What is entrepreneurial failure? Implications for future research

Abstract

Research into entrepreneurial failure is increasing in prevalence. However, there remains a lack of clarity surrounding how failure is conceptualized. This is an important issue because how failure is conceptualized influences the relevance of research questions posed and the comparability of findings across studies. In this article, we review conceptualizations of entrepreneurial failure including at two levels of analysis (firm and individual) and perspectives of failure (objective and subjective). We discuss the implications these conceptualizations have for future research, including the sampling frame and questions scholars ask.