The role of governing boards in building legitimacy for new entrepreneurial ventures in host markets: a systematic literature review

Although there is a growing body of research on gaining legitimacy by entrepreneurial ventures in host markets, studies on the role of governing boards in legitimacy building are typified by a lack of clarity due to the fragmented nature of the extant literature. Drawing on an 11-year period (2011–2021) review of the literature on the role of boards of directors (BoDs) in building legitimacy for entrepreneurial ventures in host markets, we attempt to resolve this lacuna in the extant literature on legitimacy building. Specifically, we develop a unified conceptual framework, which provides clarity by mapping out the intellectual contributions on the dynamics of the role of BoDs in building legitimacy for new entrepreneurial ventures in host markets while highlighting the resultant outcomes of such dynamics in conveying legitimacy.

https://doi.org/10.1504/ijesb.2025.10071637