Purpose

This study aims to respond to repeated calls for more process-focused research on effectual entrepreneurship. It illustrates how effectuation takes place, particularly through gaining the commitment of actors with diverse resources, knowledge and needs in a context characterized by power disparities. It illuminates the ethical concerns faced by effectual entrepreneurs and the impact these concerns could have on the service design.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative investigation involved in-depth interviews with 30 intercultural trainers-entrepreneurs delivering repatriation training in the context of international assignments. The authors supplemented primary data with the analysis of training and promotional materials.

Findings

The authors identify four key elements of the effectual process, in which entrepreneurs aim to elicit commitment while reconciling potentially conflicting demands of the actors involved: surfacing needs; value framing; co-creation; and joint affordable loss. The authors show how the acquisition of commitment has a consequential impact on subsequent steps of effectual entrepreneurship. The authors highlight how the interdependence of entrepreneurs, their services, clients and end-users impacts the availability of means and goals. More importantly, the authors also demonstrate how resource dependence, knowledge disparities and power imbalance between actors partaking in effectual entrepreneurship can lead to numerous ethical concerns and result in suboptimal service designs.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the dark side of effectual entrepreneurship in a resource-constrained environment. The authors show how power disparities and resource-dependence can lead to ethical dilemmas and inferior service designs, where entrepreneurs follow the lead of influential and resource-abundant stakeholders at the expense of the end-users.

中文翻译：

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有效的创业、道德和次优服务设计

目的

本研究旨在响应对有效创业进行更多以过程为中心的研究的反复呼吁。它说明了实现是如何发生的，特别是通过在以权力差距为特征的背景下获得具有不同资源、知识和需求的参与者的承诺。它阐明了有效企业家所面临的道德问题以及这些问题可能对服务设计产生的影响。

设计/方法/途径

定性调查涉及对 30 名在国际任务背景下提供遣返培训的跨文化培训师-企业家的深入访谈。作者通过对培训和宣传材料的分析补充了原始数据。

发现

作者确定了有效过程的四个关键要素，其中企业家的目标是在调和相关参与者的潜在冲突需求的同时引发承诺：提出需求；价值框架；共同创造；和共同负担得起的损失。作者展示了承诺的获得如何对有效创业的后续步骤产生相应的影响。作者强调了企业家、他们的服务、客户和最终用户之间的相互依存关系如何影响手段和目标的可用性。更重要的是，作者还论证了参与有效创业的参与者之间的资源依赖、知识差异和权力失衡如何导致众多道德问题并导致次优服务设计。

原创性/价值

这项研究展示了在资源受限的环境中有效创业的阴暗面。作者展示了权力差异和资源依赖如何导致道德困境和低劣的服务设计，其中企业家以牺牲最终用户为代价跟随有影响力和资源丰富的利益相关者的领导。