Entrepreneurial Identity and Practice Dynamics
Summary
Entrepreneurial identity and practice dynamics examine how individuals come to see themselves as entrepreneurs and how this self-conception is enacted through everyday activities. Central to this field is the interplay between personal sense-making—how entrepreneurs interpret their roles, goals and values—and the situated practices through which they mobilise resources, negotiate power and craft novel ventures. Research highlights that identity emerges continuously as entrepreneurs engage in discursive interactions, material work and reflexive learning, and in turn shapes decision-making, resilience and innovation trajectories. By illuminating the micro-foundation of entrepreneurial action, this research offers practical insights for designing incubators, mentorship programmes and organisational structures that foster adaptive mindsets and collaborative innovation across diverse cultural and sectoral contexts.
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Entrepreneurial Identity and Practice Dynamics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in entrepreneurial identity and practice dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Entrepreneurial identity: The self-conception of an individual as an entrepreneur, encompassing beliefs, values and role expectations that guide venture creation and decision-making.
Practice dynamics: The evolving patterns of action, interaction and material engagement through which entrepreneurial activities are carried out and shaped over time.
Discursive practices: The communicative processes and power relations through which entrepreneurs and stakeholders produce, negotiate and reinforce shared meanings and norms.
Entrepreneurial self-efficacy: An individual’s belief in their capability to perform tasks and overcome challenges associated with starting and growing a venture.
References
- “Do as we say and you'll be successful”: Mundane power in corporate entrepreneurship. Journal of Product Innovation Management (2023).
- Advice seeking and mentors’ influence on entrepreneurs’ role identity and business-model change. Journal of Small Business Management (2024).
- Imagining Futures: Theorizing the Practical Knowledge of Future-making. Organization Studies (2021).
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