Individual entrepreneurial orientation: analyzing what we know, what we need to know, and future directions

Summary

This is a systematic literature review (SLR) of individual entrepreneurial orientation (Ind.EO) that synthesises 210 peer-reviewed articles (Q1–Q2) from Web of Science and Scopus through November 2024. The authors identify six thematic domains in Ind.EO research: construct development; performance and outcomes; the entrepreneurial process; institutional and social contexts; personal-level variables; and entrepreneurial education and learning. The paper summarises measurement progress, maps antecedents, processes and outcomes, and proposes a validated research agenda (formational, concurrent and consequential questions) informed by a confirmatory survey of authors.

Key Points

Ind.EO is defined as dispositional and behavioural tendencies (autonomy, competitiveness, innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking) that drive individuals to pursue value-creating opportunities.
The review covers 210 top-tier articles and organises the field into six thematic domains to provide a coherent knowledge map.
Construct development: several scales exist (Bolton & Lane widely used); recent work (Clark et al., 2024) provides a validated five-dimension scale linking dispositions to behaviours.
Performance & outcomes: Ind.EO relates to firm, team and individual performance, innovation adoption and intrapreneurship; organisational context moderates effects.
Entrepreneurial process: most research links Ind.EO to entrepreneurial intention; fewer studies examine actual entrepreneurial behaviour and process dynamics.
Personal-level variables: personality, emotions, neurodevelopmental conditions and gender/gender-identity matter, but many gaps remain (e.g. mental health, LGBTQ+ experiences).
Education & learning: entrepreneurship education can increase Ind.EO, but longitudinal and comparative studies (and new pedagogies such as serious games and generative AI) are needed.
Research agenda: the paper proposes formational, concurrent and consequential questions and validates them with a survey of scholars; priority areas include longitudinal methods, multilevel models and richer contextual theorising.

Content summary

The authors applied a four-stage SLR procedure and used bibliometric, citation, and Gioia-style content analysis to derive a grounded model of antecedents, processes and outcomes. They identified 112 first-order concepts reduced to 22 second-order themes and then grouped into six domains. Performance and outcomes is the largest domain (72 articles), followed by entrepreneurial process (51) and personal-level variables (30). The review highlights measurement evolution (from adapted firm-level EO scales to newer dispositional-behavioural instruments), the predominance of cross-sectional work, and the recent rise of Ind.EO research in 2024.

The paper discusses formational issues (how traits, value beliefs and context produce Ind.EO), concurrent issues (measurement, dispositional-behavioural feedback loops and new methods such as experience sampling or neuroentrepreneurship), and consequential issues (how Ind.EO shapes intentions, venture creation, intrapreneurship and innovation outcomes). The confirmatory survey (65 respondents, ~31% response) helped rank and validate future research questions.

Context and relevance

This SLR is important for scholars and policymakers who need a consolidated map of Ind.EO research and a validated forward-looking agenda. It situates Ind.EO within broader EO debates, clarifies measurement advances, and highlights gaps: more longitudinal designs, mixed methods, multilevel analyses, richer context theories (institutional, social capital), and attention to understudied personal variables (mental health, gender identity, neurodiversity).

Why should I read this?

Short answer: if you work on entrepreneurship, education, HR or innovation, this paper saves you ages. It pulls together 210 top-tier studies, tells you what actually matters, flags sketchy measurements, and gives a scholar-validated hit-list of what to study next. It’s the cheat-sheet before you design a study, curriculum or policy that targets entrepreneurial mindsets.