Achieving competitive advantage through bricolage: A small business perspective

Abstract

Abstract The entrepreneurial bricolage theory has been connected to a wide range of organizational phenomena, including innovation, firm performance, social entrepreneurship, and opportunity identification. Regrettably, research in this domain is yet to significantly heighten understanding of its connection to competitive advantage, which has been touted as the ultimate goal of any strategic business. This study reverses this trend by looking at the impact of entrepreneurial bricolage on competitive advantage as well as the mediating effect of resource orchestration capability in the relationship. Based on survey data administered to 413 small business enterprises (SBEs), structural equation modeling was used to analyze the results. Results show that entrepreneurial bricolage was significantly related to competitive advantage. Resource orchestration capability partially mediated the relationship between entrepreneurial bricolage and competitive advantage. A novel finding of this study documents resource orchestration capability and entrepreneurial bricolage as antecedents of competitive advantage, which has been missing in prior literature. The study concludes with theoretical and managerial implications and also proffers future research direction.