Corporate entrepreneurship in the digital age: A systematic literature review

Abstract

This paper aims to systematize the extant literature on Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE) and to guide future research on digital corporate entrepreneurship. CE, or entrepreneurship in established organizations, has been a topic of interest to scholars and practitioners for over 40 years. Increasing research is confirming the relevance of CE as an essential strategy for corporations to stay competitive in the current ever-changing global environment. In the digital age, (corporate) entrepreneurship is now more in demand than ever before. Digital technologies can make CE increasingly potent and prolific and redesign the traditional ways of exploring and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities by large and established organizations, reshaping the traditional CE. Despite the considerable scholarly discussion on CE, little research was placed in organizing the body of knowledge on CE in terms of theories and practices. This results in a scattered and fragmented literature. Thus, a systematization and integration is needed. Furthermore, although the body of research on CE has attracted an increasing amount of attention along the years and despite the importance and pervasiveness of the digital technologies, the profound impact of digital technologies on CE has yet to be addressed. In light of these considerations, a systematic literature review on CE studies, based on 132 academic journals and conference proceedings published between 1983 and 2021, was performed. This study provides theoretical and managerial implications. First, the review provides an overview on how the topic has evolved over time, through a systematization of CE terminologies, definitions, conceptualizations and theories. Second, the review revises the extant knowledge on CE considering the digital perspective, shading li ghts on how the digital technologies are reshaping CE theories and practices. Suggestions concerning the future direction of research in the emerging field of digital corporate entrepreneurship are also proposed in the form of research questions that are valuable for both academics and managers.