The Enduring Importance of Entrepreneurial Motivation For Growth

Abstract

For decades entrepreneurship scholars have advanced the frontier of knowledge
in venture growth. More recently the desire to understand the motivation for different
phases of business development (e.g., initiation, growth, and exit) has necessitated a
review of literature on venture growth and the motive for entrepreneurial actions at
these stages. We have conducted a comprehensive and critical review of empirical
contributions on venture growth and entrepreneurial motivation. Interestingly, we
identified a lack of unity in the meaning and measures of growth as the reason for the
fragmentation in theory development. We highlight that the motives for engaging in
entrepreneurial actions may differ based on the stage of entrepreneurial development.
We also highlight the importance of keeping entrepreneurial motivations as a major
focus area for scholars in this domain particularly as an enabler of growth intention.