Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106582
Laura Bechthold, Laura Rosendahl Huber, Kimberly A. Eddleston
Women remain underrepresented not only as founders but also as employees – or “joiners” – in young and small firms, limiting their exposure to entrepreneurial environments that often serve as critical pathways to venture creation. To address this gap, we investigate whether introducing female entrepreneur role models in educational settings can shape young women's entrepreneurial self-efficacy and early career choices. Drawing on role congruity theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), we conducted a field experiment involving over 430 university students and 98 early-stage entrepreneurs. Using a pre-test/post-test design and longitudinal tracking of early career choices, we explore the causal effects of exogenously assigned female role models on students' decisions to join a young or small firm. We find that exposure to social interactions with female entrepreneurs significantly boosts female students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy. More importantly, women who were paired with a female entrepreneur were over 10% more likely to join a young firm after graduation compared to those assigned to a male entrepreneur. Mediation analysis confirms that entrepreneurial self-efficacy is a key mechanism linking exposure to same-sex role models with women's decision to join a young firm. These findings highlight the potential of targeted role model interventions to reduce gender disparities in entrepreneurial entry pathways and expand the diversity of entrepreneurial ecosystems.
{"title":"Debiasing entrepreneurial careers: A field experiment on female role model effects on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and early-stage career choices","authors":"Laura Bechthold, Laura Rosendahl Huber, Kimberly A. Eddleston","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106582","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106582","url":null,"abstract":"Women remain underrepresented not only as founders but also as employees – or “joiners” – in young and small firms, limiting their exposure to entrepreneurial environments that often serve as critical pathways to venture creation. To address this gap, we investigate whether introducing female entrepreneur role models in educational settings can shape young women's entrepreneurial self-efficacy and early career choices. Drawing on role congruity theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), we conducted a field experiment involving over 430 university students and 98 early-stage entrepreneurs. Using a pre-test/post-test design and longitudinal tracking of early career choices, we explore the causal effects of exogenously assigned female role models on students' decisions to join a young or small firm. We find that exposure to social interactions with female entrepreneurs significantly boosts female students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy. More importantly, women who were paired with a female entrepreneur were over 10% more likely to join a young firm after graduation compared to those assigned to a male entrepreneur. Mediation analysis confirms that entrepreneurial self-efficacy is a key mechanism linking exposure to same-sex role models with women's decision to join a young firm. These findings highlight the potential of targeted role model interventions to reduce gender disparities in entrepreneurial entry pathways and expand the diversity of entrepreneurial ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"160 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106581
Timothy L. Michaelis, April J. Spivack, Nicholas A. Smith, Jeffrey M. Pollack, Jon C. Carr, Alexander McKelvie
{"title":"I'll prove you wrong! The underdog effect as an antecedent to entrepreneurial action and venture persistence","authors":"Timothy L. Michaelis, April J. Spivack, Nicholas A. Smith, Jeffrey M. Pollack, Jon C. Carr, Alexander McKelvie","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106581","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106581","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"2017 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106577
Brian J. Bergman Jr. , Jeffery S. McMullen
Despite widespread interest in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), little is known about how particular actors effectively legitimize and lead them. Increasingly, scholars have identified “ecosystem architects” as individuals or organizations intended to achieve these objectives. However, research is silent regarding how a given actor becomes ecosystem architect – how they interpret or enact this role, how others respond to their efforts, and, importantly, how these actions ultimately help or hinder their ability to enhance their EE. To inform these interrelated issues, we conducted an in-depth case study of a nascent EE and a new entrepreneurial support organization (ESO), one of which was founded to serve as its architect and improve its trajectory. Drawing from research on EE emergence and legitimacy, we develop a model of architect-led ecosystem legitimation. Specifically, we detail how the new ESO successfully legitimized the nascent EE and situated itself as its architect. Our analysis reveals two forms of work – “ecosystem legitimacy work” and “architect work” – and shows how these forms interact over time as the aspiring architect evolves and targets different aspects of the ecosystem for different audiences. Further, our analysis shows how preoccupation with one aspect or audience puts pressure on the architect, while oscillating between them can legitimize the ecosystem, cement the architect's role, and generate ecosystem momentum. Ultimately, our study contributes to research on ecosystem architects, EE leadership, EE emergence, and ecosystem identity.
