Emerging economies have a diverse range of countries regarding both geography and stage of development that have been influenced by historical, cultural, and societal change. Recently more emphasis has been placed on understanding the role of entrepreneurship in emerging economies due to changing economic conditions and the rapid rise of entrepreneurs in the global economy. This special journal issue includes a number of articles on diverse issues related to entrepreneurship in emerging economies both from the micro, meso, and macro perspectives. Based on this, we argue that it is necessary to consider the institutional context of formal and informal institutions to understand better the continued growth of entrepreneurship in emerging economies. In addition to summarizing the main contributions of those articles in this Issue, we provide new insights and approaches to explore further how entrepreneurship can contribute to sustainable economic growth in this context. This will help contribute to the literature and practice about the development of entrepreneurial activity in emerging economies.

Purpose: Governments can influence entrepreneurial growth through public policy. This paper aims to present critical aspects of entrepreneurship policy design for Syrian refugees in Turkey and evaluate if current policies are effective for Syrian refugees in Istanbul.Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts an explorative phenomenological approach, contextualized within the entrepreneurial behavior literature. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with fifteen Syrian entrepreneurs residing in Istanbul.Findings: The results show that Syrian refugees were “pushed” to start new companies. Moreover, the findings suggest that Syrian entrepreneurs could exploit better business opportunities such as targeting international markets or finding competent partners.Research limitations/implications: The article offers several practical and social contributions by highlighting how the entrepreneurial behavior of Syrian refugees is driven by their migration or business experiences.Practical implications: Policymakers in Turkey need to acknowledge how their entrepreneurial policies regarding innovation and internationalization affect the business success rate among Syrian refugees. In this regard, the Turkish government should adopt new measures that provide Syrian refugees more business flexibility. These policies may include easy access to the Turkish financial system or fewer regulations to obtain work permits. This will encourage refugees to join the formal economy and contribute to the Turkish labor market.Originality/value: This article adds to the expanding body of knowledge on refugee entrepreneurship by emphasizing the link between refugees' personal experiences and starting new ventures. It also highlights how government policy can be strategically utilized to increase entrepreneurship among Syrian refugees in Turkey.