Entrepreneurial action, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and poverty alleviation: a systematic review of the roles of NGOs involved in entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial activity is viewed as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation in developing countries. Despite its promise, opportunities for socially impactful entrepreneurship are limited by resource scarcity and institutional voids. These challenges have prompted non-traditional actors, such as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), to engage in and support entrepreneurial activity. However, research on how NGOs engage in and support entrepreneurship remains fragmented and under-theorized, with a lack of clarity about the specific roles NGOs play in entrepreneurial efforts to alleviate poverty. To address this gap, we conduct a systematic literature review of 77 journal articles on NGOs involved in entrepreneurship in developing countries. We develop a comprehensive typology of nine roles NGOs undertake as they engage in and support entrepreneurship. The roles are organized along two continuums: (i) the degree of entrepreneurial task intensity, and (ii) the geographic scale of activity. The findings have significant implications for entrepreneurship and development studies by unpacking the range of roles NGOs can adopt in engaging with and supporting entrepreneurship as a tool for poverty alleviation.