Constructive Risk-Taking: An Organizational Capability Theory for Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Sustainable Economic Growth

Abstract Organizations increasingly operate within entrepreneurial ecosystems characterized by technological disruption, institutional complexity, and persistent uncertainty, making the capability to respond constructively to uncertainty a critical determinant of sustainable economic growth. Although risk-taking has been extensively examined across entrepreneurship, strategic management, organizational behaviour, and strategic human resource management, existing scholarship largely conceptualizes it as an individual disposition, a strategic posture, or a dimension of entrepreneurial orientation. As a result, limited theoretical attention has been devoted to understanding how organizations systematically develop capabilities that transform uncertainty into sustained innovation and long-term value creation. Addressing this gap, the present study develops Constructive Risk-Taking (CRT) as a novel organizational capability theory that integrates insights from entrepreneurship, dynamic capability theory, organizational learning, strategic human resource management, and entrepreneurial ecosystem research. Rather than viewing risk-taking as an isolated behavioural tendency, the proposed perspective conceptualizes it as an institutionalized organizational capability embedded in leadership, governance, learning systems, organizational culture, and ecosystem interactions. Building on this theoretical foundation, the paper introduces the CREATE Organizational Capability Model , which explains how organizations recognize opportunities, evaluate uncertainty responsibly, experiment systematically, institutionalize learning, strengthen adaptive capability, and generate enduring value. The study further develops an integrated conceptual framework and six research propositions that provide a foundation for future empirical validation and construct operationalization. By repositioning risk-taking from a behavioural orientation to a higher-order organizational capability, this paper contributes a coherent theoretical framework that advances entrepreneurship and management scholarship while offering practical insights for organizational leaders and policymakers seeking to foster innovation, resilience, and sustainable economic growth.