Institutional Distance versus Intra-Country Differences: Capturing and Leveraging the Diversity Within

Abstract

The field of international business (IB) largely focuses on the inter-country institutional differences, however, very little focus and attention have been given to the social interactions of sub-cultural groups within the country. Could we be overlooking greater opportunities for understanding differences across the diversity within countries? This article aims to provide insights and practical suggestions on: (1) How does leveraging intra-country diversity affect firm performance outcomes globally? (2) Why understanding intra-country diversity is important to the field of IB? and (3) How can IB scholars, managers, and educators engage further as a discipline to explore strategies that achieve more diverse and equitable societal and economic outcomes?