Summary 

Grand theories are often utilized in studies across the world instead of local, indigenous concepts. In this auto-ethnographic essay, I introduce the Haitian concept of Lakou into the management literature and how field researchers might find these communal concepts useful while conceptualizing entrepreneurship in developing markets. Exploring concepts such as Lakou can be informative to the discourse in understanding social, spiritual, and entrepreneurial behavior in informal markets. I reflect back to when I was a young child, and observed Lakou as a physical space in our backyard and through the numerous relationships that my parents developed in our family journey in the United States. I argue in this essay that other academic researchers may better understand phenomena within the contexts that they are research if they continuously remain open to indigenous value systems authentic to these spaces. 

The potential of Lakou and other indigenous values 

This essay is titled Learning About Local Culture to Research Developing Markets: How I Rediscovered the Importance of Lakou in Haiti – Jean‐Denis – Journal of Management Studies – Wiley Online Library.  It challenges the narrative that researchers can separate our own identities from the studies that we launch in the field. Instead, I argue that when performing research particularly in emerging or developing markets there are unexpected insights such as indigenous, local concepts uncovered as we enter the field. Lakou directly translates from Haitian Kreyol to mean yard, or a shared central courtyard. After our success revolution against the French, Haitians proactively would build clusters of homes that surrounded a courtyard to increase their security and their sense of community – thus establishing the “Lakou” as fundamental to Haitian ways of life. 

Why did I choose to study Lakou in Haiti in connection with entrepreneurs? 

With the growing diversity in academia, it is important for academic researchers to understand the role of identity on the scholarship they are engaged in around the world. I chose to study Lakou due to the numerous insights that were revealed while I was spending time in Haiti due to epiphanies from my childhood. I am 100% Haitian although I was raised in the United States. In this study, I engage in an auto-ethnographic discovery of the role of identity in research design. Learning about the concept of Lakou matters in my research a great deal as it augmented the quality of my findings. Concomitantly, as an emerging scholar I developed a deeper sense of my personal identity as a Haitian while discovering how entrepreneurs organizing themselves in small communities locally which is critical to survival and growth. 

Indigenous value systems from within the African Diaspora are understudied in the literature and more can be learned on how they inform firm behaviour today. Specifically, indigenous values systems are rarely centred as theory, and it is important that academicians explore them in collaboration with locals to accurately portray life in these environments. For example, my main research finding in the article comes when I delve into the process of redesigning my research agenda when the importance of the Lakou was made clear by participants. 

Insights 

For Scholars 

The findings highlight the importance of cultural identity on approaches to research as well as understanding empirical data in various parts of the world. My call to action for other researchers is to learn more thoughtful and respectful ways of entering, re-entering and studying organizational dynamics in developing economies. In these emerging and developing market spaces, the local business practices of entrepreneurs are unique and potentially underappreciated. An additional research finding was that those business practices were valuable and include shared labour, spiritual and familial arrangements which help entrepreneurs to collaborate within these communities. 

For Entrepreneurs 

Community is invaluable. Oftentimes, when we start a business we need additional support, and that can often be found in our communities. It is important for entrepreneurs to understand the myriads of ways their engagement in meaningful relationships can not only empower them but can help them to make social impact with their organizations.