Recreating something from everything: New product innovation through social construction of frugal resources

Abstract

This article examines an entrepreneur's creative reconstruction of resources in the face of disadvantages. Our case study identifies improvising behaviors that avert various constraints in order to achieve innovation. The entrepreneur creates novel solutions by constructing a diverse range of available resources at hand. Specifically, the findings explain three types of resource construction: resource transformation, resource leveraging and resource exchange. Theoretically, this study speaks to innovation and entrepreneurship literature, offering insights into how social construction of resources may provide new forms of bricolage. Practically, this paper examines how adversities could be turned into opportunities by means of reframing seemingly worthless resources.