Navigating the Institutional Environment: A Qualitative Exploration of Entrepreneurial Challenges and Growth Trajectories in Post-Conflict Liberia (2000–2026)

Entrepreneurship in post-conflict economies is critical for development, yet such environments present a complex institutional landscape. Liberia's protracted recovery offers a salient context to examine how entrepreneurs perceive and navigate formal and informal institutional voids and constraints. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of Liberian entrepreneurs in navigating the institutional environment, identifying the specific challenges they face and the adaptive strategies they employ to sustain and grow their ventures. A qualitative, interpretivist design was employed, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 32 founders of small and medium-sized enterprises across multiple sectors. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to develop robust, data-driven themes. A dominant theme was the pervasive challenge of 'enforced informality', where entrepreneurs strategically bypass dysfunctional formal institutions, despite a desire for legitimacy. Approximately two-thirds of participants described creating parallel, community-based trust networks to secure resources and enforce contracts, which fundamentally shaped their growth trajectories. Entrepreneurial growth in this context is not a linear function of institutional improvement but a complex negotiation between formal expectations and informal realities. The findings challenge assumptions that formalisation is an unequivocal good in fragile settings. Policymakers should focus on simplifying regulatory procedures and integrating credible local governance structures into support programmes. Development finance initiatives must recognise and leverage existing informal trust networks to enhance their efficacy. entrepreneurship, institutional voids, post-conflict economy, informal institutions, qualitative research, Liberia This paper provides novel empirical evidence on the micro-level strategies of 'institutional navigation', introducing the concept of 'enforced informality' as a critical mechanism shaping business development in post-conflict West Africa.