Multidimensional cognitive style: Linking founders to firm performance through strategy and resource orchestration

This study investigates the role entrepreneurs' cognitive styles play in choice of opportunity approach strategy and resource orchestration behaviors, and how these relate to venture performance. Based on entrepreneurial cognition literature and current cognitive style framework, we use Upper Echelon Theory to postulate entrepreneurs with different cognitive styles align with different strategic approaches and resource orchestrations to exploit opportunities. In doing so, we adopt a three-dimensional conceptualization of cognitive style (knowing, planning, creating). We attempt to provide a nuanced depiction and explanation of the relationship between cognitive style and firm performance by taking into consideration different decision-making logics (causation and effectuation) as well as different approaches toward resource orchestration (bootstrapping and bricolage). Our findings confirm that implications and impact of firm founders' cognitive style manifests in different ways based, in part, on the application of both strategic approach logics and resources orchestration techniques.

Stephen E. Lanivich, Samuel Adomako, Mujtaba Ahsan, Baris Istipliler, Kevin C. Cox