Recent research has concluded that personality factors influence entrepreneurial success. This study used a causal steps approach, to test a model that included effectuation and causation decision processes as mediators and environmental uncertainty as a moderator, in the relationship between personality and venture success. Conscientiousness and openness, two relevant big five personality dimensions, were shown to be positively related to the use of causation and effectuation decision logic depending on the level of uncertainty in the environment. The level of causation was further linked to venture revenue growth being more successful in low uncertainty environments supporting its nomination as a mediator for personality. Consequences for entrepreneurship research are discussed and recommendations made for further research in this area. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Purpose – Ever since Sarasvathy’s (2001) seminal article, scholars have sought to test effectuation’s affect on firm performance. Although recent work has begun the arduous process of testing effectuation’s effect on entrepreneurial performance, there is still much to learn about its impact on firm performance. One such area is the relationship between effectuation and innovation. The purpose of this paper is to first, propose a scale suitable to the explication of the effectuation construct relative to innovation. Second, it proposes a more parsimonious scale for the measurement of innovation. Third, these scales are tested relative to firm performance. Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops and tests a structural model, which investigates aspects of effectuation as mediators between innovation orientation and product/service innovation. This is accomplished using a sample of 169 electronic product manufacturing-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Subjective measures of performance are used as the dependent variable. Findings – The three most widely used measures of innovativeness were found to break cleanly into two sub-constructs, namely innovation orientation and product/service innovation. Effectuation measures included means (who I know), leverage contingencies (experimentation), pre-commitments and affordable loss. Means and leverage contingencies were found to positively mediate innovation orientation and product/service innovation leading to increased firm performance. Affordable loss did not show a mediating role, but had a direct effect on firm performance. Research limitations/implications – This study establishes two distinct sub-constructs of firm-level innovation; namely innovation orientation and product/service innovation. Second, by testing an innovation-centric effectuation model, this research establishes an empirical relationship between effectuation, innovation and firm performance. Practical implications – Practical implications include establishing a relationship between means, leverage contingencies and innovation-performance, indicating that the ways through which small and medium-sized enterprises use their innovation networks may affect innovation outcomes and ultimately firm performance. Originality/value – This research establishes an empirical relationship between effectuation, innovation and firm performance, extending effectuation theory from the entrepreneurship to the innovation literature.

Uppsatsens syfte har varit att studera hur lärarna på en skola upplever att ett iscensatt kollegialtlärande påverkat det professionella kapitalet. Inspirationen till modellen för det iscensattakollegiala lärandet kom från erfarenheter gjorda vid en studie på en finländsk skola. De finländskaerfarenheterna översattes och modifierades sedan via translationsteorin för att passa den lokalakontexten. Vid anpassningen till den lokala kontexten påverkade projektstyrningsmodelleneffectuation utformningen av arbetssättet. Datamaterialet insamlades främst via semistruktureradeintervjuer som sedan analyserades utifrån en deduktiv ansats med stöd av teorin omdet professionella kapitalet. I resultatet framkom att de intervjuade lärarna upplevt att detprofessionella kapitalet höjts som en följd av det iscensatta kollegiala lärandet. De faktorer somverkat förstärkande på det professionella kapitalet var kopplade till den autonomi som denanvända modellen gav lärarna när det gäller att omsätta sina gemensamma intentioner ochutvecklingsplaner till konkret handling vid regelbundna återkommande träffar. De faktorer somverkat begränsade hörde till upplevda brister i de organisatoriska förutsättningarna förlärarsamarbetet. I uppsatsen benämns kollegialt lärande som exempel på en flytande signifikant.Det betyder att det är ett begrepp som saknar gemensam betydelse som därmed kan tolkas ochförstås på olika sätt. Kollegialt lärande har av olika aktörer uppfattats som antingen en uppsättningevidensbaserade metoder, en professionskultur eller ett verktyg för skolutveckling. Den initialaavsikten med det kollegiala lärandet i studien var modifiera den redan existerande skolkulturenoch på sikt etablera en professionell samarbetskultur bland lärarna. Under arbetets gång visadedet sig att detta inte gick att uppnå utan att också upprätta stödjande organisatoriskaförutsättningar samt en metod som kunde ge vägledande principer för hur lärarna gemensamtskulle arbeta med sina utvecklingsprojekt.

