IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v49y2025i1p312-353.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Riding the Waves of Change: Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to Analyze Complex Growth Patterns in Entrepreneurship

Author

Listed:
  • Yunzhou Du
  • Qiuchen Liu
  • Phillip H. Kim
  • Jiaxin Li

Abstract

Studying temporal change using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) allows researchers to examine complex and dynamic causal pathways between configurations of time-based conditions and a desired outcome. No comprehensive QCA technique currently addresses complex temporal changes in a unified manner. To remedy these shortcomings, we introduce Growth Pattern QCA—a mixed-method technique for studying complex growth dynamics. We integrate a quantitative computational toolkit for calculating growth slopes with QCA and demonstrate it using an illustrative multiyear panel. We offer practical guidance for researchers to apply these mixed methods for analyzing and forecasting complex growth patterns in various entrepreneurship research settings. We also review existing techniques and provide a decision roadmap of time-related QCA methods for researchers to use the best option for their research objectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunzhou Du & Qiuchen Liu & Phillip H. Kim & Jiaxin Li, 2025. "Riding the Waves of Change: Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to Analyze Complex Growth Patterns in Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 49(1), pages 312-353, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:49:y:2025:i:1:p:312-353
    DOI: 10.1177/10422587241249330
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10422587241249330
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/10422587241249330?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:49:y:2025:i:1:p:312-353. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.