ETHNOS OBLIGE, INEQUALITY, AND ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION

How do ethnic institutions contribute to economic deprivation of individuals? This question has been of interest to management scholars since the beginning of the 21st Century. In this paper, we advance ethnos oblige as a... [ view full abstract ]

How do ethnic institutions contribute to economic deprivation of individuals? This question has been of interest to management scholars since the beginning of the 21^st Century. In this paper, we advance ethnos oblige as a normative ethnic institution that influences economic deprivation of individuals. Using a large dataset (N = 51, 386) and multilevel techniques, we find that ethnos oblige relates negatively to poverty and unemployment of individuals in one economically deprived context – Africa. We also find that technology adoption at the individual level and inequality at the national level moderate the relationship between ethnos oblige and economic deprivation. The findings seem to challenge the structural view of ethnicity.  We explain the implications of our findings for research and management.