Human resource management in entrepreneurial firms: a literature review

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to review the literature on human resource management (HRM) in entrepreneurial firms. Given the importance of human resource management for entrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to determine how far this line of research has progressed and what areas are still pending study.Design/methodology/approachThe paper has a three‐part structure. First, the paper describes the published works. Second, it examines the topics dealt with in the literature. Third, the review identifies the limitations of the literature and outlines future lines of research for this field.FindingsMost papers that deal with HRM and entrepreneurship together are empirical and have been published since 2000. Comprehensive and rigorous theoretical models that relate both areas do not exist.Originality/valueThe paper helps scholars orient their research in human resource management in entrepreneurial firms by providing them with a better understanding of the direction in which the field is going and what gaps remain.