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This paper investigates how various emergent theoretical perspectives in entrepreneurship research, representing diverse decision-making logics, influence firm growth and evolution. It explores the interaction among decision-making logics, including experimentation, affordable loss, flexibility and pre-commitment as components of effectuation, alongside causation and bricolage and their synergistic effects on firm growth.

This study uses a multi-phase, discovery-oriented approach. Initially, insights from existing literature on decision-making logic were combined with in-depth interviews with 10 Iranian entrepreneurs within the food sector. This phase used alternative template research to evaluate the principles of effectuation, causation and bricolage within case study data depicting firm growth. Subsequently, a self-administered survey was developed based on these insights and distributed to 205 entrepreneurs in Iran. The survey data was analysed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify key factors and pathways influencing firm growth.

Using a discovery-oriented approach, this study formulates a comprehensive framework detailing decision-making logics that influence firm growth. Through fsQCA, 12 distinct paths are identified, highlighting the complex interplay of causation, effectuation and bricolage in high-growth firms within the food sector.

This study has limitations. FsQCA identifies only logically sufficient combinations, suggesting potential for exploring alternative pathways in future research. Given COVID-19’s impact on the food sector, examining decision-making logic across diverse contexts and industries is advisable. Additionally, exploring how bricolage, causation and effectuation affect outcomes like new product development and innovation is essential in a growth-focused context. It is also important to consider environmental and organizational factors influencing growth.

This paper pioneers the examination of emerging theoretical paradigms in entrepreneurship and their impact on firm growth. It identifies critical configurations of causation, effectuation and bricolage, providing actionable insights for navigating dynamic business environments.

This paper evaluates intellectual capital (IC) within entrepreneurial environments, towards conceptualising the sequential role of education, its institutions in practice, and wider ecosystems. Well-established attributes of entrepreneurialism, such as idea generation, problem-solving, market expertise and risk awareness are commensurate to that of expected IC practices within enterprising organisations. However, scarce research has been undertaken concerning the confronting of IC practices and activities across collaborative, and sequential, multistakeholder partnerships and activities. This includes alignment to distinct stages of developmental entrepreneurialism inclusive of education and ecosystem support: knowledge exchange and training; mentoring the emergence of the start-up; strategically timing scale-ups; and continued navigation within networks while enduring change.

An integrative review of the relationship between IC, entrepreneurs and new ventures is undertaken to evaluate developmental IC practices as per this paper’s highlighted sequential stages, within entrepreneurial environments and organisational contexts.

Significant roles and responsibilities are evident among collaborative sectors, benefitting the entrepreneurial process and heightening the importance and emergence of IC within entrepreneurial environments. Exposure to enterprise-specific education and support emphasises the developmental human capital process of progressing and protecting ideas and ventures. Latterly, ecosystem engagement leads to consistent intrapreneurialism amongst employees and new venture partners, influencing structured IC systems and enterprising cultures and relational aspects of responsive branding of commercial activity and increased market agility.

Through presenting an attribute-based framework, this paper conceptualises sequential multistakeholder intervention of IC practices and organisational considerations within institutions, as well as guiding the developmental role of education in emboldening individuals and organisations through building IC and evidencing entrepreneurial thinking.

Religion and spirituality (R/S) are recognized components of recovery-oriented mental health services. This study aims to present a clinically focused tool for assessing R/S interest among veterans with serious mental illness (SMI).

A questionnaire including 39 items was developed by experienced chaplains and mental health clinicians and administered to modest pilot sample of 110 participants in a recovery-oriented program at a medical center of the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Altogether 40 (37%) participants said they would like R/S issues to be a greater part of their treatment (i.e. very or extremely). A screening tool to identify veterans for referral to R/S focused interventions was developed based on the selection of the five items most strongly loading on the strongest factor in a factor analysis.

First, the identification of items for the survey was made on the basis of clinical experience with issues discussed by veterans in a VA recovery-oriented program and thus are based on clinician experience and their association with a stated desire for more R/S in their treatment. Since no gold-standard measure of “religion/spirituality” has been universally established and validated, this method, though imperfect, was accepted as practical and as having face validity. Furthermore, the sample size, while substantial, was limited and was not representative of the general population. Again, this was a pilot study of a unique effort to identify R/S issues of greatest relevance in a recovery program for people with SMI.

In this SMI sample, 36% of the participants said that they would like more R/S to be incorporated into their treatment. Factor analysis showed the desire for uplifting religious/spiritual community to be the predominant factor and formed the basis for a five-item screening tool that can be used to briefly identify services needs in this area of recovery.

This screening tool can help incorporate religious and spiritual issues into mental health treatment, and area of importance that is often neglected. The results could help destigmatize this area of recovery practice for people with SMI.

This R/S survey of SMI adults suggests that over one-third of the participants in a pilot sample in a recovery-oriented program would like more R/S emphasis in their treatment. Factor analysis showed the desire for uplifting religious/spiritual community to be the predominant factor.