Uncertainty, entrepreneurial orientation, and the pursuit of M&A: Managing the unpredictable

Uncertainty has long-been the subject of academic discussion and debate regarding organizational pursuits and the topic's growth in top business and management journals has seen increased substantially in recent years. In this article, we take up prior calls to provide clarity regarding uncertainty measurement in management research by developing and testing a CATA measure of uncertainty. We further clarify and compare the uncertaintyentrepreneurial orientation dynamic to explain why firms engage or focus on M&A activity vis-`a-vis their annual reports. We find support for an interaction between Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and uncertainty to explain firms' M&A Discourse. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Automated summary

This article discusses the importance of uncertainty measurement in management research and develops and tests a method for measuring uncertainty. Additionally, the article compares the dynamic between entrepreneurial orientation and uncertainty to explain why firms engage in or focus on M&A activity.