Entrepreneurship research has traditionally been separated into (1) necessity entrepreneurship (NE) and (2) opportunity entrepreneurship (OE). While there has been a great amount of research dedicated to unpacking the nature of opportunities and OE, little attention has been given to the forces that push individuals into NE. Most of the entrepreneurial research regarding NE assumes that economic desires to provide physiological necessities are the only push factors. However, this conceptualization is too restrictive and rules out being recognized as necessity entrepreneurs for most people in developed economies. Through an in-depth qualitative literature review, we identify three types of push factors at work-namely, economic, social, and psychological necessity. We then develop a conceptual model and propositions that incorporate the country context, unmet needs, types of NE, and impact on well-being. We conclude by discussing how NE can satisfy various human needs and the relationship between entrepreneurship and marketplace vulnerability.
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Title
The phantom push
Publication Details
Journal of small business management, Vol.online ahead of print