Entrepreneurship and well-being: Past, present, and future

Entrepreneurship research typically emphasizes firm-level outcomes such as growth and performance. However, people pursue entrepreneurship for deeply personal, idiosyncratic reasons. Therefore, as in other self-organized human pursuits, how entrepreneurship relates to fulfillment and well-being is of utmost importance. In this paper, we provide an overview of the well-being concept, related research, and its connection to entrepreneurship. We define entrepreneurial well-being as the experience of satisfaction, positive affect, infrequent negative affect, and psychological functioning in relation to developing, starting, growing, and running an entrepreneurial venture. We explain this definition of entrepreneurial well-being and review significant developments in our field and the broader field of well-being. Highlights of social, technological and institutional trends illustrate key areas for future research that can enhance our understanding of these phenomena. The eight papers in this special issue focus on entrepreneurial well-being each offering a specific perspective on how scholars can theorize and study the antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurship related to well-being. •The special issue explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and well-being.•We offer a definition of well-being that integrates hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives.•The eight papers in the special issue offer a multidisciplinary view by drawing on various theoretical traditions, data sources, measurement, and empirical approaches.•We offer six directions for future research that call for embedding the conversation in the context of socio-economic change.•We highlight alternative methodological approaches that can be used to explore the topic.