Ute Stephan

Professor Ute Stephan is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at King's Business School, King’s College London, where she is affiliated with the Strategy, International Management & Entrepreneurship department. She is a globally recognized scholar in the psychology of entrepreneurship, with a focus on entrepreneurial well-being, mental health, social entrepreneurship, and the role of culture and institutions.

Research Interests:

• Entrepreneurial well-being, stress, and mental health
• Social and inclusive entrepreneurship
• Cross-cultural innovation and national culture
• Family business and women entrepreneurs
• Entrepreneurial resilience during crises (e.g., Covid-19)
• Feedback-seeking and social networks

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward understanding the psychological and social dimensions of entrepreneurship, particularly how entrepreneurs navigate uncertainty, maintain well-being, and create inclusive impact. Her work integrates insights from organizational behavior, psychology, and management, often using cross-national data and meta-analytic methods.

Scientific Awards and Recognition:

• 2025 JIBS Decade Award
• Fellow, International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)
• 21st Century Entrepreneurship Fellow
• Winner, 2016 GLOBE Robert J. House Best Research Paper Award
• Highly Commended, 2015 GLOBE Robert J. House Best Research Paper Award
• Nominee, 2021 Journal of Management Scholarly Impact Award

She has secured over £3 million in research funding from the European Commission, UK Government, UK research councils, and German institutions. She serves as Associate Editor at Journal of Management and Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, and previously held editorial leadership roles at Applied Psychology and Journal of International Business Studies. She is an elected board member of the IAAP and chairs its publication committee. She also advises the Founder Mental Health Pledge and is an IfM Research Fellow at IfM Bonn.

Labs and Research Teams:

• Lead investigator of the 25-country study on Entrepreneurship & COVID-19
• Principal investigator of the WEWell project on women entrepreneurs’ well-being
• Lead investigator of the SEFORIS and SELUSI projects on social enterprises
• Team member in large-scale international collaborations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas