Gender equality has become a central concern in entrepreneurship policy and practice, yet inequalities in participation and access to resources persist. While scholarship shows that these inequalities stem from structural dynamics in entrepreneurial ecosystems, less is known about how women's entrepreneurship interventions are orchestrated across ecosystems and what implications this has for gender equality. Drawing on a multiple-case study of two regional entrepreneurial ecosystems in Germany and the UK, based on 41 interviews and field observations, we identify four intervention types: (1) skill-building and funding, (2) representation and visibility, (3) women's grassroots collectives, and (4) collaborative ecosystem-building. We further reveal four mechanisms through which interventions challenge or reproduce gender inequality: normalization, legitimation, coalition-building, and collective reconfiguration. The study develops a classification framework for women's entrepreneurship interventions and advances theorization of inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems by highlighting hybrid orchestration as a pathway to systemic transformation.
Gender inequality persists in entrepreneurship, yet the role of language in shaping entrepreneurial evaluations remains poorly understood. Drawing on social role theory and social dominance theory, we examine whether gendered verbiage appears in entrepreneurship texts and how such language influences new venture assessments. Using mixed-method design, we analyse popular press articles, academic research publications, and teaching cases, and conduct an experiment assessing new venture evaluations. Across all text genres, we find that masculine wording significantly outweighs feminine wording, regardless of industry gender-typing. Experimental results show that ventures described using masculine language are evaluated more favourably, perceived to have greater long-term growth potential, and granted higher cognitive legitimacy than those described with feminine language. These effects hold irrespective of the entrepreneur's gender. Together, our findings reveal a linguistic mechanism through which gender inequality is reproduced in entrepreneurship and highlight how seemingly neutral texts can systematically advantage ventures aligned with masculine norms.
This study examines how frugal entrepreneurs in the Global South mobilize resources through social embeddedness and non-market logics to address grand challenges. Drawing on multiple case studies, we integrate the constructs of social embeddedness and non-market logics to explain how entrepreneurs access, combine, and deploy resources through community ties, trust, and shared values. The findings reveal that resource mobilization in frugal innovation extends beyond market rationality and is shaped by relational norms of reciprocity, solidarity, and collective benefit. Socially embedded networks provide legitimacy and enable the co-creation of affordable, contextually appropriate solutions that contribute to inclusive development. By theorizing resource mobilization as a socially and institutionally grounded process, this study advances the understanding of entrepreneurship in the Global South and demonstrates how frugal innovation transforms local resourcefulness into collective responses to grand societal challenges.
This study explores new sources of entrepreneurial self-efficacy focusing on play and learning. The study also considers the influence of the family context on this relationship. While extensive research has explored the origins of self-efficacy beliefs, we know little about the combined effects of emotions and cognitions. Building on social cognitive theory, we explore (a) the effect of a playful approach on forming entrepreneurial self-efficacy beliefs; (b) the mediating role of entrepreneurial learning; and (c) the moderating effects of marital status and offspring. We collected data through a survey with 349 entrepreneurs. Results indicate that playful approach has a significant and positive impact on entrepreneurial self-efficacy beliefs and that entrepreneurial learning mediates it. A moderated relationship is also observed such that, for single entrepreneurs, playful approach has a stronger influence on entrepreneurial learning, influencing entrepreneurial self-efficacy beliefs. Results are discussed in terms of implication for theory and practice.
This study examines how family-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate the complexities of international expansion while preserving their local identities and connections. Cognizant of their nested roles in local economies and the risks to their local reputation and legitimacy, many family SMEs are hesitant to venture into international markets. Using a longitudinal case study approach, we examine how four Swedish family SMEs partner with regional multinational enterprises (MNEs) and pursue international opportunities by leveraging bonding social capital (within local networks) and bridging social capital (through international ties). We advance a model that captures the tensions that arise throughout the internationalization process. Our study demonstrates that despite the paradoxical tensions related to the trade-off between localness and international expansion, family SMEs can leverage bridging social capital with local MNEs to access global value chains while balancing the need to preserve localness and their role in their regions through bonding social capital. Conceptualized as a form of network governance this 'balancing competence' enables family SMEs to manage paradoxical tensions effectively by sustaining local legitimacy while simultaneously pursuing international opportunities.
This presents a rich, original, highly contextualized discussion that qualitatively explores how and why expressions of anger impact entrepreneurial journeys. A sociology of emotions framework is employed, to study expressions of anger as culturally constructed communicative devices. This shifts the focus from studying emotions as affective states in entrepreneurial processes onto studying emotions as externally expressed phenomena that impact entrepreneurial journeys in relation to socio-emotional rules and norms. Phenomenological data given by 'everyday entrepreneurs' who own and run small businesses in a closeknit localized entrepreneurial ecosystem is inductively analysed. Expressions of anger can impact entrepreneurial journeys in advantageous ways by preventing entrepreneurs being exploited, especially when owed money, and by helping entrepreneurs motivate and manage employees. Simultaneously, expressions of anger can impact entrepreneurial journeys in disadvantageous ways, because they debilitate interpersonal relationships and harm an entrepreneur's status. Sector and gender are shown to create contingent socio-emotional rules and norms that determine how expressions of anger impact entrepreneurial journeys relatively.
