The Deterioration of Self-Worth in Entrepreneurship

Muñoz-Roman, Pablo; Braun, Susanne; Chowdhury, Farzana; Barton, Marieshka; Jayne-Little, Nicola; Komes, Jessica; Rowland, Joanne; Sykes, Katherine; Smith, Jason; Talbot-Jones, Clare; Taggart, Adele

Abstract

This paper explores the deterioration of self-worth in entrepreneurship. Using a 15-month participatory action research in the North of England, we found mismatches between expectations and experiences at three interacting levels—purpose, autonomy, and
achievement—which surface as entrepreneurs reflect on execution, performance, and fulfillment experiences. Mismatches materialize as incongruence between the ideal states under pursuit and the actual experiences, which compound leading to a diminished sense of
control, direction, and worthiness, which in turn further fuels a cycle of negative emotions, involving anxiety, isolation, shame, and guilt. We discuss implications for entrepreneurs’ mental health.

Citation

Muñoz-Roman, P., Braun, S., Chowdhury, F., Barton, M., Jayne-Little, N., Komes, J., …Taggart, A. (2023). The Deterioration of Self-Worth in Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 20, Article e00430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2023.e00430

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 2, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Oct 7, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-11
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 10, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Business Venturing Insights
• Print ISSN: 2352-6734
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Article Number: e00430
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2023.e00430
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1755776