Entrepreneurial cognition and artificial intelligence adoption – contingency role of innovation ecosystem resource mobilization and entrepreneurial bricolage

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the mechanisms by which firms operate. To better understand this integration, this study aimed to answer how entrepreneurs' belief systems and mental frameworks shape their intention to AI adoption, particularly within an ecosystem, where firms are characterized by bricolage. With a focus on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystem (i.e., a vanguard in embracing AI), we propose a rhetoric theoretical framework of entrepreneurial cognition, resource mobilization from the ecosystem, and bricolage. Grounded in the social cognitive theory, we investigate 236 firms operating in the ICT sector in Bangladesh using structural equation modeling. Key findings from our study evident the positive impact of entrepreneurial cognition on firms' inclination towards AI adoption. Intriguingly, this relationship is further strengthened when entrepreneurial cognition is coupled with the mobilization of resources within the ecosystem. In the context of an emerging economy like Bangladesh, the principle of bricolage also plays a crucial role in overcoming resource constraints through resourcefulness and creativity. The research concludes with implications for policymakers and suggestions for future studies.