Bricolage and new-venture performance : conditions of digitalization, causation, and effectuation

Abstract

Entrepreneurial bricolage literature has established a positive relationship between bricolage and venture performance. However, the potential influence of firm-level conditions and decision-making logics has not been adequately explored, leaving unanswered questions of when and why bricolage is beneficial. We connect bricolage and digital entrepreneurship literature to propose digital entrepreneurship as a moderator of the bricolage-performance relationship. We derived insights from decision logics theory to empirically test causation and effectuation as subsequent influences on this moderated relationship. Our model was validated utilizing time-lagged survey data from 236 entrepreneurs. Findings confirm that bricolage positively relates to venture performance and that this relationship is amplified when digital entrepreneurship is high. Further understanding is contributed through investigating subsequent conditions; results showed digital entrepreneurship strengthens the bricolage-performance relationship when the causation approach to entrepreneurship is high or when the effectuation approach to entrepreneurship is low. We discuss implications for theory development and practice.