IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/esi/egpdis/2005-17.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Fragile Success of Team Start-ups

Author

Listed:
  • Veronique Schutjens
  • Erik Stam

Abstract

This article describes the benefits and pitfalls of starting a firm with an entrepreneurial team, drawing on a longitudinal empirical analysis of the life course of 90 team start-ups and 1196 solo start-ups in the Netherlands. In the first three years of their existence, team start-ups perform better than solo start-ups on several success indicators. However, after this start phase, entrepreneurial teams face particular problems in realizing further growth. These team-specific bottlenecks can even threaten firm survival. In later life course phases we found a clear distinction between entrepreneurial teams with stagnating growth and teams that succeeded in solving these problems and went on to realize further growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Veronique Schutjens & Erik Stam, "undated". "The Fragile Success of Team Start-ups," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2005-17, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:esi:egpdis:2005-17
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: ftp://papers.econ.mpg.de/egp/discussionpapers/2005-17.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Judith B. Kamm & Jeffrey C. Shuman & John A. Seeger & Aaron J. Nurick, 1990. "Entrepreneurial Teams in New Venture Creation: A Research Agenda," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 14(4), pages 7-17, July.
    2. Ensley, Michael D. & Pearson, Allison W. & Amason, Allen C., 2002. "Understanding the dynamics of new venture top management teams: cohesion, conflict, and new venture performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 365-386, July.
    3. Veronique A.J.M. Schutjens & Egbert Wever, 2000. "Determinants of new firm success," Papers in Regional Science, Springer;Regional Science Association International, vol. 79(2), pages 135-153.
    4. Garnsey, Elizabeth, 1998. "A Theory of the Early Growth of the Firm," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 7(3), pages 523-556, September.
    5. Westhead, Paul & Wright, Mike, 1998. "Novice, portfolio, and serial founders: are they different?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 173-204, May.
    6. Thakur, Sanjay Prasad, 1999. "Size of investment, opportunity choice and human resources in new venture growth: Some typologies," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 283-309, May.
    7. Yasemin Y. Kor, 2003. "Experience-Based Top Management Team Competence and Sustained Growth," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(6), pages 707-719, December.
    8. Clarysse, Bart & Moray, Nathalie, 2004. "A process study of entrepreneurial team formation: the case of a research-based spin-off," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 55-79, January.
    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. Audretsch, David & Stam, Erik & Meijaard, Joris, 2005. "Renascent Men or Entrepreneurship as a One-Night Stand: Entrepreneurial Intentions Subsequent to Firm Exit," CEPR Discussion Papers 5342, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Andreas Koch & Jochen Späth & Harald Strotmann, 2013. "The role of employees for post-entry firm growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(3), pages 733-755, October.
    3. Erik Stam & David Audretsch & Joris Meijaard, 2009. "Renascent entrepreneurship," Springer Books, in: Uwe Cantner & Jean-Luc Gaffard & Lionel Nesta (ed.), Schumpeterian Perspectives on Innovation, Competition and Growth, pages 223-237, Springer.
      • Stam, F.C. & Audretsch, D.B. & Meijaard, J., 2006. "Renascent Entrepreneurship," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2006-017-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    4. Veronique Schutjens & Erik Stam, 2006. "Starting anew: Entrepreneurial intentions and realizations subsequent to business closure," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2006-10, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    5. Elli Diakanastasi & Angeliki Karagiannaki & Katerina Pramatari, 2018. "Entrepreneurial Team Dynamics and New Venture Creation Process: An Exploratory Study Within a Start-Up Incubator," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(2), pages 21582440187, June.
    6. Erik Stam & David Audretsch & Joris Meijaard, 2006. "Renascent Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneurial Preferences Subsequent to Firm Exit," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2006-06, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.

