摘要
效果推理逻辑为不确定环境下的决策问题提供崭新的思路和方法,近年来引起学者们的高度关注。本研究通过借鉴Bandura的社会学习理论,将自我效能引入决策理论研究,分析不确定环境下效果推理逻辑形成机制。基于132份调查问卷的结构方程模型实证研究发现:过往成就、替代经验以及创业激情对效果推理有显著的正向影响,自我效能对效果推理有显著的正向影响,自我效能在过往成就和替代经验对效果推理的影响作用中起到完全中介作用,在创业激情对效果推理的影响作用中起到部分中介作用。本研究的结果说明对于创业者而言,拥有创业经验并非运用效果推理逻辑的唯一条件,还可以通过获得替代经验以及凭借自身的创业激情而提升自我效能感从而运用效果推理逻辑进行决策。
The emergence and development of emerging technologies have brought tremendous changes to the global business environment. The market environment faced by enterprises is characterized by volatility,uncertainty,complexity and ambiguity( VUCA). In the highly uncertain environment,it is difficult to predict the future,and traditional decision-making methods do not work. In recent years,a large number of entrepreneurship cases and empirical studies have proved that in highly uncertain environment,entrepreneurs follow the effectuation to make decision. Effectuation theory is action-oriented. It describes how to think,make decisions and practice under uncertainty,including a series of principles such as flexibility,affordable loss,previous commitment and experiment. At present,the effectuation theory has attracted great attention in the field of entrepreneurship.However,researchers have not explained and answered the formation mechanism of the effectuation of entrepreneurs. Besides,Expert entrepreneurs use effectuation because of their rich experience in entrepreneurship,then why and how to induce effectuation? Should effectuation be triggered by rich entrepreneurial experience,or is it a way of thinking and decision-making skills acquired through learning? For ordinary entrepreneurs,under the premise of relatively lack of entrepreneurial experience,can they use the effectuation to make decisions like expert entrepreneurs? Responding to the above questions is very important for studying the formation mechanism of effectuation. Conceptual articles such as Hinz and Zhang Guangqi suggested that self-efficacy can influence the decision-making logic of entrepreneurs. Therefore,this study draws lessons from Bandura's social learning theory,introduces self-efficacy into the study of effectuation,and explores the key triggering factors and formation mechanism of effectuation,as well as the mediating effect of self-efficacy.On the basis of summarizing the existing literature,the research model is constructed and the research hypothesis is proposed. This study collected data in the form of questionnaires from Shenzhen,Tianjin and Beijing. In order to ensure the diversity and reliability of sample data,the questionnaire was mainly distributed through the channels of alumni association,entrepreneurship forum,entrepreneurship incubator and public creation space. The questionnaire asked the founder or principal person in charge of the start-up enterprise to fill in. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed and 132 questionnaires were collected as the valid samples. Likert five-level scoring method was used in all the items of the eight variables involved in the questionnaire. According to the information described,the respondents selected scores that matched their own feelings. 1 represented a strong disagreement,and the 5 represented a complete agreement. In this study,Harmon single factor analysis was adopted,and the common method variation problem can be ignored.Before data analysis,Cronbach's coefficient was used to test the reliability of the variables,and confirmatory factor analysis in the structural equation model was used to test the scale's structural validity. The test results show that the scale of all the variables have good reliability and discriminative validity. Correlation analysis also shows that there is a strong correlation among the variables in this study. Then Amos was used to test the research hypothesis,and the conclusions showed that:( 1) previous accomplishment,vicarious experience and entrepreneurial passion have a significant positive impact on effectuation. That means when entrepreneurs have rich accomplishment in the past,are good at obtaining vicarious experience through expert entrepreneurs,and have a strong entrepreneurial passion,they are more likely to use effectuation to make decisions.( 2) Self-efficacy has a significant positive impact on effectuation,which means that when entrepreneurs have a strong sense of self-efficacy,they tend to use effectuation for decision-making.