Abstract :

This systematic literature review examines the convergence of Ikigai — the Japanese philosophical notion of purposeful living — with entrepreneurship, integrating evidence from peer-reviewed journals, practitioner literature, and multidatabase academic sources from 2016 to 2026. The review utilises a PRISMA-adapted protocol on a final corpus of 42 key sources, incorporating additional citations from Scopus, Google Scholar, and CrossRef databases to delineate the current state of knowledge in this nascent field. The analysis reveals three predominant thematic clusters: (1) the psychological underpinnings of Ikigai and their implications for entrepreneurial resilience and well-being; (2) the strategic incorporation of Ikigai principles into organisational management and sustainable performance; and (3) persistent conceptual discussions regarding cultural portability, measurement validity, and definitional limits. The evidence collectively indicates that purpose-driven founders, aligned with Ikigai principles, exhibit significantly greater psychological resilience, lower operational volatility, and more sustainable financial trajectories than their solely profit-driven counterparts. The review identifies a substantial gap in founder-centric, psychometrically sound empirical research and proposes three testable hypotheses to guide subsequent scholarly investigations. Quality appraisal was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), ensuring that all 42 included sources met a minimum threshold of methodological rigour. The results have direct implications for entrepreneurial educators, startup ecosystems, and policymakers seeking to encourage more sustainable, people-centred approaches to new venture creation.

---

Keywords :

Entrepreneurial Resilience, Entrepreneurship, Ikigai, meaningful growth, purpose-driven ventures, Sustainable performance, systematic literature review, vocational identity

---

References :

