Literature review. Doing business in authoritarian contexts could be tricky. One reason is the implications of the difference in political, economic, and cultural systems between countries on their political economy. The other is the limited comparative knowledge available on the international political economy as a relatively new subdiscipline within political science and global business since Joan Spero's poplar introductory textbook in late 1970s. This limitation reflects the much-needed theoretical development within the literature on the Political Economy of Authoritarianism. The paper reviews the literature on political economyand utilizes a few cultural, economic, and political frameworksto offer critical comparative examination on the topic. Drawing on currentinterdisciplinary theoriesand combining assessment of national political, economic, and cultural frameworks,a new comparative analytical modelis developed.The modelgenerates knowledge to advance our understanding of the political economy of authoritarianism and to examine political economy across nations.

This article shed the light on the methodological divide on the often-neglected issues of the contribution of women's informal business to entrepreneurship and national economic growth. It shows how unprivileged women are able to overcome legal, social and administrative barriers that impede women's ability to start a business and participate in monetized economic activities.

The study examines how self-created women's informal social networks serve as avenues to learn and participate in entrepreneurship activities in developing countries.

The study examines the role of social capital on civic learning and political participation in developing democracies.