The paper examines the use of bricolage by entrepreneurs as a strategy to generate resources in response to environmental threats and resource constraints. While conventional wisdom suggests that resource-constrained environments motivate entrepreneurs to use bricolage, some firms do not follow this pattern. By integrating regulatory fit theory, the study argues that the relationship between environmental threats and bricolage is influenced by entrepreneurs’ dispositional regulatory focus. A survey of 396 Taiwanese entrepreneurs reveals that a promotion focus is positively related to bricolage, whereas a prevention focus is negatively related. On the other hand, both regulatory foci weaken the effect of environmental threats on bricolage, implying that entrepreneurs’ regulatory focus can override environmental influences. Additionally, the study identifies gender differences in bricolage behavior and the role of promotion focus, contributing to regulatory fit theory and offering practical insights for entrepreneurs.
The study is published with an Open Access license agreement and can be accessed for free under the following link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/joms.13115
