Exploring the relationship between hybrid founder social identities and entrepreneurs' psychological resilience

This study explores the link between entrepreneurs' hybrid founder social identity and psychological resilience, applying social identity theory and broaden-and-build theory. Psychological resilience is crucial for entrepreneurial success, given the challenging environments in which entrepreneurs operate. Yet, research on individual-level antecedents of entrepreneurs' psychological resilience is limited. Entrepreneurs today strive to address social and ecological issues without sacrificing financial gain, making hybrid identity types-combining "opportunistic" (Darwinian) and "altruistic" (Communitarian or Missionary) elements-increasingly relevant. Analyzing survey data from 886 entrepreneurs, we find that entrepreneurs with specific hybrid identities (Darwinian-Communitarian or Darwinian-Missionary combinations) exhibit greater psychological resilience. We attribute this to their expanded ability to draw meanings and experience positive emotions from diverse sources, providing them with a broader psychological foundation to rely on in challenging times. This work enhances our understanding of entrepreneurs' antecedents of psychological resilience and offers insights into the complexities of hybrid founder identities.