Refining the Definition and Typologies of Entrepreneurship in Africa: A Systematic Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. Trends in Entrepreneurship Research
2.2. Entrepreneurial Typologies
2.3. The African Entrepreneurial Environment
3. Research Methods
3.1. Rationale for Selected Approach
3.2. The Article Search and Selection Strategy
3.3. Data Extraction and Synthesis
- Metadata information—encompassing information regarding the data itself, such as the nature of the article (academic or practitioner), the year of publication, the utilised research methodology, the focus, and the scope of the article.
- Conceptual details—providing insights into key concepts and definitions utilised in entrepreneurship typologies and the expressed objective concerning African entrepreneurship (i.e., how can entrepreneurship be delineated and characterised within the African context).
- Thematic data—highlighting the principal themes evident in the research articles concerning the factors influencing entrepreneurial success in Africa, the drivers, and hindrances of entrepreneurship in Africa, and the conclusions drawn by the authors regarding the utilisation of entrepreneurship as a catalyst for economic advancement in Africa.
4. Findings
4.1. Meta Data Findings
4.1.1. The Sequence of Research on Typologies and Definitions in Entrepreneurship
4.1.2. Research Genres of the Articles
4.2. Conceptual and Thematic Findings
4.2.1. Definitional Characteristics of Entrepreneurship
“The entrepreneurial path is one of launching something new without much in the way of guidelines or a script, making misjudgements and errors, learning quickly, and adapting until a sustainable business model is realized, it isa path filled with novel events.”
“Every activity I complete and every goal I reach gives me incredible satisfaction and keeps me going.” This sense of fulfillment serves as a potent catalyst, nurturing resilience, fostering creativity, instilling a sense of purpose and ultimately leading to the sustained success of ventures led by women.”
“Some of the sustainability entrepreneurs even strategically searched for a problem that appeared worth solving, and that they considered to be solvable. “I followed debates on the so-called SDGs, you know, and there I identified education as a field where I really could make a contribution, could make a difference” (I20). “I did research in the field of social entrepreneurship. And I traveled. I went to India for a while and got into contact with different social entrepreneurs before I discovered my task, what I wanted to do” (I06).”
4.2.2. African Entrepreneurial Environment and Business Management Factors
5. Discussions
- Lifepreneurs are individuals who engage in entrepreneurship driven by a desire for self-employment. Their primary focus is on generating income, with minimal resources, mainly time, being allocated to their ventures. Unlike traditional businesses that aim for profit maximisation, Lifepreneurs do not typically pursue this objective. They often operate artisanal trades, like being handymen, plumbers, and carpenters, embodying leadership qualities geared towards accomplishing specific goals.
- Part-timers enter the business world to supplement their existing income. These entrepreneurs usually hold full-time jobs elsewhere, such as a university lecturer managing a student boarding house. Part-timers demonstrate entrepreneurial skills by identifying gaps in the market and leveraging their business and educational expertise to establish part-time ventures. Profit remains a key driver for this category of entrepreneurs.
- Hobbypreneurs, as the name suggests, are individuals who have transformed their hobbies into business endeavours. While profit is a motivating factor, their primary goal is to cover operational expenses and protect intellectual property rights. Hobbypreneurs tend to blur the lines between work and leisure, displaying a passion for their craft and a willingness to engage in it without monetary compensation. Examples include special types of social entrepreneurs from the selected papers who fall into the hobbypreneur category.
- Entremployees are mostly found in developing nations where individuals engage in both full-time employment and entrepreneurship concurrently. In contrast to developed countries, where individuals typically pursue one career path at a time, the rise of hybrid entrepreneurs is notable in developing economies. Entremployees manage their businesses alongside their primary jobs, utilising their employers’ resources like office space, telephones, and computers for personal ventures. This group often offers professional services, such as accounting, language editing, and consulting, with a significant presence in government and public sector organisations. The distinction between Entremployees and Part-timers lies in the former’s active involvement in their business operations during regular working hours at their primary workplace. Entrepreneurs exhibit a tendency to leverage their employers’ resources, such as office space, telephones, or computers, for their personal business endeavours. The Entrepremployee sector encompasses professional services like accounting, language editing, and consultancy. Within this sector, most individuals are situated in government agencies or public sector establishments.
