Cognitive Antecedents Research Articles

Enacting disruption: how entrepreneurial ventures innovate value propositions to increase the attractiveness of their technologies

PurposeEntrepreneurial ventures aspiring to disrupt existing market incumbents often use business-model innovation to increase the attractiveness of their offerings. A value proposition is the central element of a business model, and is critical for this purpose. However, how entrepreneurial ventures modify their value propositions to increase the attractiveness of their comparatively inferior offerings is not well understood. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the value proposition innovation (VPI) of aspiring disruptors.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a flexible pattern matching approach to ground the inductive findings in extant theory. The authors conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with managers from startups in the global electric vehicle industry.FindingsThe authors developed a framework, showing two factors, determinants and tactics, that play a key role in VPI connected by a continuous feedback loop. Directed by the determinants of cognitive antecedents, development drivers and realization capabilities, aspiring disruptors determine the scope, focus and priorities of various configuration and support tactics to enable and secure the success of their value proposition.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to theory by showing how cognitive antecedents, development drivers and capabilities determine VPI tactics to disrupt existing market incumbents, furthering the understanding of configuration tactics. The results have important implications for disruptive innovation theory, and entrepreneurship research and practice, as they offer an explanatory framework to analyze strategies of aspiring disruptors who increase the attractiveness of sustainable technologies, thereby accelerating their diffusion.

Explaining gender differences in crowdfunding contribution intentions

Crowdfunding represents digital fundraising channels that may enhance participation of females in project fundraising. The current study aims to analyze the gender differences in effects exerted by cognitive antecedents of financial contribution intentions (CCI) in the context of reward crowdfunding. Specifically, survey data was collected in Ghana, where crowdfunding is at its infancy, and where gender inequality is socially prevalent. Overall, 403 responses are included in the analysis. Data was analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM), while examining associations between variables in male and female samples separately. First, when using an equality of means test, we show that females exhibit significantly higher levels of CCI, perceived risk, homophily, and prosocial orientation, as well as significantly lower levels of self-efficacy. Second, when using a between-group analysis comparing unstandardized betas, we observe that: (1) self-efficacy has stronger effects on CCI in males; (2) homophily has stronger effects on CCI in females; (3) prosocial orientation's effect on CCI does not differ between genders; (4) a stronger effect of susceptibility to social influence on CCI in females is partially evident; and surprisingly, (5) perceived risk has a stronger negative effect on CCI in males. The results, possible explanations, and implications are then discussed.

The antecedent cognitions of brand love and its impact on brand loyalty: the moderating role of sustainability marketing

PurposeThis study aims to examine the moderating effect of sustainability marketing on brand loyalty of brands that advertise their sustainable development agenda goals. The study highlights the mediating effect of brand love having cognitive antecedents of brand authenticity, popularity and congruence with private and social self of the consumer.Design/methodology/approachA mall intercept survey was used to collect data from consumers who use brands that embrace sustainable marketing strategies. Only those brands were selected which are popular as well as advertise sustainable practices in their brand communication (mainstream and social media). The data was self-administered by trained research assistants, who gathered data from a sample of 350 respondents.FindingsThe findings revealed that the popularity and authenticity of a brand play an essential role in developing brand love and later influences brand loyalty behavior. A larger effect is seen on brand love when there is congruence of private and social self with the brand. The brand has even a stronger relationship with brand loyalty when moderated by sustainability marketing.Research limitations/implicationsBrand love has the potential for long-term influences, only if sustainability marketing is used as a backbone. Brand managers should target an authenticity-seeking segment of consumers, who once convinced can lead to repeat business and brand loyalty and reduce dissonance. As sustainability marketing provides multiple benefits, genuine branding strategies should be devised that amalgamate into a single message spun around sustainability concerns and connecting the ethos of authenticity, popularity and self-expression. Future research may take into consideration more categories than this study on clothing, and consumer goods, adopting a mixed-methods approach. Moreover, a range of potential antecedents of brand love can be determined along with potential outcomes when aligned with external efforts such as sustainability, corporate social responsibility and international investment.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating the moderating role of sustainability marketing on the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty and the mediating role of brand love between brand authenticity, popularity, social/private-self-expression and brand loyalty. It is also the first study documenting how sustainability marketing reinforces the brand loyalty for popular brands in developing countries like Pakistan. This study fills a research gap as it expands the existing literature on sustainability marketing and brand love that is generally focused on brand dimensions and not the brand communications and thus has not reached similar results.

