Bridging the void: how institutional entrepreneurship can overcome institutional voids in Indian public organisations

There is limited research on the role of institutional entrepreneurship in public organisations, especially in the context of institutional voids. The public sector entrepreneurs’ engagement with regulatory, normative, and cultural-cognitive institutional voids in a developing economy is, therefore, examined using institutional work. Through an in-depth longitudinal case study of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in India, institutional creation and disruption processes are identified as interrelated means to address voids in this context. The boundary work supported promising entrepreneurs in challenging settings, whereas legitimacy work helped to spread change outside organisational boundaries. Insights into public sector entrepreneurship in developing countries are offered.