Transitional Entrepreneurship: Establishing the Parameters of the Field

Although scholars often argue that entrepreneurship can be life-changing, they increasingly recognize that entrepreneurship centered on helping people overcome dire conditions merits specific investigation. Such entrepreneurship to overcome dire/desperate conditions in mature economies is commonly referred to as transitional entrepreneurship. We establish the boundaries of this unique form of entrepreneurship by examining the prior studies that have looked at such transitions in mature economies. We further build on our insights by looking at specific cases of transitional entrepreneurship. Finally, we lay out a research agenda that will help build the foundation of understanding of transitional entrepreneurship.