Finding the sweet spot: Evaluating the role of structured idea-generation framework in generating high-quality new venture ideas

Previous research has predominantly focused on cognitive antecedents related to the quality of new venture ideas (NVIs), resulting in a notable gap in understanding the influence of structural elements on NVIs. Drawing upon activation theory, we examine how the structure of the idea-generation framework, a dimension of routinization, influences NVI outcomes. To investigate this relationship, we conduct two separate studies: the first involving a student sample and the second involving practicing entrepreneurs. Our findings demonstrate an inverse U-shaped relationship between the structure in the idea-generation framework and the quality/quantity of NVIs. These findings contribute to the understanding of the antecedents that shape NVIs.

Loyalty and well-being explain serial crowdfunding backing behavior: an empirical test of complementary theories

PurposeDespite the critical contribution of serial backers in advancing crowdfunding volumes, few studies have addressed the phenomenon of serial backing. Research on the motivations of backers suggests that cognitive antecedents influence pledging in crowdfunding projects according to the theory of planned behavior. However, intrinsic factors associated with different dimensions of well-being may also explain crowdfunding support. This study seeks to advance the understanding of drivers of serial backing by combining the theory of planned behavior and the theory of well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on survey data from 336 serial backers, complemented by objective data on the number of campaigns and amounts invested by backers from Headstart, the largest crowdfunding platform in Israel. The research model is tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings indicate that the well-being of serial backers mediates the impact of attitude, subjective norms and social norms on their loyalty. However, while loyalty can be explained by elements of both theories, it does not translate into actual serial backing behavior.Originality/valueThis study is the first to systematically explore serial backers' motivations in crowdfunding and the influence of these motivations on their actual behavior. It combines two previously separate theories, the theory of planned behavior and the theory of well-being.

Emily Is an Egg: An Example of a Narrative Analysis Approach to Identifying the Antecedents of Critical Language Teacher Cognition

This article presents a theoretically grounded methodological approach to investigate the interplay between language teacher cognition and critical language teacher identity development. To answer the question as to what social, cultural, historical, and political aspects lead teachers to position themselves as language teachers for social justice, positioning analysis (Bamberg, 1997) is used to identify the antecedents of a critical language teacher’s cognition in discourses vis-a-vis their development of critical consciousness. Positioning analysis can help us better understand critical language teacher cognition, their processes of becoming critical language teachers, and their development of critical language teacher identity and social positionings because it comprises not only the analysis of the content of a narrative, but also the interaction, as well as the social, cultural, political, and economic context in which such a narrative is constructed. To account for the long-term aspects of critical language teacher cognition, the analysis focuses on the narratives from the period before formal teacher training and how teachers position themselves and others within the story world, the storytelling world, and amidst dominant discourses. Followed by its report, I address a key pedagogical implication for the development of critical language teachers.

Workplace ostracism as an antecedent to workplace envy: the mediating roles of metacognitive resources and dimensions of social perception

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to explore novel antecedents to workplace envy. The authors explore the role of workplace ostracism (WO) as a contextual antecedent in triggering envy, as well as the mediating effects of metacognitive resources (MR) and dimensions of social perception (DSP) as cognitive antecedents. The authors integrate affective events theory, social comparison theory and schema theory to develop their arguments.Design/methodology/approachUsing the survey approach, the authors recruited 490 professionals employed in Egypt and validated the proposed model and hypotheses in structural equation modelling (SEM).FindingsThe results show a significant relationship between WO and workplace envy. Additionally, metacognitive experiences (MEs) and warmth mediate the relationship among them.Originality/valueBy addressing how WO is a predictor of envy, this study is among the few to consider social-related events as predictors of envy. Additionally, the study is one of the first that has extended affective events theory to explore the role of an individual's cognition in generating envy.