{"title":"Momentum through a mantra: How a new architect legitimizes a nascent entrepreneurial ecosystem","authors":"Brian J. Bergman Jr. , Jeffery S. McMullen","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite widespread interest in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), little is known about how particular actors effectively legitimize and lead them. Increasingly, scholars have identified “ecosystem architects” as individuals or organizations intended to achieve these objectives. However, research is silent regarding how a given actor becomes ecosystem architect – how they interpret or enact this role, how others respond to their efforts, and, importantly, how these actions ultimately help or hinder their ability to enhance their EE. To inform these interrelated issues, we conducted an in-depth case study of a nascent EE and a new entrepreneurial support organization (ESO), one of which was founded to serve as its architect and improve its trajectory. Drawing from research on EE emergence and legitimacy, we develop a model of architect-led ecosystem legitimation. Specifically, we detail how the new ESO successfully legitimized the nascent EE and situated itself as its architect. Our analysis reveals two forms of work – “ecosystem legitimacy work” and “architect work” – and shows how these forms interact over time as the aspiring architect evolves and targets different aspects of the ecosystem for different audiences. Further, our analysis shows how preoccupation with one aspect or audience puts pressure on the architect, while oscillating between them can legitimize the ecosystem, cement the architect's role, and generate ecosystem momentum. Ultimately, our study contributes to research on ecosystem architects, EE leadership, EE emergence, and ecosystem identity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 3","pages":"Article 106577"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146032734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106579
Yuliya Snihur , Clarence Bluntz , Nancy Bocken
We study how a French social venture helped scale up social impact by selling fair-priced milk. Besides market success, the venture became a symbol of fair pricing for farmers, influencing public discourse and inspiring new laws. We develop a process model where energized consumer solidarity framing serves as a catalyst for mobilizing ecosystem actors, leading to the widespread adoption of the venture's solution to an economic and social crisis. This distributed process of scaling up social impact unfolds outside the venture's direct control, relying on community enactment as well as engagement and energizing from the media, incumbent retailers and competitors, as well as politicians. We contribute to research on scaling up social impact by explaining how and why entrepreneurial framing can mobilize diverse ecosystem actors. We also advance entrepreneurial framing research by offering a social-emotional explanation of how framing can enable change.
{"title":"The power of consumer solidarity framing in scaling up social impact","authors":"Yuliya Snihur , Clarence Bluntz , Nancy Bocken","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We study how a French social venture helped scale up social impact by selling fair-priced milk. Besides market success, the venture became a symbol of fair pricing for farmers, influencing public discourse and inspiring new laws. We develop a process model where energized consumer solidarity framing serves as a catalyst for mobilizing ecosystem actors, leading to the widespread adoption of the venture's solution to an economic and social crisis. This distributed process of scaling up social impact unfolds outside the venture's direct control, relying on community enactment as well as engagement and energizing from the media, incumbent retailers and competitors, as well as politicians. We contribute to research on scaling up social impact by explaining how and why entrepreneurial framing can mobilize diverse ecosystem actors. We also advance entrepreneurial framing research by offering a social-emotional explanation of how framing can enable change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 3","pages":"Article 106579"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106578
Chang Lu , Rongrong Zhang , Trish Reay
The entrepreneurship as emancipation (EE) perspective has inspired much research in the field of entrepreneurship. Yet, scholars have paid little attention to how a stigmatized social group collectively engages in emancipatory entrepreneurship. To address this gap, we carried out a qualitative investigation of how First Nations (Indigenous peoples) in Canada founded casinos to emancipate from post-colonialism in the face of racial stigma. Focusing on the interactions between the stigmatized entrepreneur group and audiences, we found that emancipatory entrepreneurship by a stigmatized group entailed waves of contestations between the entrepreneur group and audiences, interspersed with interim settlements and preceded by internal mobilization within the stigmatized group. Our core contribution is to provide a process model of emancipatory entrepreneurship by groups and to advance theory regarding the nature of interactions between emancipating entrepreneurs and external audiences. We also reveal how partial acquiescence to constraining actors may be critical in advancing emancipatory entrepreneurship over time and highlight the importance of managing the interdependence between stigmatized entrepreneurs and stigmatizing audiences.
