Does effectuation apply across cultures? A study amongst entrepreneurs in Kuwait

This exploratory study is aimed at examining the entrepreneurial process in the light of the cultural attributes of Kuwaiti society, using Effectuation theory as the epistemological background. The research question is centred on whether or not the principles of effectuation hold in the cultural context of Kuwait. A qualitative research methodology was followed with the analysis of the interviews using the “Nvivo” Qualitative Analysis Software. From a sample of 13 entrepreneurs, the findings show that, in the main, entrepreneurs favour an effectual approach in the setting up of new ventures. The results also suggest that some cultural dimensions inherent to the Kuwaiti culture, such as high uncertainty avoidance, are not a hindrance to the effectuation theory attributes of non-predictive control, affordable loss, partnerships and leveraging contingencies, as would be expected from the cultural profile of the society. Finally, it can be concluded that the dichotomy between effectuation and causation needs to be further researched taking into account not only cultural variables, but also variables of a social and economic nature. This study is unique in the sense that it brings together two variables that have been kept apart, effectuation and culture. It is also carried out in a geographical location where this type of research is very sparse.