( 3) Self-efficacy plays a complete mediating role in the influence of previous accomplishment and vicarious experience on effectuation,and a partial mediating role in the influence of entrepreneurial passion on effectuation.This study expands the research on the key inducers of the effectuation. Effectuation was initially proposed as a decision-making logic unique to expert entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial experience,while ordinary entrepreneurs tend to use causation to try to predict future events,even if these events are totally unpredictable. Through empirical research,this study finds that the effectuation is not necessarily triggered by rich entrepreneurial experience. Under the premise of relatively lack of entrepreneurial experience,ordinaryentrepreneurs can also use the effectuation to make decisions like expert entrepreneurs through vicarious experience and entrepreneurial passion. Besides,this paper expands the study of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is considered to affect individual behavior. At present,in the field of entrepreneurship research,some studies have shown that self-efficacy can encourage entrepreneurs to face the difficulties and challenges in the process of entrepreneurship. Other studies have found that self-efficacy can affect the new venture performance. Self-efficacy havs been tested to be more likely to influence entrepreneurs' behavior and outcomes. As an important logic of entrepreneur's behavior,the effectuation is considered to be influenced by self-efficacy. Through empirical research,this paper verifies that self-efficacy positively affects effectuation,including flexibility,affordable loss,previous commitment and experiment. What's more,this study enriches the research on the formation mechanism of effectuation. The improvement of entrepreneurs' previous accomplishment,vicarious experience and entrepreneurial passion will lead to the improvement of self-efficacy,which further promotes entrepreneurs to use the effectuation for decision-making.Practically,the results of this study have important implications for our entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship education not only teaches skills and promotes entrepreneurship willingness,but also improves students' self-efficacy through abundant means,such as acquiring vicarious experience and arousing students' emotions. A higher sense of self-efficacy enables students to use effectuation to think and make decisions like expert entrepreneurs. For entrepreneurs who do not have the opportunity to get entrepreneurship education,the effectuation can also be learned. By making more contacts with experienced entrepreneurs,summarizing their business ideas and decision-making methods,transforming other people's experience into their own experience,and imitating it into business practice,their self-efficacy will be improved and they are finally able to use the effectuation to make decisions skillfully.The shortcomings of this paper are as follows:( 1) The data sources of this study have some limitations. Future research can expand the scope of data sources;( 2) The cross-sectional data collected in this study cannot reflect the dynamic development of entrepreneurs. Future research can track entrepreneurs over a long period of time and collect longitudinal data to analyze dynamic impacts; and( 3) The results show that self-efficacy partially mediates the relationship between entrepreneurship passion and effectuation,which indicates that there may be other paths. Therefore,mediating variables could be further studied in the future.
引文
[1] Knight F. Risk,uncertainty and profit[M]. New York:Sentry Press,1921.
[2] Sarasvathy S D. Causation and effectuation:Toward a theoretical shift from economic inevitability to entrepreneurial contingency[J]. Academy of Management Review,2001,26(2):243-263.
[3] Sarasvathy S D. How do firms come to be? Towards a theory of the pre-firm[D]. Carnegie Mellon University,1998.
[4] Harmeling S S,Sarasvathy S D. When contingency is a resource:Educating entrepreneurs in the balkans,the bronx,and beyond[J]. Entrepreneurship Theory&Practice,2013,37(4):713-744.
[5] Dew N,Sarasvathy S,Read S,et al. Affordable loss:Behavioral economic aspects of the plunge decision[J]. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,2010,3(2):105-126.
[6] Read S,Sarasvathy S,Dew N,et al. Effectual entrepreneurship:Second edition[M]. New York:Routledge,2016.
[7] Perry J T,Chandler G N,Markova G. Entrepreneurial effectuation:A review and suggestions for future research[J]. Entrepreneurship Theory&Practice,2012,36(4):837-861.
[8]崔连广,张玉利,何一清.效果推理理论视角下企业创新与绩效提升机制研究[J].科学学与科学技术管理,2017,38(9):68-79.Cui Lianguang,Zhang Yuli,He Yiqing. Research on the mechanism of innovation and performance improvement:An effectuation approach[J]. Science of Science and Management of S.&. T.,2017,28(9):68-79.
[9] Berends H,Jelinek M,Reymen I,et al. Product innovation processes in small firms:Combining entrepreneurial effectuation and managerial causation[J]. Journal of Product Innovation Management,2014,31(3):616-635.
