While an economic paradigm has been productive for entrepreneurship, religion has been proposed as an alternative rationality to advance research in our field. To extend a theological turn in entrepreneurship and identity research, our study inductively develops a conceptual model that explains how individuals navigate entrepreneurial identity threats based on the interaction between a relational identity with God (RIG) and an entrepreneurial identity to persist in entrepreneurial action. Our study suggests this can happen when entrepreneurs engage in inter-identity work mechanisms - affirming and humbling - to mitigate these identity threats. Specifically, a relational identity with God acts as a countervailing force to an entrepreneurial identity during times of identity threats to generate inter-identity meaning change, resulting in interidentity stability and entrepreneurial persistence. Through our study, we advance knowledge on the theological turn in entrepreneurship and identity by inductively developing theory on a new religious identity construct (RIG), elaborating theory of inter-identity work by shifting the focus from structural to content changes, and extending theory on entrepreneurial action, persistence, and well-being based on theological rather than economic considerations.

Executive summary

An entrepreneur's identity is strongly tied to their venture during the entrepreneurial process making it subject to the unpredictable highs and lows of the entrepreneurial journey. During these highs and lows, the value, meaning, and enactment of an entrepreneur's identity may be threatened. It is important to understand how entrepreneurs address these fluctuations because identity threats may harm their well-being or even lead to the abandonment of their venture altogether.

When confronting these identity threats, entrepreneurs may turn to a religious identity. Despite its neglect, religion is making a resurgence in entrepreneurship research and may prove especially important during challenging times. Unfortunately, we know little about how a religious identity may affect entrepreneurial identity threats.

Accordingly, we ask two research questions: How do the lows and highs of entrepreneurship affect an entrepreneur's identity? How might a religious identity help an entrepreneur manage identity threats related to these lows and highs? To address these questions, we analyzed data from 69 entrepreneurs, including interviews, group discussions, blogs, and journal entries.

Our findings show how entrepreneurs navigate the highs and lows by turning to their religion and engaging in inter-identity work to mitigate identity threats. Specifically, we find a relational identity with God acts as a countervailing force to revise identity meanings during entrepreneurial identity threats, resulting in inter-identity stability and entrepreneurial persistence. In times of entrepreneurial lows, a relational identity with God affirms an entrepreneurial identity. In times of entrepreneurial highs, a relational identity with God humbles an entrepreneurial identity.

Our study offers a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurs navigate the highs and lows of identity threats based on a religious identity. Through our study, we advance knowledge on the theological turn in entrepreneurship and identity by inductively developing theory on a new theological construct, elaborating theory of inter-identity work mechanisms of affirming and humbling, and extending theory on entrepreneurial action and persistence based on theological rather than economic considerations.

中文翻译：

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在企业家身份威胁的高潮和低谷中航行以坚持：与上帝的关系身份的反作用力

虽然经济范式对创业很有成效，但宗教已被提议作为推进我们领域研究的替代理性。为了扩展创业和身份研究的神学转向，我们的研究归纳地开发了一个概念模型，该模型解释了个人如何基于与上帝的关系身份 (RIG) 与企业家身份之间的相互作用来应对创业身份威胁，以坚持创业行动。我们的研究表明，当企业家参与跨身份工作机制（肯定和谦卑）以减轻这些身份威胁时，就会发生这种情况。具体来说，在身份受到威胁时，与上帝的关系身份作为企业家身份的抵消力量，以产生身份间意义的变化，导致身份间的稳定性和创业的持久性。通过我们的研究，我们通过归纳发展新宗教身份结构 (RIG) 的理论，通过将重点从结构变化转移到内容变化来阐述身份间工作的理论，以及扩展关于基于神学而不是经济考虑的创业行动、坚持和幸福。

执行摘要

在创业过程中，企业家的身份与他们的企业密切相关，使其受到创业旅程不可预测的高潮和低谷的影响。在这些高潮和低谷期间，企业家身份的价值、意义和实施可能会受到威胁。重要的是要了解企业家如何应对这些波动，因为身份威胁可能会损害他们的福祉，甚至导致他们完全放弃他们的企业。

在面对这些身份威胁时，企业家可能会求助于宗教身份。尽管被忽视，宗教正在创业研究中重新兴起，并可能在充满挑战的时期证明尤为重要。不幸的是，我们对宗教身份如何影响企业家身份威胁知之甚少。

因此，我们提出两个研究问题：创业的低谷和高潮如何影响企业家的身份？宗教身份如何帮助企业家管理与这些低谷和高潮相关的身份威胁？为了解决这些问题，我们分析了来自 69 位企业家的数据，包括访谈、小组讨论、博客和日记条目。

我们的研究结果表明，企业家如何通过转向他们的宗教信仰和参与跨身份工作来减轻身份威胁，从而度过高潮和低谷。具体来说，我们发现与上帝的关系身份作为一种抵消力量，在企业家身份威胁期间修改身份意义，从而导致身份间稳定性和企业家持久性。在创业低潮时期，与上帝的关系身份肯定了创业身份。在创业高潮时期，与上帝的关系身份会削弱创业身份。

我们的研究更深入地了解了企业家如何应对基于宗教身份的身份威胁的高潮和低谷。通过我们的研究，我们通过归纳发展新神学结构的理论，阐述肯定和谦卑的身份间工作机制的理论，以及基于神学而不是扩展关于创业行动和坚持的理论，推进对创业和身份神学转向的认识。大于经济考虑。