    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. Prommer, Lisa & Tiberius, Victor & Kraus, Sascha, 2020. "Exploring the future of startup leadership development," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    2. Patrick Gregori & Zulaicha Parastuty, 2021. "Investigating the process of entrepreneurial team member exits: a systematic review and future research directions," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 847-878, May.
    3. Linlin Jin & Kristen Madison & Nils D. Kraiczy & Franz W. Kellermanns & T. Russell Crook & Jing Xi, 2017. "Entrepreneurial Team Composition Characteristics and New Venture Performance: A Meta–Analysis," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(5), pages 743-771, September.
    4. Heidi Forsström-Tuominen & Iiro Jussila & Sanjay Goel, 2017. "The Start of Team Start-Ups: Collective Dynamics of Initiation and Formation of Entrepreneurial Teams," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 25(01), pages 31-66, March.
    5. Allan Discua Cruz & Carole Howorth & Eleanor Hamilton, 2013. "Intrafamily Entrepreneurship: The Formation and Membership of Family Entrepreneurial Teams," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(1), pages 17-46, January.
    6. Veronique Schutjens & Erik Stam, 2006. "Starting anew: Entrepreneurial intentions and realizations subsequent to business closure," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2006-10, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    7. Paul Steffens & Siri Terjesen & Per Davidsson, 2012. "Birds of a feather get lost together: new venture team composition and performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 727-743, October.
    8. Daniel P. Forbes & Patricia S. Borchert & Mary E. Zellmer–Bruhn & Harry J. Sapienza, 2006. "Entrepreneurial Team Formation: An Exploration of New Member Addition," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(2), pages 225-248, March.
    9. Iris Vanaelst & Bart Clarysse & Mike Wright & Andy Lockett & Nathalie Moray & Rosette S'Jegers, 2006. "Entrepreneurial Team Development in Academic Spinouts: An Examination of Team Heterogeneity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(2), pages 249-271, March.
    10. Ekaterina Bjørnåli & Arild Aspelund, 2012. "The role of the entrepreneurial team and the board of directors in the internationalization of academic spin-offs," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 350-377, December.
    11. Zabara, Tatiana, 2019. "Evolution of entrepreneurial teams in technology-based new ventures," Other publications TiSEM cc09d065-3811-47b6-9c93-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    12. Monica A. Zimmerman, 2008. "The Influence of Top Management Team Heterogeneity on the Capital Raised through an Initial Public Offering," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(3), pages 391-414, May.
    13. Gregori, Patrick & Ukobitz, Desiree V. & Parastuty, Zulaicha, 2018. "A Conceptual Framework on Entrepreneurial Team Member Exits: A Starting Point for Further Research," 6th International OFEL Conference on Governance, Management and Entrepreneurship. New Business Models and Institutional Entrepreneurs: Leading Disruptive Change (Dubrovnik, 2018), in: 6th International OFEL Conference on Governance, Management and Entrepreneurship. New Business Models and Institutional Entrepreneurs: Leading Disrupt, pages 453-474, Governance Research and Development Centre (CIRU), Zagreb.
    14. Besnik A. Krasniqi & Muhamet Mustafa, 2016. "Small firm growth in a post-conflict environment: the role of human capital, institutional quality, and managerial capacities," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 1165-1207, December.
    15. Tali Hadasa Blank & Abraham Carmeli, 2021. "Does founding team composition influence external investment? The role of founding team prior experience and founder CEO," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1869-1888, December.
    16. Raffaele Fiorentino & Sergio Longobardi & Carla Morrone & Alessandro Scaletti, 2024. "Educational heterogeneity of the founding team of innovative start-ups: confirmations and denials," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 2347-2367, September.
    17. Michael D. Ensley & Allison W. Pearson, 2005. "An Exploratory Comparison of the Behavioral Dynamics of Top Management Teams in Family and Nonfamily New Ventures: Cohesion, Conflict, Potency, and Consensus," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(3), pages 267-284, May.
    18. Qin, Fei & Wright, Mike & Gao, Jian, 2017. "Are ‘sea turtles’ slower? Returnee entrepreneurs, venture resources and speed of entrepreneurial entry," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 694-706.
    19. Metzger, Georg, 2006. "Once bitten, twice shy? The performance of entrepreneurial restarts," ZEW Discussion Papers 06-083, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    20. Phillip Phan & Donald S. Siegel & Mike Wright, 2016. "Science Parks and Incubators: Observations, Synthesis and Future Research," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Phillip H Phan & Sarfraz A Mian & Wadid Lamine (ed.), TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS INCUBATION Theory • Practice • Lessons Learned, chapter 9, pages 249-272, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..

    More about this item

    Keywords

    entrepreneurial teams; start-ups; firm growth; life course analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • D92 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice, Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:esi:egpdis:2005-17. 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: Kerstin Schück (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/mpiewde.html .

    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.