[10] Read S,Dew N,Sarasvathy S D,et al. Marketing under uncertainty:The logic of an effectual approach[J]. Journal of Marketing,2009,73(3):01-18.
[11] Yang M,Gabrielsson P. Entrepreneurial marketing of international high-tech business-to-business new ventures:A decision-making process perspective[J]. Industrial Marketing Management,2017,64(2):147-160.
[12] Chetty S,Ojala A,Lepp¨aaho T. Effectuation and foreign market entry of entrepreneurial firms[J]. European Journal of Marketing,2015,49(9/10):1436-1459.
[13] Galkina T,Chetty S. Effectuation and networking of internationalizing SMEs[J]. Management International Review,2015,55(5):647-676.
[14] Kalinic I,Sarasvathy S D,Forza C.‘Expect the unexpected’:Implications of effectual logic on the internationalization process[J]. International Business Review,2014,3(3):635-647.
[15] Read S,Song M,Smit W. A meta-analytic review of effectuation and venture performance[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,2009,24(6):573-587.
[16] Cai L,Guo R,Fei Y,Liu Z. Effectuation,exploratory learning and new venture performance:Evidence from China[J].Journal of Small Business Management,2017,55(3):388-403.
[17] Laskovaia A,Shirokova G,Morris M H. National culture,effectuation,and new venture performance:Global evidence from student entrepreneurs[J]. Small Business Economics,2017,49(3):01-23.
[18] Baum J R,Frese M,Baron R A. The psychology of entrepreneurship[J]. Social Science Electronic Publishing,2001,1(1):413-438.
[19] Frese M,Gielnik M M. The psychology of entrepreneurship[J]. Social Science Electronic Publishing,2014,1(1):413-438.
[20] Zhao H,Seibert S E,Hills G E. The mediating role of self-efficacy in the development of entrepreneurial intentions[J]. Journal of Applied Psychology,2005,90(6):1265-1272.
[21] Dempsey D,Jennings J. Gender and entrepreneurial self-efficacy:A learning perspective[J]. International Journal of Gender&Entrepreneurship,2014,6(1):28-49(22).
[22] Chen C C,Greene P G,Crick A. Does entrepreneurial selfefficacy distinguish entrepreneurs from managers?[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,1998,13(4):295-316.
[23] Jung D S,Ehrlich S B,De Noble A F,et al. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and its relationship to entrepreneurial action:A comparative study between the US and Korea[J]. Management International,2001,6(1):41-54.
[24] Hmieleski K M,Baron R A. Entrepreneurs’optimism and new venture performance:A social cognitive perspective[J].The Academy of Management Journal,2009,52(3):473-488.
[25] Bandura A. Social cognitive theory of personality[J]. Personality&Social Psychology Review,1999,5(1):33-51.
[26] Bandura A. Self-efficacy:Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change[J]. Advances in Behaviour Research&Therapy,1977,1(4):139-161.
[27] Bandura A. Social cognitive theory. In R. Vasta(Ed.),Annals of child development:Six theories of child development[M]. Greenwich:JAI Press,1989.
[28] Bandura A. Self-efficacy:The exercise of control[M]. New York:Freeman,1997.
[29] Hinz A. Entrepreneurial behaviour revisited:Linking selfefficacy with effectuation[C]. International Conference on Management in Emerging Markets,2017,18(2):245-260.
[30]张广琦,Sarasvathy S D,张玉利,等.奏效逻辑如何形成?———基于关键诱发因素的过程研究[J].科学学与科学技术管理,2017,38(2):171-180.Zhang Guangqi,Sarasvathy S D,Zhang Yuli,et al. How does effectuation form? A process research based on key inducing factors[J]. Science of Science and Management of S.&. T.,2017,38(2):171-180.
[31] Bandura A. Social learning theory[M]. Englewood Cliffs,NJ:Prentice Hall,1977.
[32] Andries P,Debackere K,Van Looy B. Simultaneous experimentation as a learning strategy:Business model development under uncertainty[J]. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,2013,7(4):288-310.
