Skill bricolage among millennial entrepreneurs in post-Soviet Eurasia

Purpose This study explores how millennial entrepreneurs in post-Soviet Eurasia acquire entrepreneurial skills in response to institutional voids, cultural constraints and generational influences. Design/methodology/approach Based on qualitative data from 64 focus group participants and 20 follow-up interviews across Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan and Russia, the research uses a bricolage lens to examine how entrepreneurs construct context-sensitive skills. Findings The study reveals a distinction between opportunistic bricolage in EU-integrated contexts and compensatory bricolage in state-centric environments. Millennial entrepreneurs creatively combine generational orientations and digital dexterity with locally embedded relational practices to respond to institutional voids and regulatory opacity. These adaptive processes yield a context-sensitive skill set that transforms institutional constraints into strategic capabilities. Originality/value The study's primary contribution is the development of a conceptual model that categorises the outputs of skill bricolage into an E-D-I (Essential, Desirable, Instrumental) typology. This framework advances research on institutional entrepreneurship and generational theory by illustrating how the mechanism of bricolage enables adaptive skill acquisition in post-transitional economies.