local nonmainstream agents who gain legitimacy from diverse sources of institutional logic; and dominant mainstream adopters seeking legal protection to sustain their benefits. Our theory extends the emerging discussion on the transfer of corporate governance and institutional entrepreneurship across borders.

Suggested Citation

  • Victor Zitian Chen & Sunny Li Sun, 2019. "Barbarians at the Gate of the Middle Kingdom: The International Mobility of Financing Contract and Governance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(4), pages 802-837, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:43:y:2019:i:4:p:802-837
    DOI: 10.1177/1042258717745808
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    3. Wendy A. Bradley & Gilles Duruflé & Thomas F. Hellmann & Karen E. Wilson, 2019. "Cross-Border Venture Capital Investments: What Is the Role of Public Policy?," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, July.
    4. Mike W. Peng & Joyce C. Wang & Nishant Kathuria & Jia Shen & Miranda J. Welbourne Eleazar, 2023. "Toward an institution-based paradigm," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 353-382, June.

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