[33] Bird B J. Entrepreneurial behavior[M]. Glenview:Scott Foresman,1989.
[34] Sequeira J,Mueller S L. Mc Gee J E. The influence of social ties and self-efficacy in forming entrepreneurial intentions and motivating nascent behaviour[J]. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship,2007,12(03):275-293.
[35] Read S,Dew N,Sarasvathy S D,et al. Marketing under uncertainty:The logic of an effectual approach[J]. Journal of Marketing,2009,73(3):1-18.
[36] Hmieleski K M,Corbett A C. The contrasting interaction effects of improvisational behavior with entrepreneurial selfefficacy on new venture performance and entrepreneur work satisfaction[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,2008,23(4):482-496.
[37] Wiltbank R,Read S,Dew N,et al. Prediction and control under uncertainty:Outcomes in angel investing[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,2009,24(2):116-133.
[38] Markman G D,Baron R A,Balkin D B. Are perseverance and self-efficacy costless? Assessing entrepreneurs’regretful thinking.[J]. Journal of Organizational Behavior,2005,26(1):01-19.
[39] Kasouf C J,Morrish S C,Miles M P. The moderating role of explanatory style between experience and entrepreneurial self-efficacy[J]. International Entrepreneurship&Management Journal,2015,11(1):01-17.
[40] Gist M E. Self-efficacy:Implications for organizational behavior and human resource management[J]. Academy of Management Review,1987,12(3):472-485.
[41] Karlsson T,Moberg K. Improving perceived entrepreneurial abilities through education:Exploratory testing of an entrepreneurial self efficacy scale in a pre-post setting[J]. International Journal of Management Education,2013,11(1):01-11.
[42] Engel Y,Dimitrova N G,Khapova S N,et al. Uncertain but able:Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and novices? use of expert decision-logic under uncertainty[J]. Journal of Business Venturing Insights,2014,1-2(1):12-17.
[43] Cardon M S,Wincent J,Singh J,et al. The nature and experience of entrepreneurial passion[J]. Academy of Management Review,2009,34(3):511-532.
[44] Cardon M S,Gregoire D A,Stevens C E,et al. Measuring entrepreneurial passion:Conceptual foundations and scale validation[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,2013,28(3):373-396.
[45] Podsakoff P M,Organ D W. Self-reports in organizational research:Problems and prospects[J]. Journal of Management,1986,12(4):531-544.
[46] Podsakoff P M,Mackenzie S B,Lee J Y,et al. Common method biases in behavioral research:A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies[J]. Journal of Applied Psychology,2003,88(5):879-903.
[47] Chandler G N,Detienne D R,Mckelvie A,et al. Causation and effectuation processes:A validation study[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,2011,26(3):375-390.
[48] Howardson G N. I think I can,but why? The relative importance of pre-training self-efficacy sources[J]. International Journal of Training&Development,2015,19(3).
[49] Cardon M S,Gregoire D A,Stevens C E,et al. Measuring entrepreneurial passion:Conceptual foundations and scale validation[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,2013,28(3):373-396.
[50] Chen G,Gully S M,Eden D. Validation of a new general self-efficacy scale[J]. Organizational Research Methods,2001,4(1):62-83.
[51] Fornell C,Larcker D F. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error[J]. Journal of Marketing Research,1981,18(1):39-50.
[52]温忠麟,张雷,侯杰泰,等.中介效应检验程序及其应用[J].心理学报,2004,36(5):614-620.Wen Zhonglin,Zhang Lei,Hou Jietai,et al. Testing and application of the mediating effects[J]. Acta Psychologica Sinica,2004,36(5):614-620.
[53] Dew N,Read S,Sarasvathy S,et al. Effectual versus predictive logics in entrepreneurial decision-making:Differences between experts and novices[J]. Journal of Business Venturing,2009,24(4):287-309.
[54] Shane S,Locke E A,Collins C J. Entrepreneurial motivation[J]. Human Resource Management Review,2004,13(2):257-279.
[55] Forbes D P. The effects of strategic decision making on entrepreneurial self-efficacy[J]. Entrepreneurship theory and practice,2005,29(5):599-626.