{"title":"Emancipatory entrepreneurship by a stigmatized social group","authors":"Chang Lu , Rongrong Zhang , Trish Reay","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The entrepreneurship as emancipation (EE) perspective has inspired much research in the field of entrepreneurship. Yet, scholars have paid little attention to how a stigmatized social group collectively engages in emancipatory entrepreneurship. To address this gap, we carried out a qualitative investigation of how First Nations (Indigenous peoples) in Canada founded casinos to emancipate from post-colonialism in the face of racial stigma. Focusing on the interactions between the stigmatized entrepreneur group and audiences, we found that emancipatory entrepreneurship by a stigmatized group entailed waves of contestations between the entrepreneur group and audiences, interspersed with interim settlements and preceded by internal mobilization within the stigmatized group. Our core contribution is to provide a process model of emancipatory entrepreneurship by groups and to advance theory regarding the nature of interactions between emancipating entrepreneurs and external audiences. We also reveal how partial acquiescence to constraining actors may be critical in advancing emancipatory entrepreneurship over time and highlight the importance of managing the interdependence between stigmatized entrepreneurs and stigmatizing audiences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 3","pages":"Article 106578"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106570
Lien Denoo , Pek Hooi Soh , Bart Clarysse
Attracting customers is one of the most important milestones for technology ventures. Ties are generally considered as beneficial when attracting start-up resources, such as first customers, because they can mitigate information asymmetry to overcome liabilities of newness and smallness. Despite this, when and how entrepreneurs use different network approaches to attract their ventures' first paying customers remains understudied. We rely on the concept of tie strength to distinguish between ventures acquiring customers via pre-existing strong ties, weak ties, or no ties (i.e., through market-based mechanisms). Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis on 72 entrepreneurs from 72 Flemish technology ventures, complemented by extensive qualitative data, we identify distinct, equifinal configurations of founder, firm, and environmental attributes that are associated with acquiring customers through strong, weak, or no ties. Our post-hoc performance analyses further reveal performance differences: while attracting customers through no ties is associated with higher revenues, only using strong ties to attract first paying customers is associated with higher survival at scale. Our findings have important practical implications for entrepreneurs and technology commercialization policies. Overall, our study contributes a network-based perspective to customer acquisition to the literatures on entrepreneurial resource acquisition, entrepreneurial marketing and technology entrepreneurship.
{"title":"From strong ties to no ties: Configurations for first-customer acquisition in tech startups","authors":"Lien Denoo , Pek Hooi Soh , Bart Clarysse","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Attracting customers is one of the most important milestones for technology ventures. Ties are generally considered as beneficial when attracting start-up resources, such as first customers, because they can mitigate information asymmetry to overcome liabilities of newness and smallness. Despite this, when and how entrepreneurs use different network approaches to attract their ventures' first paying customers remains understudied. We rely on the concept of tie strength to distinguish between ventures acquiring customers via pre-existing strong ties, weak ties, or no ties (i.e., through market-based mechanisms). Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis on 72 entrepreneurs from 72 Flemish technology ventures, complemented by extensive qualitative data, we identify distinct, equifinal configurations of founder, firm, and environmental attributes that are associated with acquiring customers through strong, weak, or no ties. Our post-hoc performance analyses further reveal performance differences: while attracting customers through no ties is associated with higher revenues, only using strong ties to attract first paying customers is associated with higher survival at scale. Our findings have important practical implications for entrepreneurs and technology commercialization policies. Overall, our study contributes a network-based perspective to customer acquisition to the literatures on entrepreneurial resource acquisition, entrepreneurial marketing and technology entrepreneurship.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 2","pages":"Article 106570"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106569
Ulrich Lang , Victoria Berg , Jannis von Nitzsch , Andreas Engelen
Drawing on person–organization (PO) fit theory, we examine how different configurations of the personality trait narcissism within founding teams influence co-founder turnover and venture growth. We theorize that high mean levels of narcissism in founding teams reduce “supplementary fit,” heightening the likelihood of co-founder turnover and, in turn, undermining venture growth. In contrast, greater diversity in narcissism can foster “complementary fit,” especially through improved role and task allocations between narcissistic and less narcissistic co-founders, buffering the negative effects of high mean narcissism. To test our model, we utilize a unique longitudinal dataset of 911 U.S. tech-based ventures founded in 2010, which combines a LinkedIn-based measure of founder narcissism with detailed founding team and venture data. Our findings support our proposed founder-narcissism-configuration model, revealing that the mean level of narcissism and narcissism diversity jointly shape co-founder turnover and ultimately venture growth. This study advances research on narcissism in entrepreneurship, team-level narcissism, and PO fit theory.