Although many obstacles in the way of a shift to environmentally conscious entrepreneurship still exist, sustainable development is now a global necessity. The current study examines the variables that are influencing university students' aspirations to pursue green entrepreneurship. We used Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to investigate how students' entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions were influenced by pro-environmental intentions, environmental self-awareness, environmental literacy, and entrepreneurial traits. According to the findings, pro-environmental intentions are largely shaped by environmental literacy and knowledge, while entrepreneurial intention is primarily predicted by an entrepreneurial mindset. The findings emphasize how pro-environmental intentions and subjective norms mediate the relationship between environmental awareness and entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, results based on gender show that there is a stronger correlation between entrepreneurial traits and intention in men. In addition to making recommendations for educators and policymakers, this study theoretically advances the field of entrepreneurship and environmental behaviour research.
This paper examines how organizational identity evolves to sustain social purpose in long-lived family firms. Drawing on an online ethnographic case study of Peter Caf & eacute; Sport - a century-old maritime family business in the Azores - we trace how founding narratives, legacy-based commitments, and deep relational networks shaped responses during the COVID-19 crisis. Our findings show that organizational identity, often viewed as a stabilizing force, can also be a generative resource for adaptive action, promoting the balance between social and economic logics even in times of disruption. We demonstrate that the founder's social involvement not only persists but can be reactivated decades after inception, enabling the reaffirmation of the firm's enduring role as a community anchor. By explaining how hybrid economic - social logics sustain across organizational life stages, the study advances understanding of social entrepreneurship in crisis, emphasizing the role of family organizational identity beyond start-up contexts, and deepens insight into how small family enterprises preserve and reinterpret their social mission over time.
Social enterprises pursue social, environmental, and financial goals, but balancing them can be challenging. Geography influences how these goals are prioritized, yet comparative studies of rural and urban social enterprise sustainability are limited. This study examines these rural-urban differences among UK social enterprises. Using data from 2,402 businesses from the UK's Longitudinal Small Business Survey (2017, 2019, 2021) and non-linear decomposition analysis, the results highlight that rural social enterprises demonstrate stronger environmental commitments than urban counterparts. However, there were no significant differences in social and financial objectives between rural and urban businesses, and similar levels of these business goals across locations. Based on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework and the contextual embeddedness perspective, the results highlight the influence of geographical context and organizational characteristics on social enterprise TBL strategies. Given the unique features of different locations, our results point to the need for targeted policies that support urban social enterprises in overcoming barriers to environmental sustainability, and broader support for both rural and urban enterprises in achieving social and financial objectives. Fostering collaboration between rural and urban enterprises may further enhance knowledge-sharing, access to resources, and overall impact.
This paper addresses two interrelated questions: How has research on women's entrepreneurship in Islamic contexts evolved? and, What directions can advance future theoretical and empirical work? To address the first query, I conducted bibliometric and thematic analyses of 97 scholarly articles published between 1980 and 2023, mapping publication trends, geographic patterns, and dominant themes. My analysis indicates that existing scholarship is both geographically concentrated and conceptually uneven. Specifically, much of the literature focuses on a limited number of Muslim-majority countries and often emphasizes the enabling role of Islamic values in women's entrepreneurship, with less attention paid to the ways in which religion also operates through institutional and sociocultural constraints. The variation across Islamic contexts and the interaction between formal and informal institutions also remain insufficiently examined. I thus propose three directions for future research: (1) examining heterogeneity across Islamic contexts, (2) investigating the gap between formal and informal institutions, and (3) adopting a more balanced understanding of Islam's enabling and constraining roles. Pursuing these directions will result in a more context-sensitive, comprehensive, and theoretically grounded approach to studying women's entrepreneurship in Islamic contexts.
There is growing interest in research on religion and entrepreneurship. Despite this growth, scholarship is disconnected and scattered across a range of definitions, perspectives and levels, thereby limiting our knowledge accumulation. To address these issues, we build upon a recent definition of religious entrepreneurship to conduct an integrative review of all articles published through 2024 in journals ranked 3 and above in ABS journal rankings. Building upon boundary theory, we develop a conceptual framework of this distinctive domain based on 99 articles, highlighting the integration of religious beliefs and practices with entrepreneurial cognition and action. Our framework provides conceptual clarity and synthesis of the existing literature and offers a pathway for a future research agenda identifying key gaps, tensions, and methodologies. In so doing, we draw upon boundary theory to illustrate the research possibilities of different degrees of integration and permeability of religious entrepreneurship. We conclude that the increased legitimacy of research has contributed to the emergence of the distinctive domain of religious entrepreneurship.
