Entrepreneurial decision-making and behavior under radical uncertainty : boundaries and boundlessness of diving into the unknown

Abstract

This editorial introduces radical uncertainty as a multifaceted phenomenon in entrepreneurship that extends beyond traditional risk- uncertainty distinctions. Radical uncertainty involves unpredictable outcomes with epistemic gaps beyond knowable out comes that challenge conventional decision- making models. This Special Issue presents 13 papers examining how entrepreneurs navigate this type of uncertainty through cognitive mechanisms, relational processes, and value- driven strategies. The contributions reveal radical uncertainty as ontological, epistemic, relational, and identity based. As a result, we propose an integrative model that connects the nature of uncertainty to navigation mechanisms and consequential entrepreneurial outcomes. In this way, the papers in the Special Issue advance our understanding of resilience, adaptation, and purpose- driven action to cope with radical uncertainty.