Bricolage Entrepreneurship, Effectuation and Youth Employability in a Resource Penurious Environment: The Case of University Graduates in the Bamenda Municipality.

Abstract:

This study examined the effects of entrepreneurial bricolage, effectuation, and experiential learning curriculum on graduate employability outcomes in the resource-constrained environment of the Bamenda Municipality, Cameroon. Despite the University of Bamenda graduating 6,471 students trained through experiential learning as "job creators rather than job seekers, youth unemployment among university graduates in urban centers remains as high as 74%. The study pursued three objectives: to assess the effect of entrepreneurial bricolage on self-employment, to investigate the effect of effectuation on vocational adaptiveness, and to evaluate the influence of experiential learning curriculum on venture willingness. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design, data were collected from 400 graduates of the University of Bamenda through a survey instrument. Stratified random sampling ensured representation across faculties and education levels. Logistic regression (Objective 1) revealed that entrepreneurial bricolage has a strong positive effect on self-employment (logit coefficient = 2.213, p < 0.01; marginal effect = 0.386), indicating that graduates engaging in bricolage are 39% more likely to achieve self-employment (Researcher's Survey, 2026). OLS regression (Objective 2) demonstrated that effectuation significantly predicts vocational adaptiveness (coefficient = 0.925, p < 0.01; R² = 0.831), explaining 83.1% of the variance in career flexibility. OLS regression (Objective 3) showed that experiential curriculum positively influences venture willingness (coefficient = 0.935, p < 0.01; R² = 0.715). However, a critical paradox emerged: despite high experiential curriculum exposure (mean = 0.74), venture willingness remains low (mean = 0.22), and vocational adaptiveness is also low (mean = 0.26), revealing an implementation gap where curriculum exposure does not automatically translate into psychological preparedness. The study contributes empirical evidence from a post-conflict Central African context, demonstrating the hierarchical relationship between effectuation (strategic level) and bricolage (tactical level). Policy implications suggest that the PTBA 2026 and the 2026 Finance Law must shift from causation-based entrepreneurship training to building bricolage capabilities and effectual reasoning skills, while addressing cognitive barriers such as risk aversion and low entrepreneurial self-efficacy.