Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Smes: A Systematic Literature Review

Entrepreneurship is a crucial component of every economy's progress. However, because the concept of sustainable development has emerged as a significant problem affecting the existing global economy, it has been recommended that entrepreneurship should not be oriented exclusively on earning riches. Entrepreneurs must now come up with business ideas that are centered on sustainability. Sustainable entrepreneurship has been defined as the teleological process that strives towards achieving sustainable development through the discovery, evaluation, and exploitation of opportunities and the creation of value that produces economic prosperity, social cohesion, and environmental protection. Through an analysis of 31 publications published between 2003 and 2023, this theoretical literature review aims to deepen the discussion on sustainable entrepreneurship in the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Using theoretical framework, relevant theories used sustainable entrepreneurship are presented in this article. The current study makes an attempt to decipher the issues of sustainable entrepreneurs in the SMEs, as well as the prospects of sustainable entrepreneurship. Profit is required for corporate growth, and sustainability is crucial as well; finding a balance between profitability and sustainability is quite a challenge for entrepreneurs. The findings of this research can be useful for both new and experienced sustainable entrepreneurship researchers, to contribute to bringing clarity to the field by providing a complementary overview of the evolution and current status, in addition to a summary of the problems that entrepreneurs face when implementing sustainability.