The evolution of entrepreneurial firms

Entrepreneurial firms are a critical engine for technological change and economic growth. Yet starting and growing a business is by no means an easy feat. In our research, we study how entrepreneurial firms are founded and how they evolve over time as they strive to survive and flourish.

For example, we look into how entrepreneurial firms gain legitimacy for their novel business propositions and how they overcome stigma when things go wrong. Our research sheds light on how firms adopt novel business models and ways of operating, including lean entrepreneurship methods and design thinking. We also examine how advances in digital technologies are enabling entrepreneurs to internationalise much earlier than even just a decade ago.

Sub-themes

As new ventures grow, new challenges arise. How do founding team members allocate formal roles, such as that of the Chief Technology Officer? How do entrepreneurs keep their existing supporters on board when they “pivot”? And how do they seek to overcome stigma when things go wrong? Our research seeks to provide answers to these and other questions and give insights into how entrepreneurs can best manage their firms to achieve their growth ambitions.

Advancement in digital technologies make it easier for startups to internationalise and scale up their operations. Many famous scaleups, including unicorn firms such as Airbnb and Uber, operated in multiple markets right from the outset. Our research looks into how entrepreneurial firms achieve internationalisation and how they overcome obstacles in this process.

Research projects

People in suits standing behind an umbrella while it rains COVID-19

Entrepreneurial resilience and recovery during (and after) COVID-19

We're looking into business model learning processes by entrepreneurs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and lockdown in China, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and United Kingdom

The art of the pivot: how new ventures change course without losing followers

Pivoting – radically changing course – without losing key followers is often necessary but tricky for new ventures: resetting relationships helps them pull off this feat

Startups: minimise uncertainty by telling everyone your plans

For new business models to displace the old ones, their proponents first need to make clear why the industry needs to change

Too few female entrepreneurs? Why business schools must step in

Video

The company you keep

How an organisation’s horizontal partnerships affect employee organisational identification featuring Dr Christian Hampel.

How organisations move from stigma to legitimacy

How organisations move from stigma to legitimacy using Thomas Cook as an example, featuring Dr Christian Hampel.

Global Entrepreneurship Index

Global Entrepreneurship Index

Our involvement in the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEDI) allows us to document important differences between countries in terms of how easy or difficult it is to set up and grow entrepreneurial firms.