{"title":"The dynamics of narcissism in founding teams: Implications for co-founder turnover and venture growth","authors":"Ulrich Lang , Victoria Berg , Jannis von Nitzsch , Andreas Engelen","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drawing on person–organization (PO) fit theory, we examine how different configurations of the personality trait narcissism within founding teams influence co-founder turnover and venture growth. We theorize that high mean levels of narcissism in founding teams reduce “supplementary fit,” heightening the likelihood of co-founder turnover and, in turn, undermining venture growth. In contrast, greater diversity in narcissism can foster “complementary fit,” especially through improved role and task allocations between narcissistic and less narcissistic co-founders, buffering the negative effects of high mean narcissism. To test our model, we utilize a unique longitudinal dataset of 911 U.S. tech-based ventures founded in 2010, which combines a LinkedIn-based measure of founder narcissism with detailed founding team and venture data. Our findings support our proposed <em>founder-narcissism-configuration model</em>, revealing that the mean level of narcissism and narcissism diversity jointly shape co-founder turnover and ultimately venture growth. This study advances research on narcissism in entrepreneurship, team-level narcissism, and PO fit theory.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 2","pages":"Article 106569"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106562
Lingli Luo , Junichi Yamanoi , Xufei Ma , Linan Lei
Research on the impact of inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) on new venture creation has primarily focused on the country level, often yielding inconsistent findings. To reconcile these inconsistencies, we develop a theory on the influence of IFDI stock on new venture creation at the industry-regional level, offering three possible complementary explanations. Drawing on learning and competition theories, we propose that IFDI in a specific industry and region has an inverted U-shaped effect on new venture creation, driven by the dual forces of learning opportunities and competitive threats anticipated by prospective entrepreneurs. Additionally, we found that IFDI in related industries in the focal region and IFDI in the focal industry in adjacent regions positively influence new venture creation. Furthermore, we argue that these effects are amplified in regions with more developed non-state economy. Analyzing data on all registered firms (2013−2023) collected from China National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System provides robust support for our hypotheses. The findings make important theoretical contributions to research on foreign direct investment and entrepreneurship, as well as to the literature on learning and competition.
{"title":"Beyond direct impact: Exploring inward FDI’s multifaceted effects on new venture creation","authors":"Lingli Luo , Junichi Yamanoi , Xufei Ma , Linan Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research on the impact of inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) on new venture creation has primarily focused on the country level, often yielding inconsistent findings. To reconcile these inconsistencies, we develop a theory on the influence of IFDI stock on new venture creation at the industry-regional level, offering three possible complementary explanations. Drawing on learning and competition theories, we propose that IFDI in a specific industry and region has an inverted U-shaped effect on new venture creation, driven by the dual forces of learning opportunities and competitive threats anticipated by prospective entrepreneurs. Additionally, we found that IFDI in related industries in the focal region and IFDI in the focal industry in adjacent regions positively influence new venture creation. Furthermore, we argue that these effects are amplified in regions with more developed non-state economy. Analyzing data on all registered firms (2013−2023) collected from <em>China National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System</em> provides robust support for our hypotheses. The findings make important theoretical contributions to research on foreign direct investment and entrepreneurship, as well as to the literature on learning and competition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 2","pages":"Article 106562"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106560
Stephanie A. Fernhaber , Christian Schwens
Amid accelerating global change, entrepreneurship is increasingly shaped by political, social, and technological shifts that cut across borders. Yet, despite these pressing realities, international entrepreneurship (IE) scholarship has paid limited attention to how such global phenomena impact entrepreneurial actors, behaviors, and circumstances. This suggests a disconnect between the evolving global context and current academic attention to the field. Drawing on our perspective as area editors for IE at the Journal of Business Venturing, we reflect on this gap and the concerns voiced across the scientific community about the field's scope and future. In response, we propose an agenda for future research that treats entrepreneurship as inherently international and, in turn, invites future contributions not only by IE researchers but also from the wider entrepreneurship community.
