Social class origin and entrepreneurship: An integrative review and research agenda

Abstract

Entrepreneurship research is increasingly examining how social class origin shapes entrepreneurial pathways. This growing body of work highlights the enduring advantages and disadvantages entrepreneurs face based on their access to economic, social, and cultural capital acquired through childhood or birth—challenging the popular “rags to riches” narrative that upward mobility is equally attainable for all. To unify and extend this conversation, we develop an integrative framework that explains how entrepreneurs' social class origin influences their mobility. Drawing on an interdisciplinary review of 219 articles, we identify three class-based mechanisms—entrepreneurial finance and skills transfer, entrepreneurial habitus formation, and access to networks and evaluations—through which social class origin shapes entrepreneurial outcomes and, ultimately, social mobility. We conclude by offering three recommendations for future research on social class origin in entrepreneurship, aimed at advancing theory, addressing inequality, and informing inclusive entrepreneurial policy.