Marina Vorholzer
Marina Vorholzer's primary research interests lie at the intersection of entrepreneurship and moral philosophy. Her doctoral research is part of the larger project “Cultural Ideals in the Entrepreneurship Industry,” which examines the rise of innovation theater—entrepreneurial activities that appear impactful but often lack meaningful outcomes—and the broader entrepreneurship industry, encompassing the products, services, and educational initiatives designed to promote entrepreneurial action. This research critically investigates the surge in new venture activities and, by examining the cultural ideals and norms that shape the entrepreneurship scene, challenges the dominant view of entrepreneurship as inherently productive.
In her dissertation, Vorholzer contributes to an emerging stream of entrepreneurship literature focused on the “bright and dark sides” of entrepreneurial phenomena. This body of work typically presents entrepreneurship as either productive (value-adding) or destructive (value-depriving). However, her research reveals a more complex ethical landscape. Drawing extensively on moral philosophy, her dissertation explores the nuanced "grey zone" where entrepreneurial actions may be both productive and destructive, depending on the ethical lens applied.
Vorholzer investigates how entrepreneurs—particularly those seeking to “do things the right way”—navigate conflicting ethical interpretations when making decisions about “the right thing to do.” Her work focuses on the cognitive processes underlying these ethical assessments and explores how well-intentioned entrepreneurs resolve moral dilemmas and translate their values into action.
Commercial Mother Teresa’s (or not): Moral Flexibility and Entrepreneurial Action
Employing a variance approach, this paper advances a model of moral flexibility in entrepreneurial action. To start, I leverage the notion of commercial Mother Teresa’s – entrepreneurs who are primarily driven by generating non-monetary impact – to illustrate the entrepreneur’s exposure to motivational moral ambiguity and how it affects their access to resources. Drawing on moral cognition literature, I theorize (1) two cognitive orientations, which the entrepreneur can enact towards moral ambiguity; namely, moral flexibility and moral rigidity; (2) how each orientation triggers distinct cognitive processes to reconcile moral ambiguity, and (3) how they enable the entrepreneur to initiate and maintain distinct partnerships with key stakeholders. Highlighting the negative repercussions for the entrepreneur of enacting either orientation, I then propose a third, more promising stance for establishing lasting partnerships throughout the entrepreneurial journey: Strategic moral flexibility. Finally, I discuss how the model advances scholarship on moral judgment and knowledge problems in entrepreneurship, and I outline research opportunities on moral ambiguity orientations in entrepreneurial action.