Open Innovation

9One Stage, Two Headliners

As you will have understood, effectuation and causation are two ways of thinking. It is not a question of considering them as antinomic, or contrary. They can’t even be said to be complementary. In fact, these two different ways of thinking are part of our behavioral toolbox. In the latter, there are probably many more. Since this book does not intend to list them all, like Prévert, I will ask the readers of these lines to consider that in the world of entrepreneurship, the notions of effectuation and causation ring true. So thank you to the very discerning reader for not resenting me for considering that the behavioral toolbox of the start-up protagonist and the business unit protagonist is limited to deploying an effectual and/or causal approach. I say “and or” because it is rather the circumstances that lead to the use of one or the other of these approaches whether you are an employee of a large group or a start-up. In short, you will have understood in one sentence that while I am prepared to characterize the fact that our behavior may be causal or effectual, I am not prepared to consider that each of us is limited to only one way of thinking, depending on our status as entrepreneurs or employees. If you are not yet convinced, then I invite you to read on. If you are already convinced of this, then my main task will be to give you some new and concrete examples in the context we are dealing with: the start-up/large group relationship. It’s not ...