{"title":"How cross-national border influences of global phenomena render entrepreneurship inherently international","authors":"Stephanie A. Fernhaber , Christian Schwens","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amid accelerating global change, entrepreneurship is increasingly shaped by political, social, and technological shifts that cut across borders. Yet, despite these pressing realities, international entrepreneurship (IE) scholarship has paid limited attention to how such global phenomena impact entrepreneurial actors, behaviors, and circumstances. This suggests a disconnect between the evolving global context and current academic attention to the field. Drawing on our perspective as area editors for IE at the <em>Journal of Business Venturing</em>, we reflect on this gap and the concerns voiced across the scientific community about the field's scope and future. In response, we propose an agenda for future research that treats entrepreneurship as inherently international and, in turn, invites future contributions not only by IE researchers but also from the wider entrepreneurship community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 2","pages":"Article 106560"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145730953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106561
Gorgi Krlev
<div><div>Persistent social and environmental challenges require social entrepreneurs to work towards systems change, which is defined as fundamental shifts in social processes, practices, and structures. However, we do not understand well why some social entrepreneurs achieve systemic changes, while others fail to do so. In particular, we do not know which <em>mechanisms</em> help social entrepreneurs produce systemic transformations in society. This article advocates for harnessing Giddens' structuration theory to improve our understanding. I develop a structuration model of systems change through social entrepreneurship, which shows that <em>connected modalities</em>, that is, intricate combinations of (1) interpretative schemes, (2) resources, and (3) norms, act as the key mechanisms that enable systemic effects. I argue when social entrepreneurs mobilize connected modalities, they can realize high integrativeness, i.e., cover a wide variety of interconnected issues and trigger shifts at different societal levels. Connected modalities also enable high inclusiveness, i.e., unify a wide diversity of stakeholders. Both elements are needed to achieve systems change. I support the model's development with illustrations from research on social entrepreneurship with and without a systemic character. Thereby, I alter how we think about social entrepreneurship and effective ways of supporting it when the aim is to generate systems change.</div></div><div><h3>Executive summary</h3><div>Persistent social and environmental challenges are affecting the world. We tend to assume social entrepreneurs help address them and promote so-called systems change. Systems change means creating fundamental shifts in social processes, practices and structures so that problems are prevented or new kinds of lasting and major solutions surrounding those problems can emerge. Unfortunately, we do not understand well why some social entrepreneurs achieve systemic changes, while others fail to do so.</div><div>Especially, we lack knowledge about which <em>mechanisms</em> help social entrepreneurs produce systemic transformations in society. This article uses Anthony Giddens' structuration theory to develop an explanation. It introduces the theoretical idea of <em>connected modalities</em>. These are close and strong combinations of new (1) ideas, mindsets or imaginations, (2) resources, and (3) norms and values.</div><div>When combining these modalities, that is, different ways of acting within society, social entrepreneurs can realize high <em>integrativeness</em>. This means they can affect several societal fields, industries, or issues at the same time. Combining modalities also helps social entrepreneurs achieve high <em>inclusiveness</em>. This means they can activate and work with many different stakeholders. Both elements are needed to achieve systems change.</div><div>Research about microfinance underpins my arguments. Microfinance achieved systems change not primaril
{"title":"Social entrepreneurship mechanisms for systems change: A structuration approach","authors":"Gorgi Krlev","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusvent.2025.106561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Persistent social and environmental challenges require social entrepreneurs to work towards systems change, which is defined as fundamental shifts in social processes, practices, and structures. However, we do not understand well why some social entrepreneurs achieve systemic changes, while others fail to do so. In particular, we do not know which <em>mechanisms</em> help social entrepreneurs produce systemic transformations in society. This article advocates for harnessing Giddens' structuration theory to improve our understanding. I develop a structuration model of systems change through social entrepreneurship, which shows that <em>connected modalities</em>, that is, intricate combinations of (1) interpretative schemes, (2) resources, and (3) norms, act as the key mechanisms that enable systemic effects. I argue when social entrepreneurs mobilize connected modalities, they can realize high integrativeness, i.e., cover a wide variety of interconnected issues and trigger shifts at different societal levels. Connected modalities also enable high inclusiveness, i.e., unify a wide diversity of stakeholders. Both elements are needed to achieve systems change. I support the model's development with illustrations from research on social entrepreneurship with and without a systemic character. Thereby, I alter how we think about social entrepreneurship and effective ways of supporting it when the aim is to generate systems change.</div></div><div><h3>Executive summary</h3><div>Persistent social and environmental challenges are affecting the world. We tend to assume social entrepreneurs help address them and promote so-called systems change. Systems change means creating fundamental shifts in social processes, practices and structures so that problems are prevented or new kinds of lasting and major solutions surrounding those problems can emerge. Unfortunately, we do not understand well why some social entrepreneurs achieve systemic changes, while others fail to do so.</div><div>Especially, we lack knowledge about which <em>mechanisms</em> help social entrepreneurs produce systemic transformations in society. This article uses Anthony Giddens' structuration theory to develop an explanation. It introduces the theoretical idea of <em>connected modalities</em>. These are close and strong combinations of new (1) ideas, mindsets or imaginations, (2) resources, and (3) norms and values.</div><div>When combining these modalities, that is, different ways of acting within society, social entrepreneurs can realize high <em>integrativeness</em>. This means they can affect several societal fields, industries, or issues at the same time. Combining modalities also helps social entrepreneurs achieve high <em>inclusiveness</em>. This means they can activate and work with many different stakeholders. Both elements are needed to achieve systems change.</div><div>Research about microfinance underpins my arguments. Microfinance achieved systems change not primaril","PeriodicalId":51348,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Venturing","volume":"41 2","pages":"Article 106561"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145657180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：