Investigating Students' Satisfaction with Online Collaborative Learning During the COVID-19 Period: An Expectation-Confirmation Model.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 posed discontinuous disruption to traditional learning modes worldwide. In order to keep social distance, online collaborative learning has become a necessity during the pandemic. However, our understanding of students' well-being and satisfaction with online collaborative learning is limited, especially during the COVID-19 period. Leveraging expectation confirmation theory, this study focuses on the triggers and inhibitors of students' cognitive load during online collaborative learning process and their subsequent satisfaction with the learning mode during the pandemic. We used a mixed-method approach in this study. We conducted a qualitative study with interview data and a quantitative study with surveys. The results indicate several psychological and cognitive antecedents of students' cognitive load during online collaborative learning. Findings also indicate that a high level of cognitive load will decrease students' perceived usefulness of the online learning platform and expectation confirmation, thus leading to a low level of satisfaction with online collaborative learning. This study can provide theoretical and practical implications for a better understanding of online student groups' satisfaction with online collaborative learning during the COVID-19 period.

Executive function and the continued influence of misinformation: A latent-variable analysis.

Misinformation can continue to influence reasoning after correction; this is known as the continued influence effect (CIE). Theoretical accounts of the CIE suggest failure of two cognitive processes to be causal, namely memory updating and suppression of misinformation reliance. Both processes can also be conceptualised as subcomponents of contemporary executive function (EF) models; specifically, working-memory updating and prepotent-response inhibition. EF may thus predict susceptibility to the CIE. The current study investigated whether individual differences in EF could predict individual differences in CIE susceptibility. Participants completed several measures of EF subcomponents, including those of updating and inhibition, as well as set shifting, and a standard CIE task. The relationship between EF and CIE was then assessed using a correlation analysis of the EF and CIE measures, as well as structural equation modelling of the EF-subcomponent latent variable and CIE latent variable. Results showed that EF can predict susceptibility to the CIE, especially the factor of working-memory updating. These results further our understanding of the CIE's cognitive antecedents and provide potential directions for real-world CIE intervention.

How do institutional environment and entrepreneurial cognition drive female and male entrepreneurship from a configuration perspective?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the gender differences in entrepreneurship driven by configurations of institutional environment and entrepreneurial cognition, and provide theoretical guidance and practical reference for promoting female and male entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachBased on a configuration perspective, six antecedents of institutional environment and entrepreneurial cognition are integrated to explore multiple concurrent factors and causally complex relationships affecting female and male entrepreneurship.FindingsThis study indicates that the configurations of institutional environment and entrepreneurial cognition can achieve high female and male entrepreneurship. There are similarities and differences between female and male entrepreneurship from a configuration perspective. Perceived opportunity plays an important role in entrepreneurship for both women and men, and the absence of fear of failure is also important for male entrepreneurship. There is a complementary effect among entrepreneurial cognitions in the absence of institutional environment. In the configurations of institutional environment and entrepreneurial cognition, female entrepreneurship benefits more from informal institutions, whereas regulative and cognitive institutions play a greater role in male entrepreneurship.Practical implicationsPolicymakers and individuals should take a holistic and complex view of the impact of institutional environment and entrepreneurial cognition, and differentiated measures should be taken for female and male entrepreneurship.Originality/valueThis research responds to the call for multilevel transnational entrepreneurship research, enriches research on institutional environment and entrepreneurial cognition, deepens the application of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to the field of entrepreneurship and strengthens the understanding of the similarities, differences and complexities of female and male entrepreneurship.

