Entrepreneurial Orientation in Social Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Fernando Rey Castillo-Villar (), Judith Cavazos-Arroyo and Krystel K. Castillo-Villar
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Fernando Rey Castillo-Villar: Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City 03920, Mexico
Judith Cavazos-Arroyo: Centro Interdisciplinario de Posgrados, Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla, Puebla 72410, Mexico
Krystel K. Castillo-Villar: Mechanical Engineering Department and Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in social entrepreneurship to clarify theoretical boundaries, integrate diverse findings, and identify research gaps. The “Theory–Context–Characteristics–Methodology” (TCCM) framework is adopted to analyze 81 articles on EO in social entrepreneurship. The review reveals that the field remains fragmented due to diverse theoretical and empirical contributions. The study highlights the need for future research to adapt theoretical perspectives to understand EO’s unique and hybrid aspects in social entrepreneurship, expand empirical research into under-represented geographical areas, conduct more longitudinal and qualitative studies to track changes in EO over time, and explore new variables that can further our understanding of EO in social entrepreneurship. The novelty of this study lies in the application of the TCCM framework to systematically analyze the literature on EO in social entrepreneurship. This framework facilitates the organization and evaluation of theoretical underpinnings, methodologies, contexts, and variables to identify relevant research gaps and future directions on the topic.

Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation; social entrepreneurship; systematic literature review; TCCM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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