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New Perspectives on Firm Growth
This insightful volume presents a collection of innovative works by two of the leading researchers of firm growth.
The studies extend previous research by providing stronger theoretical underpinnings and using longitudinal databases that can separate in time the firms’ growth from its presumed causes. They also break new ground by examining different modes of growth, such as sales growth vs. employment growth, and organic growth vs. acquisition-based expansion. Further, the studies investigate the drivers of firm growth and take a critical look at the effects, such as under what circumstances high growth is associated with high profitability.
The studies extend previous research by providing stronger theoretical underpinnings and using longitudinal databases that can separate in time the firms’ growth from its presumed causes. They also break new ground by examining different modes of growth, such as sales growth vs. employment growth, and organic growth vs. acquisition-based expansion. Further, the studies investigate the drivers of firm growth and take a critical look at the effects, such as under what circumstances high growth is associated with high profitability.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
This insightful volume presents a collection of innovative works by two of the leading researchers of firm growth.
The studies extend previous research by providing stronger theoretical underpinnings and using longitudinal databases that can separate in time the firms’ growth from its presumed causes. They also break new ground by examining different modes of growth, such as sales growth vs. employment growth, and organic growth vs. acquisition-based expansion. Further, the studies investigate the drivers of firm growth and take a critical look at the effects, such as under what circumstances high growth is associated with high profitability.
The issue of how firm growth is achieved and managed, and what consequences it has for different stakeholders is both theoretically interesting and practically important. The book will strongly appeal to academics of entrepreneurship, small business management and strategy.
The studies extend previous research by providing stronger theoretical underpinnings and using longitudinal databases that can separate in time the firms’ growth from its presumed causes. They also break new ground by examining different modes of growth, such as sales growth vs. employment growth, and organic growth vs. acquisition-based expansion. Further, the studies investigate the drivers of firm growth and take a critical look at the effects, such as under what circumstances high growth is associated with high profitability.
The issue of how firm growth is achieved and managed, and what consequences it has for different stakeholders is both theoretically interesting and practically important. The book will strongly appeal to academics of entrepreneurship, small business management and strategy.
Critical Acclaim
‘This collection of articles by an internationally recognized team of authors is a welcome addition to the literature on firm growth. The authors, singly and together, have previously made important contributions with regard to frameworks for understanding growth, as well as cutting-edge empirical research on the actual growth process. In this volume, the authors bring previous research up-to-date, providing a critical look at what has been published in the last decade and offering new theoretically informed insights in how and why firms grow.’
– Howard Aldrich, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US
– Howard Aldrich, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US
Contributors
Contributors: L. Achtenhagen, G.N. Chandler, P. Davidsson, F. Delmar, J. Fitzsimmons, S. Girma, A. Lockett, A. McKelvie, L. Naldi, H. Patzelt, D.A. Shepherd, P. Steffens, J. Wiklund
Contents
Contents:
Introduction
Per Davidsson and Johan Wiklund
PART I: EXPLAINING WHY AND HOW MUCH FIRMS GROW
1. Building an Integrative Model of Small Business Growth
Johan Wiklund, Holger Patzelt and Dean A. Shepherd
2. Aspiring for, and Achieving Growth: The Moderating Role of Resources and Opportunities
Johan Wiklund and Dean A. Shepherd
3. The Effect of Small Business Managers’ Growth Motivation on Firm Growth: A Longitudinal Study
Frédéric Delmar and Johan Wiklund
PART II: CHANGING THE FIRM GROWTH RESEARCH AGENDA
4. Are We Comparing Apples with Apples or Apples with Oranges? Appropriateness of Knowledge Accumulation Across Growth Studies
Dean A. Shepherd and Johan Wiklund
5. Advancing Firm Growth Research: A Focus on Growth Mode Instead of Growth Rate
Alexander McKelvie and Johan Wiklund
6. Towards an Integrative Framework for Future Research on Small Firm Growth
Per Davidsson, Leona Achtenhagen and Lucia Naldi
PART III: A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE GROWTH–PROFIT RELATIONSHIP
7. Growing Profitable or Growing from Profits: Putting the Horse in Front of the Cart?
Per Davidsson, Paul Steffens and Jason Fitzsimmons
8. Performance Configurations Over Time: Implications for Growth-and Profit-oriented Strategies
Paul Steffens, Per Davidsson and Jason Fitzsimmons
PART IV: THEORY-DRIVEN RESEARCH ON SPECIFIC FORMS OF GROWTH
9. Asset Specificity and Behavioral Uncertainty as Moderators of the Sales Growth–Employment Growth Relationship in Emerging Ventures
Gaylen N. Chandler, Alexander McKelvie and Per Davidsson
10. Organic and Acquisitive Growth: Re‐examining, Testing and Extending Penrose’s Growth Theory
Andy Lockett, Johan Wiklund, Per Davidsson and Sourafel Girma
Index
Introduction
Per Davidsson and Johan Wiklund
PART I: EXPLAINING WHY AND HOW MUCH FIRMS GROW
1. Building an Integrative Model of Small Business Growth
Johan Wiklund, Holger Patzelt and Dean A. Shepherd
2. Aspiring for, and Achieving Growth: The Moderating Role of Resources and Opportunities
Johan Wiklund and Dean A. Shepherd
3. The Effect of Small Business Managers’ Growth Motivation on Firm Growth: A Longitudinal Study
Frédéric Delmar and Johan Wiklund
PART II: CHANGING THE FIRM GROWTH RESEARCH AGENDA
4. Are We Comparing Apples with Apples or Apples with Oranges? Appropriateness of Knowledge Accumulation Across Growth Studies
Dean A. Shepherd and Johan Wiklund
5. Advancing Firm Growth Research: A Focus on Growth Mode Instead of Growth Rate
Alexander McKelvie and Johan Wiklund
6. Towards an Integrative Framework for Future Research on Small Firm Growth
Per Davidsson, Leona Achtenhagen and Lucia Naldi
PART III: A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE GROWTH–PROFIT RELATIONSHIP
7. Growing Profitable or Growing from Profits: Putting the Horse in Front of the Cart?
Per Davidsson, Paul Steffens and Jason Fitzsimmons
8. Performance Configurations Over Time: Implications for Growth-and Profit-oriented Strategies
Paul Steffens, Per Davidsson and Jason Fitzsimmons
PART IV: THEORY-DRIVEN RESEARCH ON SPECIFIC FORMS OF GROWTH
9. Asset Specificity and Behavioral Uncertainty as Moderators of the Sales Growth–Employment Growth Relationship in Emerging Ventures
Gaylen N. Chandler, Alexander McKelvie and Per Davidsson
10. Organic and Acquisitive Growth: Re‐examining, Testing and Extending Penrose’s Growth Theory
Andy Lockett, Johan Wiklund, Per Davidsson and Sourafel Girma
Index
