从目标导向逻辑到手段导向逻辑——初创企业产品创新流程决策

A shift from effectuation process logic to causation process logic——A study of decision making in the product innovation process of startups

如何在资源约束条件下实现初创企业的产品创新一直是学界和商界关注的焦点。本文首先介绍了创业决策逻辑理论中的目标导向和手段导向的特征,通过案例分析分别探讨了锤子和小米两个初创企业产品创新流程决策,并以理论模型对比了两种决策理论在实践中的适用性和局限性。研究结果表明,锤子手机的研发过程体现了目标导向的特征,而小米手机的研发过程体现了手段导向的特征。本研究认为,创业更多是介于精密计划和非系统性试错之间,目标导向和手段导向逻辑的适用性取决于不确定情境下创业者战略决策的权变性,权变性影响了企业资源的整合和创业机会的识别;初创企业在发展早期比较适合采取目标导向逻辑进行决策,通过提高资源整合效率,能加快创业机会的识别,而手段导向的作用更多体现在产品创新后期,随着产品的约束性条件不断演化,创业者通过保持资源整合的柔性来持续识别新的创业机会,产品创新是外界环境各种约束性条件不断迭代而成的结果。

How to realize the product innovation of startups in the context of resource constraint has been the focus of academic and business concerns.In the field of traditional entrepreneurial strategy research,causation process logic has always been the mainstream view of many studies.It is based on an idea of predicting the future by emphasizing the search for certain corresponding means and methods under the established target and conditions.This paper attempts to propose a holistic theoretical framework,taking Smartisan mobile phone and MIUI mobile phone as corporate examples,considering the mechanism of innovation decision-making change in the different periods of startups under the condition of resource constraints,in order to provide policy implications for entrepreneurs to develop innovative strategies at different stages of development.In order to explore emerging entrepreneurial theories,this study analyzes the motivations,processes and outcomes of the product innovation process by using causation and effectuation-oriented logic theory,compares the decision-making motivations of different entrepreneurs in the process of product innovation,and demonstrates that startups are breaking through resources.How to identify,utilize,and develop innovative paths for entrepreneurial opportunities in a constrained environment.This paper will use a theoretically driven exploratory case study that meets the following requirements:First of all,the two cases selected in this study are entrepreneurs with relative popularity.Huge amount of media reports emerged in the entrepreneurial process,the product innovation development of Smartisan mobile phone and MIUI mobile phone provide certain reference value for mobile phone industry;Secondly,the mobile phone industry selected in this case is an industry with relatively high innovation speed in China,and it is also an industry in which entrepreneurs frequently identify entrepreneurial opportunities,hence this approach has certain practical significance.Third,the two entrepreneurs selected in this case started their product innovation process in a resource-constrained environment,reflecting the characteristics of the startups and meeting the theoretical conditions proposed in this study.This paper firstly illustrates the traits of effectuation process and causation process with entrepreneurial decision theory,then analyses the decision-making process of product innovation of startups MIUI and Smartisan through case study respectively,finally we apply conceptual model compares the limitations and applicability of the theory in business practice.The research results indicate Smartisan mobiles in RD reflects causation process while MIUI show effectuation process.This study suggests that startup product innovation decision generally chose elaborate schemes and unsystematic trials,the suitability of effectuation process and causation process depend on the contingency of strategic decision,which have an effect on resource-conformity and entrepreneurial opportunities identification.Early-stage startups tend to adopt causation process decision,entrepreneur identify entrepreneurial opportunities fast by continuous resource integration efficacy,while the effects of effectuation process manifest in the later stage of product innovation,startups keep the flexibility of resource integration to continually identify the entrepreneurial opportunities with evolution of product innovation’s converging constraints,product innovation is the result of various converging constraint,product innovation is the result of various converging constraints within environment.The case study method adopted in this paper belongs to qualitative research.Although the two case enterprises can reflect certain theoretical norms in their product innovation decision-making,they do not realize complete conceptual model and empirical research through scientific theoretical constructs and corresponding variables.Therefore,there is still insufficient logical argument in the theoretical construction framework.Based on this,we believe that future research can explore the innovation performance of enterprises within the framework of causation process logic and the effectuation process logic,or empirically study the influence of different enterprise development scale on their product innovation decision-making,and identify the key factors affecting product innovation decision-making then.Causation process logic is generally used in a market environment within low uncertainty,which provides exact guideline and unified direction for resource integration in the development process of enterprises at a lower cost in the early stage of entrepreneurship.This is the reason why Luo Yonghao can create Smartisan across industries in a short period of time,and it also leads to the lack of flexibility in identifying new opportunities in the later stages of product innovation,making it difficult to create new value.However,effectuation process logic believes that opportunity identification is the result of the evolution of various binding conditions in the process of development and stakeholder relationship,and finally the formation of synergy,emphasizing the actor’s control of external uncertainty.Under resource constraints,it is difficult for startups to obtain complete market information.In order to improve the survival rate of startups,entrepreneurs try to improve the efficiency of resource use,and expect to obtain market feedback and success in the short term.Fast flexibility y and learning ability means that entrepreneurs firmly control over the product innovation process.In MIUI’s case,the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities is closely related to resource integration.Learning ability and contingency go through all aspects from product design and development to production and sales.Lei Jun’s creative integration of enterprise and industry resources can be regarded as one of the business models exploration.The product innovation of many startups has become the'mediocre majority'because it is unable to balance the contingency between resource integration and opportunity identification in the development process.The contingency not only runs through the decision-making process of product innovation process,but also exists in different stages and scales of development of the enterprise.Therefore,it requires the decision-makers to combine the two decision-making methods of causation process logic and effectuation process logic.Effectuation process logic raises questions about the necessity of a product market.It suggests that entrepreneurial opportunities are generated by different actors’interaction processes,and the future is unpredictable.Only through continuous experimentation and control processes to deal with environmental uncertainty,therefore,the interaction between the external environment and entrepreneurs is particularly important.Market opportunities should be the result of the subjective construction of entrepreneurs stem from the external social and economic environment,and innovation decisions are derived from the accumulation of experience and entrepreneurs and associated with Their own industry experience and cognitive pattern.