IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v196y2023ics0040162523005267.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Demystifying massive and rapid business scaling – An explorative study on driving factors in digital start-ups

Author

Listed:
  • Lange, Francie
  • Tomini, Nino
  • Brinkmann, Florian
  • Kanbach, Dominik K.
  • Kraus, Sascha

Abstract

This study explores the concept of massive and rapid business scaling (MRBS) in the context of digital start-ups by identifying 20 factors clustered into seven core drivers. Through inductive qualitative research, the study builds on 53 semi-structured interviews with founders, executives, and advisors, leading to the development of a framework that uncovers seven core drivers of MRBS contributing to the scaling process. These core drivers are as follows: 1) scanning the environment and recognizing opportunities, 2) iteratively adjusting the business model with an asset-light structure, 3) achieving operational excellence through digitization, 4) building an efficient and entrepreneurial workforce combined with leadership and vision, 5) leveraging internal resources to strengthen positioning and expand the market, 6) attracting capital to facilitate growth realization, and 7) cultivating organizational agility and a transformation culture. While core drivers one to five imply a processual nature, the sixth and seventh core drivers serve as a foundation for MRBS. Moreover, this study outlines several areas of tension within the process of MRBS. Therefore, the study provides valuable insights for scholars and practitioners.

Suggested Citation

  • Lange, Francie & Tomini, Nino & Brinkmann, Florian & Kanbach, Dominik K. & Kraus, Sascha, 2023. "Demystifying massive and rapid business scaling – An explorative study on driving factors in digital start-ups," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:196:y:2023:i:c:s0040162523005267
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122841
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162523005267
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122841?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paul A. Pavlou & Omar A. El Sawy, 2006. "From IT Leveraging Competence to Competitive Advantage in Turbulent Environments: The Case of New Product Development," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 17(3), pages 198-227, September.
    2. Radenković, Miloš & Bogdanović, Zorica & Despotović-Zrakić, Marijana & Labus, Aleksandra & Lazarević, Saša, 2020. "Assessing consumer readiness for participation in IoT-based demand response business models," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    3. Cleomar Marcos Fabrizio & Fabíola Kaczam & Gilnei Luiz Moura & Luciana Santos Costa Vieira Silva & Wesley Vieira Silva & Claudimar Pereira Veiga, 2022. "Competitive advantage and dynamic capability in small and medium-sized enterprises: a systematic literature review and future research directions," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 617-648, April.
    4. Satish Nambisan, 2017. "Digital Entrepreneurship: Toward a Digital Technology Perspective of Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(6), pages 1029-1055, November.
    5. Schmidthuber, Lisa & Maresch, Daniela & Ginner, Michael, 2020. "Disruptive technologies and abundance in the service sector - toward a refined technology acceptance model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    6. Magnus Henrekson & Dan Johansson, 2010. "Gazelles as job creators: a survey and interpretation of the evidence," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 227-244, September.
    7. Werner Hölzl, 2014. "Persistence, survival, and growth: a closer look at 20 years of fast-growing firms in Austria," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 23(1), pages 199-231, February.
    8. Nanda, Ramana & Samila, Sampsa & Sorenson, Olav, 2020. "The persistent effect of initial success: Evidence from venture capital," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(1), pages 231-248.
    9. Elizabeth Garnsey & Erik Stam & Paul Heffernan, 2006. "New Firm Growth: Exploring Processes and Paths," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20.
    10. Lysander Weiss & Dominik Kanbach, 2022. "Toward an integrated framework of corporate venturing for organizational ambidexterity as a dynamic capability," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 72(4), pages 1129-1170, December.
    11. Ricarda B. Bouncken & Sascha Kraus, 2022. "Entrepreneurial ecosystems in an interconnected world: emergence, governance and digitalization," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, January.
    12. Ricarda B. Bouncken & Sascha Kraus & Norat Roig-Tierno, 2021. "Knowledge- and innovation-based business models for future growth: digitalized business models and portfolio considerations," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, January.
    13. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    14. William R. Kerr & Ramana Nanda & Matthew Rhodes-Kropf, 2014. "Entrepreneurship as Experimentation," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(3), pages 25-48, Summer.
