Responsible entrepreneurship decision making: an axiological approach
Contemporary research suggests that personal values play a major role in the decision-making process of responsible entrepreneurship, i.e., one that is consistent with the requirements of sustainable development. But what are these values? Moreover, what role do they play in the decisions of entrepreneurs? Based on Nathalie Heinich’s axiological sociology, this study conceives values as principles that allow us to make judgments and, ultimately, make choices. In this multiple case study, six entrepreneurs engaged in the creation of a responsible business were interviewed and asked to talk about the evolution of their business and the big decisions that have marked its development. In this article, the transcripts are analyzed in depth to 1) highlight the axiological logic of each case, i.e., the main values underlying the decisions made and 2) identify the recurring values among the different cases to outline an “axiological gramma” that is specific to responsible entrepreneurship. This study proposes a methodological operationalization of Heinich’s sociological conception of value in the entrepreneurial domain.