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Unsticking the rationality stalemate: Motivated reasoning, reality, and irrationality

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  • Kurdoglu, Rasim Serdar
  • Lerner, Daniel
  • Ates, Nufer Yasin

Abstract

Rationality is an elusive and increasingly debated concept in entrepreneurship research. We offer a novel conceptualization of rationality based on reasoning motivations. We posit that logical, probabilistic, and heuristic reasoning logics are motivationally rational because the decision-maker attempts to accurately perceive the external world and problem-solve (even if rapidly and approximately). By contrast, when the reasoning ignores an assessment of reality and accuracy in problem-solving and instead is deluded by psychological (e.g., hedonic) urges that prompt self-serving inferences, we categorize such decisions as motivationally irrational. We develop a theoretical account for how motivational irrationality is adaptive under extreme uncertainty as it enables entrepreneurs to dare action when even heuristic reasoning is inconclusive or entirely ineffective.

Suggested Citation

  • Kurdoglu, Rasim Serdar & Lerner, Daniel & Ates, Nufer Yasin, 2022. "Unsticking the rationality stalemate: Motivated reasoning, reality, and irrationality," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobuve:v:18:y:2022:i:c:s2352673422000348
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2022.e00336
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