Effectuation, stalled: action learning and the Commitment Readiness Gap for creative entrepreneurs

Early-stage creative entrepreneurs (CEs) often bring strong skills and compelling visions, yet their ventures stall before building real momentum. This qualitative study followed six such entrepreneurs over a ten-week Action Reflection Learning (ARL) programme, using session recordings, artefacts, and journal notes, and analysed them thematically to explore how reflection is converted into actionable commitments. Participants were introduced to effectuation, a decision-making logic used by expert entrepreneurs, as practical heuristics for acting under uncertainty. Although effectuation is widely used to teach novice entrepreneurs, participants experienced multiple points of stall, revealing a Commitment Readiness Gap. The ARL programme helped bridge these stalls by providing structured interventions that made resources and goals visible, rehearsed stakeholder interactions, and supported small, actionable steps. In addition to introducing the Commitment Readiness Gap, this study adds a readiness layer to the effectuation model, offering insights and practical interventions to help entrepreneurs convert reflection into commitments under uncertainty.