Where is entrepreneurship education going? A multi-staged literature review and thematic analysis

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the direction of entrepreneurship education (EE) and provide ethical recommendations for its curriculum and research. The authors explore the current state of EE and highlight its inadequate efforts to address the evolving nature of students’ needs. Design/methodology/approach A multi-staged systematic literature review was conducted, ensuring breadth and depth of a relatively narrow field (i.e. EE). Articles retained for review were subject to thematic analysis, which was used to synthesize findings and identify two key themes. Findings Thematic analysis revealed sub-themes the authors aggregated into two macro-themes, which were disjointed assessment of success and bifocal expertise. Those primary themes showcase the direction of EE. Notably, while those themes did hold common points, they did not merge to offer unified directions forward, suggesting the need for more focused efforts for the progression of EE. Originality/value Findings reveal several directions scholars can guide EE. Those directions, however, lack ethical underpinnings critical for the development of future entrepreneurs. Thus, the originality of this work stems primarily from the forward-looking recommendations for a novel definition of entrepreneurial success. With comprehensive understanding of EE’s trajectory, the authors propose that educators frame success to include the use of gain from novel transactions for the accomplishment of goals established and valued by the entrepreneur. The authors discuss what this definition means for pedagogy and scholarship and invite the academy to engage in efforts aimed at improving the domain’s shortcomings.