Senior entrepreneurship is often seen as a potential way to address societal challenges arising from an ageing population. Drawing on gerontological research on active ageing and prior studies on senior entrepreneurship, we propose that three key capacities associated with active ageing - health, psychological, and financial - affect senior entrepreneurship at the population level. Our analysis of senior entrepreneurship rates across 37 countries between 2001 and 2021 reveals that these capacities are positively associated with the prevalence of entrepreneurship among younger seniors (aged 55-64). However, this relationship does not fully extend to older seniors (aged 65+) or to non-senior age groups (aged 18-54). This study offers research and policy implications for senior entrepreneurship.
This paper introduces Transcendent Proxy Agency (TPA) as an ontological expansion of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), offering a psychologically pluralistic account of entrepreneurial engagement. While SCT has traditionally emphasized personal agency, we argue that sustained action, or purposeful cessation, in contexts of uncertainty depends on agentic alignment with external reinforcement. We distinguish between socially mediated proxy agency (mentors, institutions) and transcendent proxy agency, defined as the perceived relationship with a Sovereign Agent. We theorize the latter as a dual-natured mechanism that provides both motivational scaffolding and sovereign constraints. Drawing on the Islamic tradition as an illustrative case, we demonstrate how TPA reconfigures commitment through a Dual Logic of Agency: balancing rigorous mastery over means (Asb & amacr;b) with a metaphysical decoupling from outcomes (Qadar) as a normative ideal. This approach reveals how religious agency can facilitate resilience in the face of trial and a morally grounded productive exit when ventures conflict with perceived divine stewardship (Am & amacr;nah), while acknowledging that its enactment is effortful, variable, and marked by oscillation between trust and doubt. By integrating transcendent influence into the architecture of agency, this paper moves beyond individualist, secular paradigms to offer a relational and context-sensitive framework for understanding entrepreneurial behaviour in socio-cultural environments.
Entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa is often portrayed through a deficit lens, emphasizing constraints such as financial limitations and weak institutions. While recent studies emphasize the potential of high-tech ventures in such settings, we still lack process-based accounts of how these ventures navigate these environments, particularly how their embeddedness unfold over time and how social, spatial and institutional dimensions interact in shaping this process. This study examines how nascent high-tech ventures in sub-Saharan Africa innovate in what we refer to as hyperdynamic contexts characterized by volatility, institutional ambiguity, and fragmented markets to contribute to inclusive regional development. Drawing on a longitudinal qualitative multiple-case study our findings contribute to the entrepreneurship literature by revealing that ventures in these contexts alternate between embedding, disembedding, and re-embedding, across different context dimensions. We further demonstrate that digital technologies act as constitutive mediators of blended arrangements. Finally, we advance the concept of ambidextrous embeddedness by showing that ambidexterity is both a critical requirement in hyperdynamic contexts, and an outcome of micro-level recalibration processes over time. Practically, the findings underscore the capacity of high-tech ventures to catalyse innovation and regional development beyond survivalist entrepreneurship.
While prior entrepreneurial studies have paid attention to the interpersonal influence in the transition from paid employment to entrepreneurship, the role of active feedback from significant others remains underexplored. Grounded in social cognitive career theory, this study examines the effect and underlying mechanism of social persuasion on employees' entrepreneurial discovery behaviours and investigates career plateaus as crucial boundary conditions. We tested the conceptual model using a three-wave survey with full-time employees (final sample = 241). The results showed that social persuasion motivates employees to engage in entrepreneurial discovery behaviours, and this relationship is partially mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy. More importantly, we found that the direct effect of social persuasion on entrepreneurial discovery behaviour is stronger for employees who experienced hierarchical plateaus, whereas the indirect effect of social persuasion via entrepreneurial self-efficacy is stronger for employees who encountered job content plateaus. This study offers important theoretical and practical implications for the entrepreneurial literature.
Feminist studies have shown how societal discourse constructs entrepreneurship as a gendered field, privileging a masculine image of entrepreneurship. Grounded in this literature, we examine business incubators and accelerators (BIAs) as implicit gatekeepers for new entrants into entrepreneurship, and as heavily understudied intermediary actors within the broad entrepreneurship ecosystem. Through a critical discourse analysis of 166 Canadian BIA websites, we examine how these texts construct entrepreneurship and study these constructions through the lens of gender inclusion or exclusion. Analysing identity and relational functions of the texts we find three overarching discursive practices, two that reproduce the status quo (a masculine gendered entrepreneurship), and a third that creates a counter-discourse, pointing to the possibility for change. Based on these practices and how they are combined, we develop a critical typology of BIAs' website discourses comprising: 1) an exclusionary discourse perpetuating a masculine gendered system that we label 'closed entrepreneurship'; 2) a less prevalent inclusive discourse that disturbs existing structures and shifts them to 'open entrepreneurship', and 3) a hybrid discourse, permitting variance while sustaining the gendered status quo. Our work extends entrepreneurship discourse studies to the organizational level of analysis and has implications for 'inclusive entrepreneurship' theory and practice.
