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Navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurial identity threats to persist: The countervailing force of a relational identity with God

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  • Smith, Brett R.
  • Lawson, Amanda
  • Dubard Barbosa, Saulo
  • Jones, Jessica

Abstract

While an economic paradigm has been productive for entrepreneurship, religion has been proposed as an alternative rationality to advance research in our field. To extend a theological turn in entrepreneurship and identity research, our study inductively develops a conceptual model that explains how individuals navigate entrepreneurial identity threats based on the interaction between a relational identity with God (RIG) and an entrepreneurial identity to persist in entrepreneurial action. Our study suggests this can happen when entrepreneurs engage in inter-identity work mechanisms - affirming and humbling - to mitigate these identity threats. Specifically, a relational identity with God acts as a countervailing force to an entrepreneurial identity during times of identity threats to generate inter-identity meaning change, resulting in interidentity stability and entrepreneurial persistence. Through our study, we advance knowledge on the theological turn in entrepreneurship and identity by inductively developing theory on a new religious identity construct (RIG), elaborating theory of inter-identity work by shifting the focus from structural to content changes, and extending theory on entrepreneurial action, persistence, and well-being based on theological rather than economic considerations.

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  • Smith, Brett R. & Lawson, Amanda & Dubard Barbosa, Saulo & Jones, Jessica, 2023. "Navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurial identity threats to persist: The countervailing force of a relational identity with God," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(4).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbvent:v:38:y:2023:i:4:s0883902623000319
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2023.106317
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brett Smith & Moriah Meyskens & Fiona Wilson, 2014. "Should We Stay or Should We Go? 'Organizational' Relational Identity and Identification in Social Venture Strategic Alliances," Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(3), pages 295-317, November.
    2. Héliot, YingFei & Gleibs, Ilka H. & Coyle, A & Rousseau, D & Rojon, C, 2020. "Religious identity in the workplace: a systematic review, research agenda, and practical implications," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 100950, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Smith, Brett R. & McMullen, Jeffery S. & Cardon, Melissa S., 2021. "Toward a theological turn in entrepreneurship: How religion could enable transformative research in our field," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    4. Patzelt, Holger & Shepherd, Dean A., 2011. "Negative emotions of an entrepreneurial career: Self-employment and regulatory coping behaviors," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 226-238, March.
    5. Shepherd, Dean A. & Saade, Fouad Philippe & Wincent, Joakim, 2020. "How to circumvent adversity? Refugee-entrepreneurs' resilience in the face of substantial and persistent adversity," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
    6. Jeffery S. McMullen & D. Ray Bagby & Leslie E. Palich, 2008. "Economic Freedom and the Motivation to Engage in Entrepreneurial Action," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(5), pages 875-895, September.
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    12. Mark Schwartz, 2006. "God as a Managerial Stakeholder?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 291-306, June.
    13. Brett R. Smith & Amanda Lawson & Jessica Jones & Tim Holcomb & Aimee Minnich, 2022. "Trying to Serve Two Masters is Easy, Compared to Three: Identity Multiplicity Work by Christian Impact Investors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(4), pages 1053-1070, September.
    14. Dennis A. Gioia & James B. Thomas & Shawn M. Clark & Kumar Chittipeddi, 1994. "Symbolism and Strategic Change in Academia: The Dynamics of Sensemaking and Influence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 363-383, August.
    15. Cardon, Melissa S. & Zietsma, Charlene & Saparito, Patrick & Matherne, Brett P. & Davis, Carolyn, 2005. "A tale of passion: New insights into entrepreneurship from a parenthood metaphor," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 23-45, January.
    16. Katalin Takacs Haynes & Michael A. Hitt & Joanna Tochman Campbell, 2015. "The Dark Side of Leadership: Towards a Mid-Range Theory of Hubris and Greed in Entrepreneurial Contexts," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(4), pages 479-505, June.
    17. Smith, Brett R. & Bergman, Brian J. & Kreiner, Glen E., 2021. "When the beacon goes dark: Legitimacy repair work by subsequent actors in an emerging market category," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
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    1. Jessica Jones & Christina Hymer & Ashley Roccapriore & Brett Smith, 2024. "Does religion matter to angels? Exploring the influence of religion in entrepreneurial investor decision-making," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1337-1360, April.
    2. Alemayehu, Binyam Zewde & Steffens, Paul & Gordon, Scott R., 2023. "The formation and role of religious social capital in driving entrepreneurial action," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    3. Marcus Dejardin & Brigitte Hoogendoorn & Frank Janssen & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Elco Burg, 2024. "Coupling engagement with analytical rigor: advancing research on religion and entrepreneurship using a mechanism-based approach," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1273-1284, April.
    4. Saulo Dubard Barbosa & Brett R. Smith, 2024. "Specifying the role of religion in entrepreneurial action: a cognitive perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1315-1336, April.
    5. Smith, Brett & Gümüsay, Ali Aslan & Townsend, David M., 2023. "Bridging worlds: The intersection of religion and entrepreneurship as meaningful heterodoxy," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).

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