Who wants to be an entrepreneur in the Balkans? From perceptions and beliefs to intentions

PurposeThis paper uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) among students from different South-East (SE) European countries, considering various personal and situational variables. The authors examine how the regional cultural context affects individual perceptions and beliefs about entrepreneurship, which in turn form the basis of the cognitive antecedents of the TPB model.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 850 respondents, the authors estimate a two-level model, addressing the issue of endogeneity in the relationship between attitudes and beliefs and the respondents' EI. Specifically, the authors focus on heterogeneity across nations in attitudes toward entrepreneurial behavior (ATEB), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC).FindingsThe results show that the perceived behavioral control and the attitude toward entrepreneurial behavior are the main determinants of Balkan students' EI. The authors find that the role of SE European culture in entrepreneurship intentions does not follow the Western pattern. In this particular regional environment dominated by collectivist culture, students' EIs are influenced more by cooperation, caring for others and other non-monetary benefits.Research limitations/implicationsLike any study, this study has limitations. First, all the variables were measured using a single questionnaire. Although common method bias was shown not to be an issue, in future research different variables should be measured with different methods. For instance, using the items by Liñán and Chen (2009) which were developed in the United States of America, to measure SE European students' entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control might ignore some requisite resources or abilities typical for SE European students, such as personal relational network (similar to the notion of guanxi in China (see, e.g. Hwang et al., 2009). Second, Busenitz et al. (2000) indicate that cross-national differences in entrepreneurship are best explained by a broader set of institutions, i.e. educational and governmental support agencies. In general, the empirical evidence on the relationship between national culture and entrepreneurial behavior is mixed and this is generally agreed that an important issue that needs to be considered is the interactions between cultural values, social institutions, industry characteristics and outcomes such as entrepreneurship (Hayton et al., 2002). In the future, similar studies could include respondents with a larger dispersion of prior education, age, and human, social and financial capital.Practical implicationsThe existence of support received in the family environment and the lack of individualistic and competitive aspirations create a more favorable environment for a young person to become entrepreneur. This must be taken seriously into account by educators and policy makers aiming at encouraging entrepreneurship, because in the societies studied here the motivation of prospective entrepreneurs depends on totally different drivers than those usually encountered in the Western world. Furthermore, from a gender perspective, the authors' study suggests that in societies with stronger family ties and more gender discrimination, an individual's closer social environment may not create the appropriate context for women to decide to become entrepreneurs.Social implicationsA strong hierarchical culture in a society goes against the intention of becoming an entrepreneur. That is, when people accept that social mobility is low and, thus, reversing people's relative positions in the society is unlikely, people are less prone to becoming entrepreneurs. In Western societies, where collectivism is low, the contrary holds. In the societies considered here, where family and social links are strong, entrepreneurship is considered to be a rather safer option, which is encouraged by non-individualistic values and is negatively associated with aggressive competitiveness. In those societies, formal institutions such as the government and the educational sector could play an important role to support prospective female entrepreneurs (Borges et al., 2021).Originality/valueThe motivation of prospective entrepreneurs in SE European countries depends on totally different drivers than those usually encountered in the Western world.

Cognitive adaptability’s impact on entrepreneurial intent: The mediating roles of entrepreneurial passion and efficacy

Entrepreneurial intent is central to understanding the psychology behind starting new ventures. However, there is limited knowledge of its cognitive antecedents. We integrate insights from entrepreneurship and cognitive psychology research to illustrate the role of cognitive adaptability in predicting individuals’ likelihood of business venturing. In addition, we explain the mechanism underlying this relationship by outlining the role of entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. We employ structural equation modeling to test our predictions. Results based on primary data from 182 respondents support our theorizing. Our findings contribute to understanding the entrepreneurial mindset. We conclude by offering future research suggestions and outlining the practical implications of our findings.

TMT transactive memory system and business model design: the moderating effect of strategic orientation

PurposeTop management team (TMT) serves as the critical designer of a firm’s business model, whose cognition exerts key influence on business model design (BMD). Drawing insights from the managerial cognition and knowledge-based views, this paper aims to examine the effect of TMT transactive memory system on BMD and investigate how the relationship between TMT transactive memory system and BMD is contingent upon the firm’s strategic orientation.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data collected from 210 Chinese firms was used to test the research hypotheses through multivariate regression analysis.FindingsThis paper reveals that TMT transactive memory system facilitates novelty- and efficiency-centered BMD. Furthermore, both differentiation orientation and cost leadership orientation can strengthen the effect of TMT transactive memory system on novelty-centered BMD; the impact of TMT transactive memory system on efficiency-centered BMD is weakened by differentiation orientation but strengthened by cost leadership orientation.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the business model literature by unraveling the effect of TMT transactive memory system on BMD, which not only enriches the internal cognitive antecedents of BMD but also provides an in-depth understanding of how TMTs can use their knowledge structure to proactively design a certain business model. Moreover, this paper also offers insights into how TMTs can better use transactive memory system to design business models according to the specific strategic orientation.

