Social media and entrepreneurship research: A literature review

• Published in: International journal of information management Vol. 50; pp. 90 - 110
• Main Authors: Olanrewaju, Abdus-Samad Temitope, Hossain, Mohammad Alamgir, Whiteside, Naomi, Mercieca, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2020; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Digital media; Entrepreneur; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Identification methods; Integrated framework; Literature review; Literature reviews; SMEs; Social media; Social networks; Integrated framework; Literature review; Entrepreneur; Social media; SMEs
• ISSN: 0268-4012; 1873-4707
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.05.011

The rise of social media has led to changes in how entrepreneurs carry out their day-to-day activities. Studies on social media and entrepreneurship are relatively new and fragmented in their focus, however there is increasing interest from academia and practitioners for further research and investigation within this area. This study systematically reviews research carried out in the domain of social media and entrepreneurship. A total of 160 papers, published between 2002 and 2018 were synthesised to identify critical theories and research methods used in the domain. Based on the extent review, an integrative framework was developed to identify relationships amongst elucidated constructs. While most papers investigated the factors that drive social media adoption and use by entrepreneurs, it was found that the use of social media by entrepreneurs had transcended marketing and it is now used in business networking, information search and crowdfunding for their business. This has led to significant impact with improved firm performance and innovation enhancement being the essential outcomes. The literature review and framework further understanding of social media and entrepreneurship research, providing a useful basis for future studies and informs practice in this area.