Le but de cette recherche est de décrire et de comprendre le contrôle du transfert de Bonnes Pratiques entre différentes agences réparties sur le territoire. Cette étude émerge de l’observation d’un problème terrain : à partir d’un jeu de pratiques environnementales et de maitrises des risques dites « idéales » et sélectionnées pour avoir déjà prouvées leur efficacité dans d’autres unités organisationnelles, les membres du Comité de Pilotage transforment ces pratiques, tout au long des réunions du projet, de façon à permettre leur implémentation. Mais ces pratiques dépassent la simple application de prescriptions règlementaires et sont souvent des innovations pour l’entreprise. Ces innovations engagent le Comité de pilotage dans un véritable processus de conception. La finalité du projet est d’autonomiser les opérateurs dans l’usage de ces pratiques qui doivent pouvoir appréhender le terrain, adapter leur réponse tout en se conformant à l’idéal porté par la pratique. Notre hypothèse de travail est que l’action du Comité est mue par une logique de contrôle. Dans ce travail, nous cherchons à caractériser la façon dont le Comité de pilotage de ce projet contrôle le déploiement de ces Bonnes Pratiques et à rendre compte de sa dynamique. Pour répondre à cette question, cette étude conduite au sein de la filiale régionale d’un groupe s’inscrit dans une approche qualitative. Notre méthode d’analyse s’appuie sur le recours à la théorie ancrée en se fondant sur les éléments empiriques du terrain. Pour caractériser le processus de contrôle, nous avons voulu échapper aux catégories usuelles des mécanismes de contrôle de la théorie (Ouchi, 1979 ; Simons, 2004) en expliquant comment l’acteur collectif Comité de pilotage, par des actions sur le processus de conception des pratiques, par des actions d’information et de formation des agents et par des actions sur la rédaction de fiches de procédures, cherchait à s’assurer que chaque membre du Comité de pilotage et les agents impliqués dans ce processus de conception se comportent dans le sens des objectifs fixés par la Direction générale. Ainsi, parmi nos contributions, le niveau de granularité plus fin dans l’analyse du contrôle nous a permis d’apporter une relecture des travaux traditionnels en contrôle. Pour rendre compte de la dynamique du contrôle, nous procédons également à une opérationnalisation du modèle de la réplication de Winter et Szulanski (2001). En complément, nos résultats illustrent la dynamique du contrôle fondée sur l’analyse de la convergence des projets par Midler (1993). / The purpose of this study is to describe and understand how the transfer of the Good Practices among the different agencies spread out in the territory is controlled. This research emerges from a problem observed in practice : based on a set of environmental and risk-management practices which were said to be « ideal » and which had proved to be efficient, the members of the Piloting Committee transform these practices throughout their project meetings so that they may be implemented. Those practices however, go beyond statutory requirements, and often turn out to be innovations for companies. Those innovations engage the Piloting Committee in a true conception process. The project aims at making the users/operators autonomous. They are to be able to apprehend the situation and adapt their response, all the while complying with the fundamental ideal of the Practice. Our working hypothesis is that the action of the Piloting Committee is driven by logic of control. In this work, we are seeking to characterize the way the Piloting Committee of this project controls the way in which the Good Practices are implemented and to report their dynamics. To investigate these research questions, a qualitative study was designed and conducted. We use grounded theory methodology. This intervention-research led in a subsidiary company. To characterize the control process, we chose to avoid the usual categories of mechanical control of the theory (Ouchi, 1979; Simons, 2004). Instead, we chose to explain how the collective actor Piloting Committee, by setting up information and training campaigns for all the Piloting Committee members and at the actors involved in the conception process, sought to ensure that each and every one was indeed acting consistently and in compliance with the targets set by the General Management. We are procceeding to the operationalization of the replication of Winter and Szulanski model (2001). Our results show Midler’s work (1993).

