I Am and I Am Not: Ambivalence in Entrepreneur Identification

Abstract

Research on entrepreneur identity has focused on understanding how and when individuals see themselves as an entrepreneur and scholars have argued that individuals either clearly identify with the term ‘entrepreneur’ or they disidentify with it. However, the literature hints at instances of ambivalent identification, i.e., when individuals may identify with certain facets of the term and disidentify with others. Using qualitative data from 29 founders of businesses across the United States, Canada, and Australia, we delve deeper into this phenomenon and find that individuals are ambivalent not only with reference to their identity as an entrepreneur but also as to how they want others to perceive them, i.e., their image. We develop a two-stage model of entrepreneur ambivalence that captures these findings and illustrates the reasons why individuals may identify, disidentify, or ambivalently identify with the term ‘entrepreneur’ and what leads them to project an image that is either in sync with or misaligned with their identity as an entrepreneur. Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurs and agencies focused on supporting and encouraging them.