“Who Am I” Determines “What Do I Do”? How Does The Founder Identity Drives Innovation Behavior Through Entrepreneurial Learning

Purpose – This study examines how founder identity influences entrepreneurial innovation behavior by shaping the choice of learning approach. Drawing on social identity theory, we aim to deepen the understanding of how entrepreneurs’ self-perceived roles affect their motivation to learn and, consequently, the degree and type of innovation they pursue. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 237 entrepreneurs was collected using a combination of snowball sampling and an online survey platform. The study investigates how three distinct types of founder identity—Darwinian, Communitarian, and Missionary—are associated with different learning approaches, specifically exploratory versus exploitative learning, in the pursuit of innovation. Findings – Grounded in social identity theory and the knowledge creation framework, the results provide empirical evidence that both Darwinian and Missionary identities significantly predict innovative behavior in the entrepreneurial context. Furthermore, entrepreneurs with a Darwinian identity tend to adopt exploitative learning, focusing on refinement and efficiency, while those with a Missionary identity are more likely to engage in exploratory learning, emphasizing experimentation and novelty.