    15. G.T. Lumpkin & Benyamin Bergmann Lichtenstein, 2005. "The Role of Organizational Learning in the Opportunity–Recognition Process," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(4), pages 451-472, July.
    16. Luo, Yadong, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities in international expansion," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 355-378, January.
    17. Ying Song & Octavio Escobar & Unai Arzubiaga & Alfredo De Massis, 2022. "The digital transformation of a traditional market into an entrepreneurial ecosystem," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 65-88, January.
    18. Sidney G. Winter, 2003. "Understanding dynamic capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(10), pages 991-995, October.
    19. Vik, Jostein & Melås, Anders Mahlum & Stræte, Egil Petter & Søraa, Roger Andre, 2021. "Balanced readiness level assessment (BRLa): A tool for exploring new and emerging technologies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    20. Armin Schwienbacher, 2008. "Innovation and Venture Capital Exits," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(533), pages 1888-1916, November.
    21. Douglas A Battleson & Barry C West & Jongwoo Kim & Balasubramaniam Ramesh & Pamela S Robinson, 2016. "Achieving dynamic capabilities with cloud computing: an empirical investigation," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 209-230, May.
    22. Zaheer, Hasnain & Breyer, Yvonne & Dumay, John, 2019. "Digital entrepreneurship: An interdisciplinary structured literature review and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    23. Marvin B. Lieberman & David B. Montgomery, 1988. "First‐mover advantages," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(S1), pages 41-58, June.
    24. Benjamin Saunders & Julius Sim & Tom Kingstone & Shula Baker & Jackie Waterfield & Bernadette Bartlam & Heather Burroughs & Clare Jinks, 2018. "Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1893-1907, July.
    25. Matthias Almus, 2002. "What characterizes a fast-growing firm?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(12), pages 1497-1508.
    26. A. Rebecca Reuber & Esther Tippmann & Sinéad Monaghan, 2021. "Global scaling as a logic of multinationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(6), pages 1031-1046, August.
    27. David J Teece, 2014. "A dynamic capabilities-based entrepreneurial theory of the multinational enterprise," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(1), pages 8-37, January.
    28. Sascha Kraus & Paul Jones & Norbert Kailer & Alexandra Weinmann & Nuria Chaparro-Banegas & Norat Roig-Tierno, 2021. "Digital Transformation: An Overview of the Current State of the Art of Research," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, September.
    29. Jovanovic, Boyan, 1982. "Selection and the Evolution of Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(3), pages 649-670, May.
    30. David J. Teece, 2007. "Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(13), pages 1319-1350, December.
    31. Gundry, Lisa K. & Welsch, Harold P., 2001. "The ambitious entrepreneur: High growth strategies of women-owned enterprises," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 453-470, September.
    32. Kraus, Sascha & Vonmetz, Katharina & Bullini Orlandi, Ludovico & Zardini, Alessandro & Rossignoli, Cecilia, 2023. "Digital entrepreneurship: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and digitalization for disruptive innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    33. Michael A. Hitt & R. Duane Ireland & S. Michael Camp & Donald L. Sexton, 2001. "Strategic entrepreneurship: entrepreneurial strategies for wealth creation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 479-491, June.
    34. Delmar, Frederic & Davidsson, Per & Gartner, William B., 2003. "Arriving at the high-growth firm," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 189-216, March.
    35. Groen, Aard J. & Walsh, Steven T., 2013. "Introduction to the field of creative enterprise," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(2), pages 187-190.
    36. 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.
    37. Neil Hair & Lyle R. Wetsch & Clyde Eiríkur Hull & Victor Perotti & Yu-Ting Caisy Hung, 2012. "Market Orientation In Digital Entrepreneurship: Advantages And Challenges In A Web 2.0 Networked World," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 9(06), pages 1-18.
    38. Simon Parker & David Storey & Arjen Witteloostuijn, 2010. "What happens to gazelles? The importance of dynamic management strategy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 203-226, September.
