Fostering Entrepreneurship in the Filipino Culture: A Meta-Analytic Literature Review on Psychological Traits and Behaviours to Learn and Unlearn for Startup Success

Entrepreneurship is widely recognised as a driver of economic development, yet its expression is strongly shaped by cultural context. This meta-analytic literature review synthesises empirical research on psychological traits and behavioural patterns influencing entrepreneurial success within the Filipino cultural milieu. Drawing on studies across entrepreneurship psychology, cultural dimensions, and education, the review identifies key traits associated with startup success—risk tolerance, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, innovativeness, proactivity, resilience, adaptability, and an internal locus of control. Simultaneously, it examines culturally embedded behaviours that may hinder entrepreneurial outcomes, including hiya (fear of shame), excessive conformity, hierarchical deference, and over-reliance on obligation-based networks (utang na loob).Using a systematic thematic synthesis of peer-reviewed studies relevant to the Philippine context, the review integrates psychological theory with cultural analysis to highlight pathways for learning and unlearning behaviours critical to startup performance. Findings suggest that entrepreneurial education and ecosystem interventions are most effective when they explicitly address cultural moderators rather than focusing solely on skills acquisition. This study contributes a culturally grounded framework for understanding entrepreneurial mindset development in the Philippines and offers implications for policy, education, and practice aimed at strengthening locally embedded yet globally competitive startup ecosystems.