- Empreneurs are the entrepreneurs sitting right at the centre of the matrix depicted in Figure 9. (Empreneurs are the changeover point for most entrepreneurs. Those operating businesses below this level tend to be small and micro ventures. And beginning from the Empreneurs, the type of business moves more towards medium-sized enterprises.) Empreneurs have four distinguishing characteristics: (1) They are full-time entrepreneurs, and (2) they started their business careers as entrepreneurs. (3) Their businesses grew to levels requiring their full-time attention. (4) Empreneurs operate businesses within the same industry as their previous employment, such as a mechanic opening an automotive repair shop.
- Techpreneurs represent a distinct category of business enterprises that combine technology with family support. The entrepreneur falling under this classification possesses extensive technical knowledge but encounters obstacles related to securing capital resources.
- Carte-blanche demands a substantial amount of financial investment for its establishment. This financial input must be accompanied by the procurement of tangible infrastructure. Many franchise businesses align with this description, thus earning the classification title of Carte-blanche.
- Profeneurs encompass a group of specialised entrepreneurs who navigate through numerous legislative frameworks and require significant capital for their entrepreneurial pursuits. Individuals falling into this category typically engage in large capital procurements and are experts in providing classic services.
- Smartpreneurs constitute a category of businesses that heavily rely on capital, predominantly within the high-tech sectors. These enterprises commonly originate as medium-scale ventures with the potential to expand into large-scale operations. Generally, Smartpreneurs are characterised by ambitious and strategic personalities. Notable examples of Smartpreneurs include Econet by Strive Masiyiwa and Sephako by Aliko Dangote, with the individuals themselves often possessing high intellect and charisma.
6. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
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Reference | Definition |
---|---|
Timmons et al. (2004) | Entrepreneurship entails a cognitive approach, logical reasoning, and proactive behaviour that is fixated on identifying opportunities, adopts a comprehensive perspective, and maintains a balance between leadership qualities with the aim of generating and seizing value. |
Fredrick and Foley (2006) | Entrepreneurship is a mechanism for fostering innovation and establishing new ventures across four key dimensions—individual, organisational, environmental, and procedural—which are supported by collaborative networks involving governmental bodies, educational institutions, and various organisations. |
Venter et al. (2008) | Entrepreneurship is a progression that involves formulating ideas, structuring, launching, and, through innovative means, nurturing a business opportunity into a potentially thriving venture in a challenging and unpredictable setting. |
Kearney et al. (2010) | Entrepreneurship is the process of generating something novel with inherent value by dedicating the required time and effort, assuming associated financial, psychological, and social risks and uncertainties, and reaping the ensuing benefits of monetary gains and personal fulfilment. |
Barringer (2012) | Entrepreneurship is a journey where individuals actively pursue opportunities without being constrained by the resources currently at their disposal. |
Nieuwenhuizen (2009) | Entrepreneurship entails the emergence and expansion of new enterprises, as well as a transformative process within the economic framework driven by innovative individuals who capitalise on market opportunities. |
Dalhoum and Jarboui (2016) | Entrepreneurship serves as a bridge between scientific knowledge and market demands, giving rise to fresh enterprises and products while embracing diverse disciplines and methodologies that foster innovation and market penetration. |
Rosemaro (2022) | Entrepreneurship is the implementation of inventive business concepts, risk management, and profit maximisation, involving a committed team that supports individuals in transforming novel ideas into profitable ventures through thorough market analysis and innovative strategies. |
Neck et al. (2023) | Entrepreneurship entails creativity, innovation, risk-taking, and social influence, encompassing traits like agility, resilience, promptness, adaptability, and vigour, in conjunction with the IDEA framework: Innovation, Development, Enthusiasm, and Action. |
Priyadi and Mulyani (2024) | Entrepreneurship is the process of developing fresh, innovative, and valuable products or enterprises, which necessitates resource optimisation, risk mitigation, and the embodiment of attributes such as dedication, creativity, and persistence. |
Typology | Definition | References | Study Context |
---|---|---|---|
Small business entrepreneurship | Small business entrepreneurship is characterised by individuals establishing and managing businesses primarily for profit and growth, contributing significantly to economic development and job creation. | Ibaydullaevna (2024); Spremo and Mićić (2015); Yallapragada and Bhuiyan (2011) | USA, Uzbekistan, and Spain |
Scalable startup entrepreneurship | Scalable startup entrepreneurship is characterised by the ability of innovative technological start-ups to quickly and significantly profit while contributing to technological and economic growth. | Picken (2017); Susilo (2020) | USA and Emerging Economies |
Intrapreneurship | Intrapreneurship is described as a strategic approach within organisations that promotes innovation by effectively utilising employees. It involves motivating employees to produce and cultivate new ideas, resulting in the development of new competencies, products, and businesses. | Almeida and Miguel-Oliveira (2022); Ashal et al. (2023) | Portugal and USA |
Large company entrepreneurship | Large company entrepreneurship, also referred to as corporate entrepreneurship (CE), encompasses a range of behaviours and strategies within established large firms that promote innovation, proactiveness, corporate venturing, and risk-taking to improve firm performance. | Ambad and Wahab (2013); Paunović (2012) | Malaysia and Serbia |
Imitative entrepreneurship | Imitative entrepreneurship pertains to the duplication of successful business models, products, processes, and technologies from other enterprises to attain a competitive advantage. | Johansson (2010); Samuelsson and Davidsson (2009) | USA |
Innovative and digital entrepreneurship | Innovative and digital entrepreneurship involves identifying and exploiting entrepreneurial prospects utilising digital tools and technologies, propelling advancements and processes while adjusting to the evolving dynamics of the global information sphere. | Kravchenko et al. (2015); Sahut et al. (2021) | USA and Russia |
Social entrepreneurship | Social entrepreneurship is distinguished by its emphasis on accomplishing socially advantageous objectives while tackling significant societal issues through creative and sustainable resolutions. This field merges entrepreneurial fundamentals with a dedication to generating favourable and fair social influence, often giving precedence to social outcomes over financial profits. | Dzomonda (2020); Manyaka (2015); Manyaka-Boshielo (2017); Rivera-Santos et al. (2015); Urban (2008) | South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa |
Immigrant entrepreneurship | Immigrant entrepreneurship is defined by the active participation of migrants in establishing, overseeing, and expanding businesses in the countries they have migrated to. | Chodavadia et al. (2024); Ramos-Escobar et al. (2022) | USA and Various context |
Web of Science | Scopus | ProQuest | |
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URL | https://www.webofscience.com/, accessed on 29 March 2024 | https://www.scopus.com/, accessed on 29 March 2024 | https://www.proquest.com/, accessed on 29 March 2024 |
Search Term 1 | (TS=(“entrepreneurship”)) AND TS=(“typologies”) and ALL=(“entrepreneurship typologies”) | TITLE-ABS-KEY(“entrepreneurship” AND “Typologies”) and TITLE-ABS-KEY(“entrepreneurship Typologies”) | summary/title(“entrepreneurship”) AND summary/title(“Typologies”) and summary/title(“entrepreneurship Typologies”) |
Number of Results | 126 | 474 | 166 |
Search Term 2 | (TS=(“defining”)) AND TS=(“entrepreneurship”) and ALL=(“defining entrepreneurship”) | TITLE-ABS-KEY(“defining AND entrepreneurship”) and TITLE-ABS-KEY(“defining entrepreneurship”) | summary/title(“Defining”) AND summary/title(“entrepreneurship”) and Summary/title(“Defining entrepreneurship”) |
Number of Results | 29 | 19 | 86 |
Search Terms 3 | (TS=(“definition”)) AND TS=(“entrepreneur”) and ALL=(“definition entrepreneur”) | TITLE-ABS-KEY(“definition entrepreneur”) and TITLE-ABS-KEY(“definition AND entrepreneur”) | title(“definition”) AND title(“entrepreneur”) and Summary/title(“definition entrepreneur”) |
Number of Results | 227 | 21 | 82 |
Total Results | 382 | 514 | 334 |
