Psychological Well-Being and Innovative Work Behaviour Among Entrepreneurs: A Systematic Review and Integrative Theoretical Framework

Abstract

Abstract

Entrepreneurial innovation is increasingly recognized as a strategic engine of economic development, particularly in Africa, where entrepreneurship addresses pressing challenges of job creation and sustainable growth. Yet the psychological foundations of this innovation remain insufficiently understood. This paper employs a dual methodological strategy: a PRISMA-based systematic literature review (2001–2023) synthesizing ten peer-reviewed empirical studies identified through Web of Science and Scopus, and an integrative theory-building approach structured according to Whetten's (1989). The review reveals three thematic domains: entrepreneurial characteristics shaping innovation and well-being, mental health conditions with paradoxical effects on innovative capacity, and contextual moderators of the well-being–innovation relationship. Building on these findings, we develop a multi-mediation theoretical model in which psychological capital, psychological safety, and work engagement mediate the relationship between psychological well-being conceptualized through Ryff's (1989) eudaimonic model and innovative work behavior. Twelve theoretical propositions and twelve boundary conditions structure the integrative model. The paper contributes to the literature by advancing understanding of how psychological factors sustain entrepreneurial innovation in emerging African economies.

Keywords: Psychological well-being; Innovative work behaviour; Entrepreneurship; Theory building; Psychological capital; Psychological safety.