Microfoundations of Adaptive Search in Complex Tasks: The Role of Cognitive Abilities and Styles

Problem-solving in complex environments requires a cognitively demanding search for task solutions. Managing this search process presents a major challenge in organizations. We contribute to the literature on this topic by providing new evidence on the cognitive antecedents that shape how individuals search when engaged in complex problem-solving tasks. We present results from three laboratory studies, wherein 335 individuals solved a complex task. In doing so, they generated behavioral data coupled with survey-based measurements of the individuals’ cognitive styles and performance-based tests of their cognitive abilities. Our data analysis contributes to the current literature by documenting systematic heterogeneity in the persistence and distance of search that can be explained by the participants’ level of creativity, attention to detail, and executive functions. We extend the research on the microfoundations of adaptive search by linking cognitive antecedents with a complex search task, widening our insight into what search behavior certain cognitive microfoundations lead to, and showing how managers can more effectively shape organizational search. History: This paper has been accepted for the Organization Science Special Issue on Experiments in Organizational Theory. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1654 .

Examining cognitive determinants of planning future routine events: a pilot study in school-age Italian children (Análisis de los determinantes cognitivos de la planificación de eventos de rutina futuros: un estudio piloto con niños italianos en edad escolar)

ABSTRACT Previous research addressed the cognitive antecedents of children’s ability to plan future routine events mainly in terms of executive functioning. Additionally, most studies assessed planning through ‘high structure’ tools (e.g., the Tower of London), whereas little research employed ecological ‘low structure’ paper-pencil tasks, such as the Key Search Task (KST). The primary aim of the current research was to investigate, in a sample of 45 Italian school-age children (meanage = 5.08; SD = 0.80; rangeage = 5–8 years), the role of fluid intelligence (Gf), core executive functions — CEFs (working memory, inhibition and shifting), as well as their interactions in planning performance, using the KST. Results revealed that Gf was the main predictor of planning, whereas only inhibition moderated the Gf-planning link. These findings suggested that better competencies in inhibition promote children’s ability to reason and solve problems requiring systematic and ecological plans of action. Implications and limits were also considered.

Microfoundations of sensing capabilities: From managerial cognition to team behavior

Scanning the environment for information about competitors, technology trends, or customer needs allows firms to sense opportunities and threats, which supports dynamic capabilities and helps firms remain competitive over time. There has been significant theoretical development on the cognitive antecedents of dynamic capabilities—so-called dynamic managerial capabilities. In this study, I propose a novel mechanism through which managerial cognition can scale to a collective level in support of sensing capabilities and consider how organizational design may influence this relationship. Specifically, I posit that high-construal managers engage in more environmental scanning than low-construal managers do, because their mental horizons are broader and encompass further alternatives, and that over time their behavior is modeled by their team. I also suggest that managers’ degree of task-related interdependence with peer managers across the firm influences the direction of this relationship, with low interdependence reversing it. I find support for my theory using multiple-source, time-lagged data gathered from 88 managers and their team, thereby offering key implications for theory and practice.

Negative Attributions as a Source of Vulnerability for trauma-related Shame and PTSD Symptoms

Shame is a common trauma response that is associated with the development and maintenance of PTSD. Phenomenological descriptions of shame indicate that shame arises from internal, stable and global causal attributions (negative attributions) for the precipitating event. The current study investigated whether negative attributions would be associated with higher levels of shame and PTSD, and whether shame would mediate the relationship between causal attributions and PTSD. As negative attributions may reflect a common transdiagnostic process in both depression and PTSD, it also examined whether depression would moderate this relationship. Eighty-seven participants meeting criteria for a Criterion A stressor were administered a structured PTSD diagnostic interview and a series of self-report measures. Findings indicate that shame mediated the relationship between internal, stable and global trauma-related causal attributions and PTSD symptoms. Further, depression did not moderate this relationship, indicating that negative causal attributions are associated with shame and PTSD independent of depression. Results provide empirical support for the cognitive concomitants of trauma-related shame, which raise the possibility that addressing negative attributions through cognitive therapeutic methods may be pertinent in reducing trauma-related shame. Future prospective data is needed to establish cognitive antecedents to shame.

