Articles

Ikigai and Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Literature Review of Purpose-Driven Ventures and Sustainable Performance

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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.

Challenges and Opportunities of Building Resilient MSMEs in Zambia

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This research paper addresses the challenges and opportunities in building resilient Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Zambia. The paper also examines the different forms of resilience and there implications on organisational resilience. The findings indicates that challenges encountered by MSMEs in building resilient business organisations can be addressed in different ways including through the development and implementation of monitoring and response capabilities, learning abilities and anticipation. The research study relied on secondary data sources and was able to conclude that building resilient MSMEs was vital for the survival of these business organisations.