Effectual tactics in digital intrapreneurship: A process model

Abstract

Uncertainty and the pursuit of new ventures are intricately linked. Digital technologies open up new ways for uncertainty handling in the pursuit of novelty. In this paper, we develop a process model that traces the dynamics among uncertainty, digitally enabled tactics, and organizational novelty. The model points to the potential of technologies that are evocative, disposable, and responsive for venturing in complex, uncertainty-ridden contexts. Our research builds on extant conceptualizations of complexity in innovation journeys, in conjunction with perspectives on effectual entrepreneurial tactics. Empirically, we investigate uncertainty handling through a longitudinal case study on an in-house venture for the introduction of novel electronic services for patients in a major university hospital. Our research provides insight into the processes through which intrapreneurs handle uncertainty by leveraging the potential of digital technologies. The paper offers theoretical implications for the digital intrapreneurship literature.