Entrepreneurial humility: a strategic virtue and its measurement

Abstract

Purpose Entrepreneurial humility is a strategic virtue that may help entrepreneurs navigate uncertainty, value diverse perspectives and collaborate effectively. Despite its potential importance, no validated scale currently captures humility within entrepreneurial contexts. This study aims to address this gap by conceptualizing entrepreneurial humility and developing a multidimensional scale to measure it. Design/methodology/approach A two-phase research design was adopted. Phase 1 involved a systematic literature review and line-by-line qualitative coding in ATLAS.ti 9 to conceptualize entrepreneurial humility and generate an initial item pool. Phase 2 focused on empirical validation: the items were evaluated through exploratory factor analysis using survey data from 185 entrepreneurs across multiple regions. Reliability and construct validity were rigorously examined in SPSS 27 to ensure the robustness of the proposed scale. Findings Six dimensions of entrepreneurial humility emerged – social cognition, social openness, social courage, social acknowledgment, social care and social learning. The final 18-item scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.928) and a coherent six-factor structure aligned with theoretical expectations. Research limitations/implications The validation was based on a purposive sample, which may limit generalizability. Future studies should test the scale across more diverse entrepreneurial settings and incorporate confirmatory factor analysis to further establish construct validity. Practical implications The scale offers educators, accelerators and entrepreneurial support organizations a structured tool for assessing humility-related capabilities such as openness, self-awareness and learning orientation. These insights can inform training, mentoring, team composition and founder evaluation practices. Social implications By providing a tool to measure entrepreneurial humility, this study encourages more relational, inclusive and ethical approaches to entrepreneurship, countering narratives that overemphasize individual heroism. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research presents the first validated, multidimensional scale of entrepreneurial humility, grounded in systematic conceptualization and empirical evidence. It provides a foundational measurement tool to support future research on the role of humility in entrepreneurial contexts.