Submitted by Adriana Alves Rodrigues (aalves@espm.br) on 2018-08-07T18:54:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 pmdgi - reynaldo dannecker cunha.pdf: 4151805 bytes, checksum: a8563e01802839d529627543ad9b0691 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Debora Cristina Bonfim Aquarone (deborabonfim@espm.br) on 2018-08-08T13:12:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 pmdgi - reynaldo dannecker cunha.pdf: 4151805 bytes, checksum: a8563e01802839d529627543ad9b0691 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Debora Cristina Bonfim Aquarone (deborabonfim@espm.br) on 2018-08-08T13:12:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 pmdgi - reynaldo dannecker cunha.pdf: 4151805 bytes, checksum: a8563e01802839d529627543ad9b0691 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T13:16:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 pmdgi - reynaldo dannecker cunha.pdf: 4151805 bytes, checksum: a8563e01802839d529627543ad9b0691 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-27 / In this study we evaluate how causation and effectuation influence export marketing strategies and export performance of micro and small enterprises. Some studies have applied these concepts as a dichotomy issue; the novelty is on presenting both theories simultaneously and their impact on the decision-making process of exporting companies. We advance the theoretical conceptualization of international marketing management of SMEs and present new connections with previous concepts that either originated in the rational decision of neoclassical microeconomics or relies on cognitive science. Empirically we developed a quantitative research, using the survey method, whit 110 micro and small companies. The results pointed out a significant effect of causation on product adaptation and of effectuation on product adaptation, communication and price. Causation was posotively associated whit export performance. They also indicated, in the sample surveyed, the importance of maintaining planned, controlled and result-oriented decisions, as well as having flexibility and experimentation to enhance export results. Its applicability is revealed by indicating practices that improve the internationalization of SMEs. / Este estudo avalia como causation e effectuation influenciam o desenvolvimento das estratégias de marketing de exportação e o desempenho de exportação de micro e pequenas empresas. Alguns estudos utilizaram esses conceitos de maneira dicotômica; esta tese inova ao mostrar os impactos simultâneos das duas teorias no processo decisório de empresas exportadoras. Avança na conceituação teórica no campo da gestão de marketing internacional de MPEs e apresenta novas conexões com outras teorias, com origem na decisão racional da microeconomia neoclássica e que se apoia na ciência cognitiva. Na parte empírica, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa quantitativa, com o método survey, com 110 micro e pequenas empresas. Os resultados apontam maiores efeitos de causation na adaptação de produto e de effectuation na adaptação de produto, comunicação e preço. Causation apresentou associação positiva com o desempenho de exportação. Indicaram também, na amostra pesquisada, a importância de manter decisões planejadas, controladas e voltadas ao resultado, assim como, ter flexibilidade e experimentar para potencializar os resultados de exportação. Sua aplicabilidade revela-se ao indicar práticas que aprimorem a internacionalização de MPEs.

[pt] Este estudo se propõe a entender como empreendedores sustentáveis - empreendedores que tentam resolver problemas ambientais e sociais, além de gerar riqueza econômica - atuam como empreendedores institucionais, iniciando mudanças divergentes nas normas e modelos mentais construídos socialmente. Unindo a pesquisa em empreendedorismo com a teoria institucional, o objetivo deste estudo foi elucidar como empreendedores sustentáveis: identificam, avaliam e decidem explorar oportunidades de negócios; mobilizam recursos através das lógicas de causation, effectuation ou bricolagem e tentam se legitimar e convencer stakeholders para o seu negócio. Para o entendimento do processo histórico e do contexto da formação do empreendimento optou-se pelo método de múltiplos estudos de caso. Consonante com a literatura, os resultados mostraram que os empreendedores sustentáveis se utilizam de um misto de causation e effectuation na exploração das oportunidades, variando a lógica conforme o contexto. A incorporação da ótica institucional permitiu revelar que a lógica de causation é utilizada em um contexto de busca de legitimidade e convencimento de stakeholders. Por outro lado, verificou-se que as estratégias de convencimento pelos empreendedores como a teorização podem apresentar variações ao longo do tempo, numa lógica de effectuation, à medida que novos desafios e oportunidades surjam. Ao combinar a perspectiva da teoria institucional à pesquisa em empreendedorismo, unindo as estratégias de legitimação e convencimentos dos stakeholders aos mecanismos da ação empreendedora em empreendimentos sustentáveis, esta pesquisa preenche uma lacuna de pesquisa em ambas áreas. / [en] In this study, I assume that sustainable entrepreneurs, i.e, entrepreneurs who tackle environmental and social problems while also creating economic wealth (Schaltegger and Wagner, 2011), act as institutional entrepreneurs, promoting divergent changes in the models, schemas and norms of a given organizational field. By combining both entrepreneurship research and institutional theory, the aim of this research is threefold: to uncover how sustainable entrepreneurs 1) identify, evaluate and decide to explore business opportunities; 2) mobilize resources through mechanisms known in the entrepreneurship literature as causation, effectuation, and bricolage, and 3) legitimate their businesses and change institutions so as their products/services get accepted. The method used in this research was the multiple case study to get rich and detailed data, making a thorough understanding of the historical process and context of the venture creation possible. Confirming prior research, the results suggest that entrepreneurs use both effectuation and causation logics to explore opportunities. However, the institutional theory lens in this study suggests that the use of causation logic is intended at gaining legitimacy and attracting stakeholders. On the other hand, results also suggest that theorization strategies used by sustainable entrepreneurs may take an effectual approach, changing its arguments in an experimental and iterative way as stakholders face new necessities and challenges. By combining entrepreneurship research to institutional theory, this study fills a literature gap in both areas.

