IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/mgtdec/v26y2005i2p139-148.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Problem-solving and competence creation in the early development of new firms

Author

Listed:
  • Oliver Hugo

    (Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Mill Lane, UK)

  • Elizabeth Garnsey

    (Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Mill Lane, UK)

Abstract

This paper aims to identify how entrepreneurial responses to 'barriers' can give rise to opportunities for new firms. The poor predictive record of studies analysing success attributes and favourable initial factors as determinants of new firm growth reflects the diversity of entrepreneurial responses to problems of growth, as illustrated by three case studies of new companies which were able to overcome adverse initial conditions despite the lack of early 'success attributes'. They did so by finding alternative opportunities and by achieving resource economy, resource leverage and resource creation, aided by strategic relationships formed with other players. Spurred by the problems they encounter, entrepreneurial firms revise their business conjecture and engage in innovative activities, their business model evolving through trial and error. Creative responses to unexpected developments by entrepreneurial decision makers have implications for research methodology and business support. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Hugo & Elizabeth Garnsey, 2005. "Problem-solving and competence creation in the early development of new firms," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 139-148.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:26:y:2005:i:2:p:139-148
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.1208
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/mde.1208
    File Function: Link to full text; subscription required
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/mde.1208?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vohora, Ajay & Wright, Mike & Lockett, Andy, 2004. "Critical junctures in the development of university high-tech spinout companies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 147-175, January.
    2. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    3. Baldwin,John R. & Gorecki,Paul With contributions by-Name:Caves,Richard E. With contributions by-Name:Dunne,Tim With contributions by-Name:Haltiwanger,John, 1998. "The Dynamics of Industrial Competition," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521633574, September.
      • Baldwin,John R. & Gorecki,Paul With contributions by-Name:Caves,Richard E. With contributions by-Name:Dunne,Tim With contributions by-Name:Haltiwanger,John, 1995. "The Dynamics of Industrial Competition," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521465618, October.
    4. A. Heirman & B.T Clarysse & V. Van Den Haute, 2003. "How and Why Do Firms Differ at Start-Up? A Resource-Based Configurational Perspective," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 03/198, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    5. Pitelis, Christos (ed.), 2002. "The Growth of the Firm: The Legacy of Edith Penrose," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199248520.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Urban Pauli, 2016. "Enhancing SMEs’ Growth by Investing in Organizational Capital," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 4(3), pages 103-116.
    2. Gomes, Leonardo Augusto de Vasconcelos & Facin, Ana Lucia Figueiredo & Salerno, Mario Sergio, 2021. "Managing uncertainty propagation in innovation ecosystems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rasmussen, Einar & Borch, Odd Jarl, 2010. "University capabilities in facilitating entrepreneurship: A longitudinal study of spin-off ventures at mid-range universities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 602-612, June.
    2. Yagüe-Perales, Rosa M. & March-Chordà, Isidre, 2012. "Performance analysis of research spin-offs in the Spanish biotechnology industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(12), pages 1782-1789.
    3. Stewart Johnston & Angela Paladino, 2007. "Knowledge management and involvement in innovations in MNC subsidiaries," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 281-302, March.
    4. A. Arrighetti & F. Landini & A. Lasagni, 2015. "Firms’economic crisis and firm exit: do intangibles matters?," Economics Department Working Papers 2015-EP04, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy).
    5. P. Geroski, 1998. "An Applied Econometrician's View of Large Company Performance," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 13(3), pages 271-294, June.
    6. Carlos Fong Reynoso & Moises Alejandro Alarcon Osuna, 2010. "Technology Based Firms Performance: Procurement Of Strategic Resources In Critical Junctures, Funcionamiento De Empresas De Base Tecnologica: Obtencion De Recursos Estrategicos En Las Junturas Critica," Revista Internacional Administracion & Finanzas, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 3(3), pages 39-54.
    7. Danchi Tan & Weichieh Su & Joseph T. Mahoney & Yasemin Kor, 2020. "A review of research on the growth of multinational enterprises: A Penrosean lens," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 498-537, June.
    8. Cristina Fernandes & João J. Ferreira & Mário L. Raposo & Cristina Estevão & Marta Peris-Ortiz & Carlos Rueda-Armengot, 2017. "The dynamic capabilities perspective of strategic management: a co-citation analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(1), pages 529-555, July.
    9. Yannis Caloghirou & Ioannis Giotopoulos & Alexandra Kontolaimou & Aggelos Tsakanikas, 2022. "Inside the black box of high-growth firms in a crisis-hit economy: corporate strategy, employee human capital and R&D capabilities," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 1319-1345, September.
    10. Mircea Epure & Diego Prior & Christian Serarols, 2016. "Assessing Technology-Based Spin-offs from University Support Units," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 411-428, March.
    11. Sabourin, David & Baldwin, John R., 2001. "Impact de l'adoption des technologies de l'information et des communications de pointe sur la performance des entreprises du secteur de la fabrication au Canada," Direction des études analytiques : documents de recherche 2001174f, Statistics Canada, Direction des études analytiques.
    12. Pitelis, Christos & Teece, David, 2009. "The (new) nature and essence of the firm," MPRA Paper 24317, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Li, Lei & Li, Dan & Goerzen, Anthony & Shi, Weilei (Stone), 2018. "What and how do SMEs gain by going international? A longitudinal investigation of financial and intellectual resource growth," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 817-834.
    14. Mustar, Philippe & Renault, Marie & Colombo, Massimo G. & Piva, Evila & Fontes, Margarida & Lockett, Andy & Wright, Mike & Clarysse, Bart & Moray, Nathalie, 2006. "Conceptualising the heterogeneity of research-based spin-offs: A multi-dimensional taxonomy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 289-308, March.
    15. Mauro Sciarelli & Giovanni Catello Landi & Lorenzo Turriziani & Mario Tani, 2021. "Academic entrepreneurship: founding and governance determinants in university spin-off ventures," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1083-1107, August.
    16. Thomas, V.J. & Bliemel, Martin & Shippam, Cynthia & Maine, Elicia, 2020. "Endowing university spin-offs pre-formation: Entrepreneurial capabilities for scientist-entrepreneurs," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 96.
    17. Danchi Tan & Joseph T. Mahoney, 2007. "The dynamics of Japanese firm growth in U.S. Industries: The Penrose effect," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 259-279, March.
    18. Quangdung Tran & Sajjad Nazir & Tu-Hieu Nguyen & Ngoc-Khoa Ho & Tuan-Hai Dinh & Viet-Phuong Nguyen & Manh-Hung Nguyen & Quoc-Khanh Phan & The-Son Kieu, 2020. "Empirical Examination of Factors Influencing the Adoption of Green Building Technologies: The Perspective of Construction Developers in Developing Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-28, September.
    19. Fabio Landini & Alessandro Arrighetti & Andrea Lasagni, 2020. "Economic crisis and firm exit: do intangibles matter?," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(5), pages 445-479, May.
    20. Giovanni Dosi & Marco Grazzi, 2005. "Technology as Problem-Solving Procedures and Technology as Input-Output Relations: Some Perspectives on the Theory of Production," LEM Papers Series 2005/26, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:mgtdec:v:26:y:2005:i:2:p:139-148. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976 .

    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.