Cognitive antecedents of EMNEs’ dynamic capabilities: A case study of global identity at Lenovo

From a cognitive perspective, we examine how global identity facilitates the development of dynamic capabilities during EMNEs’ internationalization. Triangulating multiple sources of data during 1984–2021, we conduct an intensive case study of Lenovo to address this question. First, we present an evolutionary shift from local to global identity at Lenovo through its claims and images. Second, we find three cognitive components of organizational global identity: diverse human capital, global vision, and agility thinking. The cognitive components of global identity are the building blocks for the construction of the micro-processes of dynamic capabilities in sensing, seizing, and transforming at Lenovo. This research extends our understanding of EMNEs’ internationalization and dynamic capabilities from a cognitive perspective. The findings offer insights about how global identity orchestrates EMNEs’ cognition to enhance their capabilities during internationalization.

Failure of crisis leadership in a global pandemic: some reflections on COVID-19 and future recommendations

PurposeBeing a novel public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic presented world leaders with difficult options and some serious dilemmas that must somehow be negotiated. Whilst these leaders had limited knowledge about the coronavirus and how the pandemic would potentially evolve, they were still expected to make high-staked judgements amidst a range of uncertainties. The purpose of this paper is to explore the response strategies used by various world leaders from the perspective of crisis leadership within the public health domain.Design/methodology/approachSecondary data was collected from research papers, policy reports and credible media outlets to examine the construct of crisis leadership within the context of the global pandemic.FindingsThe paper identified three cognitive antecedents to the COVID-19 crisis leadership failures, which helped to explain why certain policy decisions were successful and why others were less so. On this basis, a clear dichotomy was drawn between highly rated leaders and their less successful counterparts in relation to the management and governance of the coronavirus pandemic.Originality/valueThe uniqueness of this paper lies in its psycho-political approach, which offered insights into the cognitive undertones that underpin the three leadership failures that emerged from the distinct approaches used by world leaders to prepare for, respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The practical recommendations proposed in this paper are hoped to aid better decision-making for leaders faced with the task of managing future public health crises.

Effects of a web-based HPV vaccination intervention on cognitive outcomes among young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

ABSTRACT Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs are important antecedents to HPV vaccination, yet remain suboptimal among young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YGBMSM). We report the effects of a theoretically-informed, web-based HPV vaccination intervention on these cognitive outcomes. From 2019–2021, we recruited a national sample of YGBMSM ages 18–25 in the United States who were unvaccinated against HPV (n = 1,227). Participants received either standard HPV vaccination information online (control) or population-targeted, individually-tailored content online (Outsmart HPV intervention). Mixed effects models determined if pre-post changes in cognitive outcomes differed between study groups. For five of seven knowledge items about HPV, there were larger pre-post increases among the intervention group than the control group in the percentage of participants who provided correct responses (all statistically significant at p = .05 after Holm’s correction). There were also larger pre-post improvements among the intervention group than the control group for most attitudes and beliefs examined, including response efficacy of HPV vaccine (pre-post increases in means: 0.57 vs. 0.38); self-efficacy for the HPV vaccination process (pre-post increases in means: 0.23 vs. 0.10); and intention to get HPV vaccine (pre-post increases in means: 0.70 vs. 0.28) (all statistically significant at p = .05 after Holm’s correction). Outsmart HPV is a promising tool for improving key cognitive antecedents to HPV vaccination among YGBMSM, supporting the use of theoretically-informed interventions to affect such outcomes. If efficacious in increasing HPV vaccine uptake in future analyses, this intervention could be utilized in clinical and other healthcare settings that provide services to YGBMSM.