Background and Problem: The number of companies aiming at operating in the international markets right after their inception is at constant growth.  According to Knight and Cavusgil (2004), these firms, which are quite often small and technology-oriented, have the tendency to adopt a global market vision from the initial stage of company’s establishment. The vast and rapid technological change is one crucial reason behind the spread of the born global phenomenon. Born globals can reach out much earlier and faster to the international market than traditional firms. The phenomenon has been studied earlier, however with a focus on the firm-level drivers of early and rapid internationalization without giving enough importance to the role of the entrepreneur.    Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to understand the early and rapid internationalization process of born global firms based on the characteristics and the behavior of the entrepreneur managing the firm.  In addition, the research team will contribute to the existing born global literature by applying existing models from the International Business and International Entrepreneurship disciplines.   Methodology: In order to answer the research question presented in this thesis, a qualitative research approach was chosen. The research team included 5 Swedish born global Internet–based companies, namely Klarna, Sqore, the Local, Asket and 46elks.   Analysis and conclusion:  Our findings concluded that the entrepreneurs of born global firms play a significant role in the early and rapid internationalization of the firm. The entrepreneurs tend to subconsciously use effectuation logic at the early stages of the firm establishment by possessing traits of an entrepreneur such as innovativeness, proactivity and risk-taking behavior. Furthermore the educational background and prior work experience were found to be of equal importance, however international experience and entrepreneurial background were observed to be of an utmost importance. Social and business networks were also noticed to play a significant role in the early stages of a firm. Finally, it was spotted that the entrepreneurs tend to change their effectuation logic to a causation one at later stages of firm development including its expansion to international markets.

Within the stream of research on entrepreneurial opportunity there is a school of thought that affords entrepreneurs an agentic role in the creation of opportunities – with opportunities understood as a combination of both product and market innovation. Recently scholars working from this Creative Model have associated the opportunity shaping work of entrepreneurs with sensemaking – a social process in which teams gather information, ascribe meaning, and take action in the face of the uncertainties, which some have said define the context of entrepreneurship. Few, if any, scholars have studied the naturally occurring conversations between entrepreneurial team members as they discuss the information, meaning, and action relevant to their innovation efforts. This dissertation makes a contribution to current understanding of entrepreneurship by capturing the naturally occurring conversations of innovative entrepreneurial teams in action, analyzing these recorded conversations for use of sensemaking language, and comparing the language patterns between teams that achieve different levels of performance.

Uncertainty is inherent in the process of entrepreneurial activities and has caused a high failure rate of startups. In fact, 46% of new ventures run out of business within 4 years of operation, according to Statistic Brain Research Institute. On the other hand, a type of uncertainty that entrepreneurs need to prioritize varies depending on the industry. In high technology industries, severe problems are frequently caused especially by market uncertainty due to continuous technological developments and industries’ volatile characteristic. In entrepreneurship research, Sarasvathy introduced the concept of effectuation in 2001. Since then, the theory of effectuation has been studied by a number of researchers, as successful entrepreneurs have incorporated this theory. However, empirical evidence of effectual processes covering the applicability in high technology industries has not been testified yet. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to fill this gap and find an answer to our research question, how do entrepreneurs effectuate in decision-making to respond to market uncertainty in high technology industries? We implemented a quantitative investigation by conducting an online survey of entrepreneurs in high-technology industries. The main findings and conclusions are that entrepreneurs in high-technology industries apply both causation and effectuation. However, causation is slightly more implemented than effectuation. Additionally, we found that experimentation-driven approach helps entrepreneurs in high-technology industries deal with market uncertainty as supplementation of effectuation.

Effectuation is a theory about entrepreneurial problem-solving and management that was first identified by Sarasvathy (2001). Effectual logic has proven to be particularly useful when the company is functioning under the conditions of high uncertainty or goal ambiguity. It is an already widely-studied topic and it has been examined in various contexts, but one field that has completely lacked the attention of the researchers is the business to government context. Our study is focusing on effectuation in business to government context in specific and the aim of our study is to find out (1) how the business to government context influences the application of effectual logic, (2) and what the potential outcomes for innovation are. We used action research to build understanding through a deep involvement with a case organization. Through an experiment involving managers of our case organization, we could find which process is used, and how it relates to the context. Our conclusions show that business to government context sets some limitations to effectual approaches, and we present a framework which represents this effectual process observed in our case organization. In addition, grounded on our previous findings, we analyzed how this practiced process, and the context, set barriers to innovation as well: results such as difficulties to gain pre-commitments, inability to spread risk among stakeholders and difficulty to run pilot projects, are some of the observed findings. On the other hand, we argue that this brought to a focus on incremental innovations, which are new features added to pre-existing products sold to pre-existing clients. At the end of our study we come up with implications for researchers, which could be used to direct future contextual studies regarding effectuation and innovation. But also, some implications for policy makers and managers are presented, so to suggest ways to lower barriers for radical innovation in business to government, and create a more innovative friendly context.