1. Ahrendt, B., Nikolaus, R. S., & Zilinski, J. (2024). Basic considerations on the organizational Ikigai. In Organizational Ikigai. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12345-6_1
2. Ahrendt, B., Nikolaus, R. S., & Zilinski, J. (2024). On the necessity of a “purpose-based view”: The development of the purpose-based view. In Organizational Ikigai. Springer.
3. Anjum, A., Khan, S., & Ahmed, N. (2021). The impact of purpose-driven leadership on entrepreneurial success. Journal of Sustainable Business Research, 14(2), 45-58.
4. Baron, R. A. (2008). The role of affect in the entrepreneurial process. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), 328-340.
5. Belice, T. (2022). The Turkish version of the Ikigai-9 scale: A validity and reliability study. https://doi.org/10.1080/xxxxx
6. Broderick, V. (2023). Your blueprint for meaningful & sustainable growth: The Ikigai framework. Purposeful Growth Press.
7. Brunel Pension Partnership. (2023). Ikigai: Why matters more than what. Brunel Pension Partnership Publications.
8. Chambers, F., & Avsar, Z. (2025). Researcher Ikigai: Power of deep purpose. In Post-qualitative inquiry in sport, health and physical education. Routledge.
9. Christianto, V., & Smarandache, F. (2024). The convergence of Ikigai and design thinking: Crafting a purposeful framework. Sustainable Machine Intelligence Journal.
10. de Carvalho, P. T., & Raimundo, R. J. (2025). Ikigai and career choices in hospitality and tourism: A study of student motivation. Tourism and Hospitality. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp
11. Fido, D., Kotera, Y., & Asano, K. (2020). English translation and validation of the Ikigai-9 in a UK sample. Journal of Concurrent Disorders. https://doi.org/10.54127/wcef5451
12. García, H., & Miralles, F. (2017). Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life. Penguin Books.
13. Gedeon, S. A., & Kernbach, S. (2024). Concepts, theories and future directions in career and life design. CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation, 8(3), 5-13. https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2024.1565
14. George, S. (2023). What is Ikigai and how can it help your business? Business Purpose Quarterly.
15. Hajek, A., Sutin, A. R., Terracciano, A., Luchetti, M., & König, H.-H. (2024). Ikigai and use of preventive healthcare services in Germany. Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2024
16. Herari, N., Waluyo, W., & Rubiyanto, R. (2026). Leading alone, leading forward: Solopreneurs and the quiet power of the passion-purpose alignment. In The purpose of passion in leadership.
17. Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments. Psychological Assessment Resources.
18. Ikigai Case Studies. (2023). Case study: $1B retailer uses Ikigai to revolutionize demand forecasting. Ikigai Institute Publications.
19. Koob, C., & Tomic, C. M. (2025). Ikigai as a personal resource for work engagement: A cross-sectional study among nursing trainees. Nursing Reports. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep
20. Kotera, Y., Wilkes, J., & Colman, R. (2025). Self-compassion and Ikigai. In Purpose in life as ancient but nascent. Springer.
21. Krishnan, S. K. (2023). Purposeful: Finding greater meaning and engagement at work. Management Press.
22. Krueger, N. F., Reilly, M. D., & Carsrud, A. L. (2000). Competing models of entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Business Venturing, 15(5-6), 411-432.
23. Kumano, H. (2012). Theorizing the interpersonal aspect of Ikigai among Japanese university students. International Journal of Wellbeing, 2(3), 214-228.
24. Le Cunff, A. L. (2023). We got Ikigai all wrong. Ness Labs.
25. Mahad, D., Ab Razak, R., & Aziz, K. A. (2024). A study on Ikigai and effectuation’s impact on nascent entrepreneurship intentions. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.57239/pjlss-2024-22.2.001078
26. Mahad, D., & Aziz, K. (2021). Ikigai as a tool to amplify an aspiring entrepreneurial intention. Proceedings of the International Digital Industry, Technology and Entrepreneurship Conference.
27. Mahajan, M. (2025). Ikigai in Indian education: A framework for purpose-driven learning. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research.
28. Mayer, C. H., & Vanderheiden, E. (2021). Ikigai in existential executive leadership coaching: Findings from Germany and South Africa. Concurrent Disorders Society Press.
29. Montiel-Campos, H. (2018). Entrepreneurial passion and self-efficacy: The role of entrepreneurial experience. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 25(6), 1120-1135.
30. Mukhtar, S., & Shah, S. B. (2026). Unveiling Ikigai: Perspectives, influences and challenges in Pakistani context. ASSAJ.
31. Mustapha, M., Sujan, S., & Hjelseth, E. (2025). Exploring digital transformation by the IKIGAI philosophy. Computing in Construction. https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2025
32. Parambil, J. (2025). Ikigai or illusion? Precarity, relationality and estrangement in Sayaka Murata’s fiction. Japan Forum. https://doi.org/10.1080/09555803.2025
33. Planck, S., Wilhelm, S., Kobilke, K., & Sailer, K. (2024). Greater than the sum of its parts: Combining entrepreneurial and sustainable thinking. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16xxxxxx
34. Poindexter, K. (2023). Seeking Ikigai: Purpose, power, and passion as a guide to address nursing workforce issues. Nursing Education Perspectives, 44(5).
35. Raessi, T. (2021). Using the Ikigai model to create efficiency during entrepreneurial business opportunity recognition. Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology and Society, 14.
36. Saebi, T. (2026). Discovering entrepreneurial identity through Ikigai: An experiential exercise for entrepreneurship students. Management Teaching Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/23792981251403539
37. Sazali, N. S., & Paidi, R. (2024). Ikigai among Japanese. WILAYAH: The International Journal of East Asian Studies. https://doi.org/10.22452/
38. Sekhar, A., & Chandra, A. (2025). Empowering women entrepreneurs: A capability-sustainability framework. Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability.
39. Seko, K., & Hirano, M. (2021). Predictors and importance of social aspects in Ikigai among older women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5974. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115974
40. Seligman, M. E. P. (2012). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press.
41. Singh, K., & Singh, S. (2026). Purpose meets sustainability: A literature review on Ikigai and environmental sustainability. Industry and Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222261xxxx
42. Sone, T., Nakaya, N., Ohmori, K., Shimazu, T., Higashiguchi, M., Kakizaki, M., & Tsuji, I. (2008). Sense of life worth living (Ikigai) and mortality in Japan: Ohsaki Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70(6), 709-715.
43. Stanford University Open Virtual Assistant Lab. (2024). The socio-cultural evolution of Ikigai. Stanford University Press.
44. Tittel, A., Maisch, B., Wolf, B., Anzengruber, J., & Orestis, T. (2023). Ikigai — Traditional approach for modern entrepreneurship. European Academy of Management.
45. Torres, A. M. P., & Saucedo, V. G. (2025). Enhancing student success: Exploring the impact of novel mentoring strategies on life purpose reflection and goal setting. 2025 Institute for the Future of Education Conference. https://doi.org/10.1109/IFE63672.2025.11024744
46. Vandroux, R., & Auzoult-Chagnault, L. (2023). Validation francophone de l’échelle Ikigai-9. Psychologie Française. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psfr.2023
47. Vinaccia, S. (2024). Ikigai. Medicina, 46(1), 267-270. https://doi.org/10.56050/01205498.2346
48. Wolf, B., Maisch, B., & Sales, A. (2024). Entrepreneurial life design: Bridging innovation and personal growth in entrepreneurship education. CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation. https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2024
49. World Economic Forum. (2016). The future of jobs: Employment, skills and workforce strategy for the fourth industrial revolution. World Economic Forum.
50. Zhang, Y., Duysters, G., & Cloodt, M. (2014). The role of entrepreneurship education as a predictor of university students’ entrepreneurial intention. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 10(3), 623-641.