11th Effectuation Conference
November 15 - November 17

Effectuation theory and practice continue to inspire a global community of researchers, educators, and practitioners who study, teach, practice, and support entrepreneurship under uncertainty. Building on ten years of lively and highly interactive gatherings, we invite you to join us for the 11th Effectuation Conference on November 15-17, 2026, hosted by the University of Antwerp (Antwerp, Belgium) and co-branded with ECSB.

As we mark a quarter-century since Saras Sarasvathy’s Academy of Management Review article “Effectuation and Causation,” this year’s conference theme is:

“Effectuation: The Next 25 Years”

The theme is intended less to constrain what participants submit and more to orient keynote and plenary conversations—and to provide shared prompts for pod discussions—as we take stock of the past 25 years of scholarship, pedagogy, and application and consider where effectuation can go next. Among others, we will explore questions such as:

• What are the most important open research questions for effectuation research over the next 25 years?
• Where should effectuation theory expand, sharpen its boundaries, or integrate with other perspectives in entrepreneurship scholarship—and where should it remain distinct?
• What new settings (ecosystems, corporations, the public sector, NGOs, …) require new constructs or principles—and which core ideas travel well?
• Where do effectuation and other pedagogies overlap, complement, or contradict (e.g., design thinking, lean startup, the business model canvas, discovery vs. creation, …)?
• How can we better connect effectuation scholarship on interaction and stakeholder commitments with practical approaches that entrepreneurs—and educators—can actually use?
• What is the role of effectuation in public policy, entrepreneurship support, and ecosystem development—what can it realistically deliver?
• How does effectuation operate inside established organizations (intrapreneurship, innovation units, public agencies), and what changes when commitments are bureaucratic or political?

Co-branded with ECSB and scheduled in tandem with the RENT Conference, the 2026 Effectuation Conference will take place in Antwerp, Belgium.

In the tradition of Effectuation Conference in past years, the format will offer plenary sessions as well as small group research and practice “pods” where your submissions can be developed into full-fledged research articles and teaching materials. We will, of course, also enjoy the “effectual” dinner and debrief.

More information:  https://effectuation.org/2026-effectuation-conference