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2025 AOM Annual Meeting

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10699: Social Class, Social Mobility and Entrepreneurship

Sunday, July 27, 2025
10:45 - 13:45 CEST (GMT+2)
Location: Bella Center: Hall C- C2-m2
Session Type: PDW (workshop)
Orientation: Practice,Research,Diversity
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/8Yp8Kg
As social class research in entrepreneurship gains momentum, an important but outstanding question is how entrepreneurship facilitates (or undermines) social mobility for entrepreneurs from different social class backgrounds. The narrative of entrepreneurs moving from rags to riches is widely spread but contested in entrepreneurship theory and practice. On the one hand, entrepreneurship research, which understands entrepreneurial action as emancipation, proposes that individuals break free from structural constraints such as poverty through entrepreneurship. On the other hand, burgeoning research shows that the potential for upward mobility through entrepreneurship is unequally distributed. Further, while extant research has mainly focused on entrepreneurship’s potential for upward mobility, other forms, such as downward mobility or class maintenance, have been largely neglected and provide plenty of research opportunities. Despite increasing research addressing social class transitions in entrepreneurship, we lack an integrated conceptual understanding of what social mobility means for entrepreneurs. This Professional Development Workshop (PDW) aims to foster dialogue and formulate a comprehensive social class mobility and entrepreneurship research agenda. To this end, the PDW will begin with a panel of distinguished experts, sharing insights on this topic's foundational elements and questions. Following, science pitches will facilitate discussions on participants’ current or prospective projects. Practice pitches by socially mobile entrepreneurs will complement this part. A second panel will feature emerging scholars sharing their insights on practical approaches to researching this topic. Ultimately, the PDW aspires to support scholars researching social class mobility in entrepreneurial contexts and provide resources for those interested in joining the emerging conversation.