Key Components, Principles, and Distinctions of Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Narrative Synthesis

Abstract

Sustainable entrepreneurship represents a growing area of research that responds to complex global challenges by integrating environmental, social, and economic aims into entrepreneurial practice. However, a lack of conceptual clarity continues to limit its theoretical development and practical application. This study uses a systematic literature review with a narrative synthesis approach to analyse fourteen peer-reviewed empirical articles published between 1997 and 2024. It explores the key components and guiding principles of sustainable entrepreneurship and how it differs from other forms of entrepreneurship. The findings show that sustainable entrepreneurship is a dynamic and context-sensitive process shaped by entrepreneurial identity, stakeholder collaboration, and structural conditions. It is characterised by the pursuit of integrated value creation across the triple bottom line. This review contributes to theory by clarifying the key components and guiding principles that define sustainable entrepreneurship and by distinguishing it from other forms of entrepreneurship.