Humility and reverence: mitigating the dark side of entrepreneurship education

Risk taking and innovation are key features of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship ecosystems foster and reward these features but do not moderate them. Research has shown that, in addition to the benefits of entrepreneurship, there is also a dark side of entrepreneurship that has negative social, psychological, and financial implications. This paper argues that when the virtues of humility and reverence are absent within an ecosystem, risk taking and innovation can turn destructive. The paper pairs risk taking with humility and innovation with reverence to show why virtue is important for a well-functioning ecosystem. Entrepreneurship education programs have a role and responsibility to mitigate the dark side of entrepreneurship and can do so through minor revisions in course structure which this paper outlines. Universities are uniquely positioned to cultivate these moderating virtues that help foster collaborative and productive ecosystems.