Reconceptualizing socio-tech entrepreneurship: A systematic literature review and research agenda

Abstract

Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship is a growing observable phenomenon, often referred to as tech4good, and highly valued in society due to the major benefits it provides in meeting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. However, academic research specifically dedicated to socio-tech entrepreneurial ventures is still incipient. To address this research gap, the paper develops a systematic literature review of 238 peer-reviewed studies on social, technology and socio-tech entrepreneurship published from 1988 to 31 December 2023. Through descriptive and content analysis methods, the paper develops the first framework conceptualizing Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship as an autonomous topic within the entrepreneurship research domain. Drawing on the literature, the conceptual framework shows that Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship is distinct from Social Entrepreneurship or Technology Entrepreneurship, which legitimates it as a conceptually relevant group of organizations/practices and as an autonomous research topic within the business sciences field. The paper's comprehensive assessment of the literature and the proposed conceptual framework also unveil topics that are specific to Technology or Social Entrepreneurship but have not been addressed yet for Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship, offering potential future research opportunities and contributing to a research agenda. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.