Values influence entrepreneurship not only as personal beliefs or formal statements, but through practices—what actors repeatedly do in real situations. Synthesising twelve studies, the article explains how values move across individual, organisational and societal levels. It distinguishes practices embedded within new ventures from collective practices created through networks, showing how both can contribute to sustainable social and economic change.
What the article shows
New venture value practices embed ethical, sustainable and socially responsible commitments in founding activities and strategy.
Collective entrepreneurial value practices arise when networks of actors co-create and reinforce commitments through shared action.
Institutional, cultural and economic contexts shape whether value commitments emerge, persist, adapt or erode over time.
Implications for entrepreneurs
Translate values into visible routines—product choices, hiring, governance, partner selection and performance measures—rather than relying on mission language alone.
Build networks that reinforce commitments and provide mutual support when market or institutional pressures make value-based action difficult.
Revisit practices as the venture grows or enters new contexts so that commitments remain operational rather than symbolic.
Implications for policymakers
Align regulation, procurement, finance and support programmes so that sustainable and socially responsible practices are consistently rewarded.
Invest in collective infrastructure—networks, mentoring and civic or digital platforms—that enables entrepreneurs to sustain shared values.
Design context-sensitive policy because the same intervention can reinforce or weaken value practices across different regions and industries.
This plain-language summary was prepared with AI assistance from the published abstract and available article information. The published article is the authoritative source; practical and policy implications are interpretive.