Inclusion Criteria | Exclusion Criteria |
---|---|
Incorporate peer-reviewed publications discussing the specified research questions. | Exclude materials in non-acceptable formats (e.g., letters, master theses, entire books, lectures, course descriptions). |
Eliminate instances of false positive (entrepreneurship): The term “entrepreneurship” should accurately represent entrepreneurship and its classifications. | |
Exclude false positive (typology): mentioned as a passing reference and does not encompass entrepreneurship studies | |
Exclude articles not written in English and disregarding topics that do not align with this study’s scope. |
Cluster of the Papers | Core Papers | Title of the Papers |
---|---|---|
Definitional Concepts | Morris et al. (2015) | A portfolio perspective on entrepreneurship and economic development |
Letuka and Lebambo (2022) | A typology of challenges facing township micro-tour operators in Soweto, South Africa | |
Bignotti and Myres (2022) | A typology of social entrepreneuring models continued: empirical evidence from South Africa | |
Farhoud et al. (2023) | African perspectives on researching social entrepreneurship | |
Halberstadt et al. (2024) | Cleaning the window of opportunity: Towards a typology of sustainability entrepreneurs | |
Kobia and Sikalieh (2010) | Towards a search for the meaning of entrepreneurship | |
Core Characteristics | Chakuzira and Shambare (2021) | Entremployees As a Type of Hybrid Entrepreneur: A Theoretical Explanation of how the Environment Shapes Entrepreneurs |
Manyaka-Boshielo (2017) | Social entrepreneurship as a way of developing sustainable township economies | |
Urban (2011) | Social capital configurations for necessity-driven versus opportunity-driven entrepreneurs | |
Lebambo and Shambare (2017) | The state of bed and breakfast establishments in rural South Africa | |
Harbi et al. (2010) | Entrepreneurs and the environment: towards a typology of Tunisian ecopreneurs | |
African Entrepreneurial Environment | Ibourk and Amaghouss (2016) | Entrepreneurial Activities and Level of Development in Morocco: Empirical Investigation from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Data |
Kuada (2022) | Revisiting Entrepreneurship Development Policy Framework for Africa | |
Rogerson (2004) | The impact of the South African government’s SMME programmes: a ten-year review (1994–2003) | |
Business Success Factors | Elotmani and El Boury (2023) | Women’s entrepreneurial success in Morocco: between transition and patriarchal resistance |
Constantinidis et al. (2019) | How families shape women’s entrepreneurial success in Morocco: an intersectional study | |
Piabuo et al. (2022) | Community forest enterprises (CFEs) as social enterprises: empirical evidence from Cameroon | |
Ashaley-Nikoi and Abbey (2023) | Determinants of the level of informality amongst female street food vendors in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from two regions in Ghana | |
Business Challenges | Anderson and Mdemu Komba (2017) | Female entrepreneurs and poverty reduction: hair craft SMEs in Tanzania |
Amoah et al. (2023) | Reassessing the Inhibiting Factors of Entrepreneurship Development in the SME Segment | |
Bamfo (2012) | Exploring the challenges of small businesses in Ghana | |
Business Management Factors | Le Loarne–Lemaire et al. (2024) | Shaping entrepreneurial gender play: Intersubjectivity and performativity among female entrepreneurs |
Chipfupa and Wale (2018) | Farmer typology formulation accounting for psychological capital: Implications for on-farm entrepreneurial development | |
El Hanchi and Kerzazi (2019) | A multidimensional framework for innovation typology: The case of Moroccan entrepreneurs | |
Wamalwa et al. (2019) | Strategies of Kenyan firms: a case study of food processing firms in Nairobi |
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Chakuzira, W.; Okoche, J.M.M.; Mkansi, M. Refining the Definition and Typologies of Entrepreneurship in Africa: A Systematic Review. Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14080184
Chakuzira W, Okoche JMM, Mkansi M. Refining the Definition and Typologies of Entrepreneurship in Africa: A Systematic Review. Administrative Sciences. 2024; 14(8):184. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14080184
Chicago/Turabian StyleChakuzira, Wellington, John Michael Maxel Okoche, and Marcia Mkansi. 2024. "Refining the Definition and Typologies of Entrepreneurship in Africa: A Systematic Review" Administrative Sciences 14, no. 8: 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14080184