    39. Lehmann, Julian & Weber, Florian & Waldkirch, Matthias & Graf-Vlachy, Lorenz & König, Andreas, 2022. "Institutional work battles in the sharing economy: Unveiling actors and discursive strategies in media discourse," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    40. Balz, Frank P. & Brinkmann, Florian & Kanbach, Dominik K., 2023. "The impact of independent and heterogeneous corporate venture capital on firm efficiency," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    41. Richard Makadok, 2001. "Toward a synthesis of the resource‐based and dynamic‐capability views of rent creation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(5), pages 387-401, May.
    42. Tippmann, Esther & Ambos, Tina C. & Del Giudice, Manlio & Monaghan, Sinéad & Ringov, Dimo, 2023. "Scale-ups and scaling in an international business context," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(1).
    43. Gary, Robert F. & Fink, Matthias & Belousova, Olga & Marinakis, Yorgos & Tierney, Robert & Walsh, Steven T., 2020. "An introduction to the field of abundant economic thought," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. 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.
    2. Demir, Robert & Wennberg, Karl & McKelvie, Alexander, 2016. "The Strategic Management of High-Growth Firms: A Review and Theoretical Conceptualization," Ratio Working Papers 273, The Ratio Institute.
    3. 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.
    4. Szalavetz Andrea, 2015. "A Dynamic Capabilities Perspective of High-Growth Firms: Organizational Aspects," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 48(1), pages 45-62, December.
    5. Yi-Ju Lo & Tung Hung, 2015. "Structure offshoring and returns on offshoring," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 443-479, June.
    6. Quan Anh Nguyen & Gillian Sullivan Mort, 0. "Conceptualising organisational-level and microfoundational capabilities: an integrated view of born-globals’ internationalisation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    7. Justin J. P. Jansen & Ciaran Heavey & Tom J. M. Mom & Zeki Simsek & Shaker A. Zahra, 2023. "Scaling‐up: Building, Leading and Sustaining Rapid Growth Over Time," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 581-604, May.
    8. Li, Shenxue & Easterby-Smith, Mark & Hong, Jacky F.L., 2019. "Towards an understanding of the nature of dynamic capabilities in high-velocity markets of China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 212-226.
    9. Michailova, Snejina & Zhan, Wu, 2015. "Dynamic capabilities and innovation in MNC subsidiaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 576-583.
    10. Coad, Alex & Frankish, Julian & Roberts, Richard G. & Storey, David J., 2013. "Growth paths and survival chances: An application of Gambler's Ruin theory," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 615-632.
    11. Quan Anh Nguyen & Gillian Sullivan Mort, 2021. "Conceptualising organisational-level and microfoundational capabilities: an integrated view of born-globals’ internationalisation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1781-1803, December.
    12. Sadeghi, Arash & Aliasghar, Omid & Bouguerra, Abderaouf, 2023. "Unpacking the relationship between post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance of SMEs: A capability-building perspective," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(1).
    13. Björn Michaelis & Shalini Rogbeer & Lars Schweizer & Zafer Özleblebici, 2021. "Clarifying the boundary conditions of value creation within dynamic capabilities framework: a grafting approach," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1797-1820, August.
    14. Ilgaz Arikan & Ipek Koparan & Asli M Arikan & Oded Shenkar, 2022. "Dynamic capabilities and internationalization of authentic firms: Role of heritage assets, administrative heritage, and signature processes," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(4), pages 601-635, June.
    15. Ferreira, Jorge & Coelho, Arnaldo & Moutinho, Luiz, 2020. "Dynamic capabilities, creativity and innovation capability and their impact on competitive advantage and firm performance: The moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 92.
    16. Zhang, Yucheng & Hou, Zhongwei & Yang, Feifei & Yang, Miles M. & Wang, Zhiling, 2021. "Discovering the evolution of resource-based theory: Science mapping based on bibliometric analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 500-516.
    17. Bianchini, Stefano & Pellegrino, Gabriele, 2019. "Innovation persistence and employment dynamics," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 1171-1186.
    18. Silviano Esteve-Pérez & Fabio Pieri & Diego Rodriguez, 2022. "One swallow does not make a summer: episodes and persistence in high growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 1517-1544, March.
    19. 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.
    20. Shaker A. Zahra & Olga Petricevic & Yadong Luo, 2022. "Toward an action-based view of dynamic capabilities for international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(4), pages 583-600, June.

    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:eee:tefoso:v:196:y:2023:i:c:s0040162523005267. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    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.