EFFECTUATION AND CAUSATION DECISION MAKING LOGICS OF MANAGING UNCERTAINTY AND COMPETITIVENESS BY NIGERIAN RETAIL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS

Abstract

Uncertainty is a major dimension of business that alters business plans and courses of actions. Hence, this study primarily examined how entrepreneurs deal with uncertainty using both effectual and causal logics. The study design was cross-sectional while multistage sampling technique was used to collect primary data. These data were analysed using bivariate correlation and hierarchical regression techniques of SPSS version 23. The results of the correlation analysis showed that causation and three of the four sub-dimensions of effectuation had significant relation with competitiveness while pre-commitment did not. The analysis further showed that Nigerian retail entrepreneurs tended more towards causation and effectuation. The results from the hierarchical regression revealed that causation made the most unique impact on competitiveness and was closely followed by experimentation and flexibility. However, affordable loss and pre-commitment did not. This study contributed to knowledge by empirically showing that entrepreneurs will not always be more effectual oriented in all cases. It also confirmed that causation and effectuation should be seen as complementary and not exclusive strategies.