Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship as a catalyst for sustainability – a systematic literature review

Carolin Gerlich et al.

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation2025https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503241307138article
AJG 2ABDC C
Weight
0.54

What the paper says

Sustainability has emerged as a critical priority for both business strategy and academic research, driving a shift beyond traditional responsibility frameworks toward embedding sustainability within entrepreneurial paradigms. While start-ups and social entrepreneurs have effectively integrated sustainability into their business models, large corporation face significant challanges in balancing financial goals with the growing demand for sustainability. This study considers the potential of corporate entrepreneurship to foster sustainability within established companies. Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship (SCE) allows companies to leverage innovation for sustainability as a value-creating opportunity rather than a restrictive constraint. This study addresses a critical gap in the literature – the lack of a comprehensive framework for SCE – through a meticulous, systematic literature review of 95 recent publications. Our proposed SCE framework identifies three key dimensions: focus, approach and evaluation. We provide insights to deepen understanding and guide future research in this evolving field. Specifically, we introduce a model that conceptualizes how SCE can be developed as dynamic capability for generating value through sustainability-focused innovation. This model speficies capabilities on an individual and organizational level, as well as contextual enablers and hurdles.

9 citations

Open paper page →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503241307138

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{carolin2025,
  title        = {{Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship as a catalyst for sustainability – a systematic literature review}},
  author       = {Carolin Gerlich et al.},
  journal      = {International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503241307138},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship as a catalyst for sustainability – a systematic literature review

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.


Evidence weight

0.54

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.52 × 0.4 = 0.21
M · momentum0.72 × 0.15 = 0.11
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.