Fifteenth anniversary of the 5M framework: an integrative literature review and future research directions for women's entrepreneurship

Purpose To advance women's entrepreneurship research, scholars require a clearer understanding of how, and where, researchers have applied the field's critical theoretical frameworks, as well as how extant studies have shaped the development of the frameworks and field of women's entrepreneurship. This paper addresses this gap by conducting an integrative literature review (ILR) of Brush et al.’s (2009) 5 M framework article and proposes a conceptualization of 5 M framework research alongside future research directions for the field of women's entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach Our study utilizes an ILR to analyze how researchers have leveraged the 5 M framework and what this reveals about its development and role in women's entrepreneurship research. We draw on Scopus and Google Scholar databases to present a comprehensive review of all publications (n = 944) that cite Brush et al.’s (2009) article (from 2009 to 2023), focusing on those works (n = 87) which base their methodological or theoretical approach on the 5 M framework. Findings Our ILR reveals that research using the 5 M framework can be conceptualized as consisting of four different layers: the specific contributions made by such research to the development of the 5 M framework itself; the key themes and mechanisms within women's entrepreneurship addressed by this research; the methodological approaches applied; and the empirical contexts in which the framework dimensions have been employed. Research limitations/implications Our study identifies pertinent literature gaps in women's entrepreneurship and provides pathways for diversifying theory-building in the field. Originality/value We analyze a prominent theoretical framework in the field of women's entrepreneurship. Our analysis shows not only pathways for future women's entrepreneurship research but also the status of the field and how researchers deal with existing frameworks, thus highlighting opportunities to go beyond the status quo.