A review and future agenda for research on identity in entrepreneurship

Research Paper Title:

“A review and future agenda for research on identity in entrepreneurship”

Authors:

Nick Mmbaga (Butler University)
Blake Mathias (Indiana University)
David Williams (University of Tennessee)
Melissa Cardon (University of Tennessee)

Background:

The volume of articles and the increased interest in identity in entrepreneurship has grown rapidly over the years. This research has yielded a wealth of insights into how the categorization and self-definitions of entrepreneurs develop and influence key motivations, behaviors, decisions, strategic responses, venture outcomes, and other important consequences. Although there has been a rise in interest in this research area, the existing research on identity in entrepreneurship remains fragmented. To advance this research area, this study reviews and examines the co-occurrence of terms in keywords, titles, and abstracts on identity in entrepreneurship to organize the conversations within the body of research and charts a path for future research. The researchers also find several differences and highlight areas where existing theory and methods appear underdeveloped.

Methodology:

Sample: articles on identity in entrepreneurship published from 1999-2019
Sample Size: 180
Analytical Approach: bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer

Organizing Framework:

Distinctions – how entrepreneurs and their corresponding identities are distinct from other groups 

• The distinctions conversation highlights the presence of family and nonfamily entrepreneurial identities, explicates why these identities influence important strategic decisions, and ultimately, advances how identity impacts critical venture outcomes (e.g., financial or social performance). Much of this work draws heavily from the family business literature to highlight the fundamental differences between family and nonfamily entrepreneurs. 

Variations – variations or varieties of identity types among entrepreneurs 

• Researchers have drawn from theories of identity in psychology and sociology, primarily role identity theory and social identity theory, to explain how entrepreneurs’ unique passions, motivations, and intentions lead to considerable identity variations among entrepreneurs. 

Constructions – construction, creation, and evolution of entrepreneurial identities 

• The researchers review of work examining the constructions of entrepreneurial identities revealed three themes: identity work, gender dynamics, and identity narratives. 

Intersections – intersection of the identities of entrepreneurs and other entities 

• Studies on intersection examine the interplay between the identity of the entrepreneur and their venture (or market category or collective), exploring questions such as how entrepreneurs navigate tensions that arise from identities that seem contradictory, and/or manage the interface between the identity of the entrepreneur and other venture members. The three themes that were uncovered on research in the conversation about intersections of identity in entrepreneurship are ventures, hybridization, and markets and categories. 

Path for Future Research:

The researchers identified three key areas where future research can generate new conversations. Adopting a network-based perspective would build on recent work and explain how others (investors, founding team members, employees, suppliers, and customers) outside of the entrepreneur influence identity in entrepreneurship. Combining a network perspective with a post-emergence perspective could yield valuable insights surrounding how entrepreneurial identities of individuals and organizations change due to changing expectations and identity claims of the network of stakeholders, as well as events that occur internal or external to the venture. The researchers also see promise in exploring online communities (social media) and their influence in the formation of venture and/or individual identities.

Conclusion:

Identity in entrepreneurship holds highly distinctive features and meanings among entrepreneurs that influence their thoughts and actions throughout the entrepreneurial process. This review of literature on identity in entrepreneurship allows future research to integrate theory and bridge the conversations that were identified in the review.