Entrepreneurial Self-Identity, Learning from Failure, and Academic Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda
Abstract
Purpose
To conduct a systematic review of the increasingly popular relationship between Entrepreneurial Self-Identity (ESI), Learning from Failure (LFF), and Academic Entrepreneurship (AE) to establish an integrated perspective on the impact of identity development and failure learning on entrepreneurial activity.
Design/Methodology/Approach
The study is based on PRISMA 2020 methodology and synthesizes evidence from 46 peer-reviewed journal articles published in 2015-2025. Articles have been retrieved from reputable international databases and subjected to systematic thematic synthesis, methodological classification, and theory integration.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that Entrepreneurial Self-Identity and Learning from Failure constitute interdependent developmental mechanisms through which academics interpret entrepreneurial experiences, sustain engagement, and navigate commercialization challenges. However, the literature remains constrained by theoretical fragmentation and methodological limitations, underscoring the need for integrated multilevel frameworks and longitudinal investigations capable of explaining the co-evolution of identity, learning, and entrepreneurial behavior within university environments.
Research Implications
Among the shortcomings of existing studies are a lack of longitudinal designs, insufficient contextual heterogeneity excluding non-Western contexts besides China, and a poor track record in developing context-dependent measures of academic entrepreneurship. Further research needs to build on process-based approaches, exploring how interactions between identity development, emotion management, institutions, and failure learning can be accounted for during the entrepreneurial process.
Originality/Value
This systematic review contributes to the field of academic entrepreneurship through being one of the pioneering works examining the interrelation between ESI, LFF, and AE using the same theoretical lens.
