Enacting effectuation in scarcity: a symbiotic model driven by bricolage and socio-cultural networks in Moroccan SME entrepreneurship

Purpose Effectuation theory (Sarasvathy, 2001) posits a control-oriented logic for entrepreneurial decision-making under uncertainty, yet its enactment in resource-scarce emerging economies remains underexplored, particularly through cultural and recombinative lenses. This study aims to address this gap by examining how Moroccan SME entrepreneurs in artisanal, agricultural and digital sectors navigate Knightian uncertainty via effectuation, moderated by socio-cultural networks and mediated by bricolage, to achieve hybrid effectuation-causation logics and sustained performance. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a qualitative multiple-case study of five established SMEs, the authors develop a symbiotic model exploring four theoretical propositions. These propositions examine how: (P1) effectuation enables adaptive decision-making through controllable means-based action in volatile contexts; (P2) collectivist networks (el-maârifa) shape the adoption and enactment of effectual principles; (P3) bricolage serves as the operational mechanism transforming bird-in-hand means into value; and (P4) entrepreneurs navigate venture lifecycles through dynamic hybrid logics blending effectual discovery with causal execution. Findings Thematic analysis reveals pervasive effectual principles – affordable loss and crazy quilt – enacted through trust-based recombinations (e.g. waste-to-innovation in ceramics and honey) and context-adaptive ambidexterity. This yields resilience amid pandemics, regulations and climatic risks. Research limitations/implications While the deep contextual insights are a core contribution, future research could test the transferability of this framework in other emerging economies. Practical implications Practically, it offers a roadmap for emerging-market entrepreneurs – “build on roots, recombine creatively” – legitimizing adaptive bootstrapping. Social implications The study highlights the role of collectivist networks (el-maârifa) in fostering trust-based recombinations and ethical hybridity, promoting collective stewardship and resilience in resource-scarce communities facing socio-economic and environmental challenges. Originality/value The authors contribute a context-specific theoretical framework: a symbiotic model integrating socio-cultural network embeddedness and ethical hybridity. This elaborates effectuation beyond individualism to collective stewardship in scarcity-driven settings.