IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/ijimxx/v21y2017i02ns1363919617500207.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Product Innovation In Small Companies: Managing Resource Scarcity Through Financial Bootstrapping

Author

Listed:
  • LARS LÖFQVIST

    (Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, University of Gävle, SE-801 76, Gävle, Sweden)

Abstract

Researchers have proposed that scarce resources are the main factor hindering product innovation in small companies. However, despite scarce resources, small companies do innovate, so the research question is: How do small companies manage resource scarcity in product innovation? To answer the research question a multiple case study of three small established companies and their product innovation was used, including interviews and observations over a period of five months. The small companies were found to use many different bootstrapping methods in combination within their product innovation. The methods can be classified into three different functional categories: bootstrapping methods for increasing resources, for using existing resources more efficiently, and those for securing a fast payback on resources put into product innovation. Due to their resource scarcity, the studied companies also favoured an innovation strategy only involving new products done with known technology and targeting existing markets. This strategy seems to avoid unsuccessful innovation but at the same time exclude technologically radical innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Lars Löfqvist, 2017. "Product Innovation In Small Companies: Managing Resource Scarcity Through Financial Bootstrapping," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(02), pages 1-27, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:21:y:2017:i:02:n:s1363919617500207
    DOI: 10.1142/S1363919617500207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S1363919617500207
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S1363919617500207?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. Richard B. Carter & Howard Van Auken, 2005. "Bootstrap financing and owners’ perceptions of their business constraints and opportunities," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 129-144, March.
    2. Tim Mazzarol & Sophie Reboud, 2005. "Customers as Predictors of Rent Returns to Innovation and Small Firms – an exploratory study," Post-Print hal-00472438, HAL.
    3. Winborg, Joakim & Landstrom, Hans, 2001. "Financial bootstrapping in small businesses: Examining small business managers' resource acquisition behaviors," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 235-254, May.
    4. David Smith, 2009. "Financial bootstrapping and social capital: how technology-based start-ups fund innovation," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(2), pages 199-209.
    5. Mark Freel, 2000. "External linkages and product innovation in small manufacturing firms," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(3), pages 245-266, July.
    6. Ghobadian, A. & Gallear, D. N., 1996. "Total quality management in SMEs," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 83-106, February.
    7. Tim Mazzarol & Sophie Reboud, 2005. "Customers as predictors of rent returns to innovation in small firms: an exploratory study," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(5/6), pages 483-494.
    8. Andrew M. Pettigrew, 1990. "Longitudinal Field Research on Change: Theory and Practice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(3), pages 267-292, August.
    9. Leiponen, Aija & Byma, Justin, 2009. "If you cannot block, you better run: Small firms, cooperative innovation, and appropriation strategies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 1478-1488, November.
    10. Candida G. Brush & Nancy M. Carter & Elizabeth J. Gatewood & Patricia G. Greene & Myra M. Hart, 2006. "The use of bootstrapping by women entrepreneurs in positioning for growth," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 15-31, October.
    11. Richard T. Harrison & Colin M. Mason & Paul Girling, 2004. "Financial bootstrapping and venture development in the software industry," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 307-333, July.
    12. Oswald Jones & Dilani Jayawarna, 2010. "Resourcing new businesses: social networks, bootstrapping and firm performance," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 127-152, January.
    13. Tom Vanacker & Sophie Manigart & Miguel Meuleman & Luc Sels, 2011. "A longitudinal study on the relationship between financial bootstrapping and new venture growth," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(9-10), pages 681-705, December.
    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. Bonginkosi Zwane & Celani Nyide, 2017. "SMME attitudes towards Financial Bootstrapping: A perspective from a developing economy," Proceedings of Business and Management Conferences 5607468, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    2. Iovino, Felicetta & Migliaccio, Guido, 2019. "Energy companies and sizes: An opportunity? Some empirical evidences," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 431-439.

    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. Alvarado, Marco & Mora-Esquivel, Ronald, 2020. "Financial bootstrapping among Costa Rican small businesses: an exploratory study," TEC Empresarial, School of Business, Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR), vol. 14(1), pages 2-11.
    2. Grichnik, Dietmar & Brinckmann, Jan & Singh, Luv & Manigart, Sophie, 2014. "Beyond environmental scarcity: Human and social capital as driving forces of bootstrapping activities," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 310-326.
    3. Miao, Chao & Rutherford, Matthew W. & Pollack, Jeffrey M., 2017. "An exploratory meta-analysis of the nomological network of bootstrapping in SMEs," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 1-8.
    4. Mansi Singh & Sanjay Dhir & Harsh Mishra, 2024. "Synthesizing research in entrepreneurial bootstrapping and bricolage: a bibliometric mapping and TCCM analysis," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 487-520, February.
    5. Mansi Singh & Sanjay Dhir & Harsh Mishra, 2023. "Analysing the Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Bootstrapping and Bricolage: A Modified Total Interpretive Structural Modelling and MICMAC Approach," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(1), pages 7-38, March.
    6. T. Vanacker & S. Manigart & M. Meuleman & L. Sels, 2011. "Bootstrapping as a Resource Dependence Management Strategy and its Association with Startup Growth," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 11/740, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    7. Sullivan, Diane M. & Marvel, Matthew R. & Wolfe, Marcus T., 2021. "With a little help from my friends? How learning activities and network ties impact performance for high tech startups in incubators," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    8. Tansel Yilmazer & Holly Schrank, 2010. "The Use of Owner Resources in Small and Family Owned Businesses: Literature Review and Future Research Directions," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 399-413, December.
    9. Jayawarna, Dilani & Jones, Oswald & Marlow, Susan, 2015. "The influence of gender upon social networks and bootstrapping behaviours," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 316-329.
    10. Candida G. Brush & Nancy M. Carter & Elizabeth J. Gatewood & Patricia G. Greene & Myra M. Hart, 2006. "The use of bootstrapping by women entrepreneurs in positioning for growth," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 15-31, October.
    11. Douglas A. Bosse & Tom Arnold, 2009. "Trade credit: a real option for bootstrapping small firms," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 49-63, September.
    12. Michaelis, Timothy L. & Scheaf, David J. & Carr, Jon C. & Pollack, Jeffrey M., 2022. "An agentic perspective of resourcefulness: Self-reliant and joint resourcefulness behaviors within the entrepreneurship process," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1).
    13. Martine Gadille & Juan Ramón Gallego-Bono, 2021. "Rebuilding a Cluster While Protecting Knowledge within Low-Medium-Tech Supplier SMEs: A Spanish and French Comparison," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-35, October.
    14. Joern H. Block & Christian Fisch & Mirko Hirschmann, 2022. "The determinants of bootstrap financing in crises: evidence from entrepreneurial ventures in the COVID-19 pandemic," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 867-885, February.
    15. Brush, Candida G., 2008. "Pioneering strategies for entrepreneurial success," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 21-27.
    16. Colm O'Gorman & Siri Terjesen, 2005. "Financing the Celtic Tigress: Venture financing and informal investment in Ireland," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 69-88, September.
    17. Langlois, Jonathan & BenMahmoud-Jouini, Sihem & Servajean-Hilst, Romaric, 2023. "Practicing secrecy in open innovation – The case of a military firm," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(1).
    18. Yilmazer, Tansel & Schrank, Holly, 2006. "Financial intermingling in small family businesses," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 726-751, September.
    19. MariaLaura Di Domenico & Helen Haugh & Paul Tracey, 2010. "Social Bricolage: Theorizing Social Value Creation in Social Enterprises," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(4), pages 681-703, July.
    20. David Deakins & Jo Bensemann, 2019. "Achieving Innovation In A Lean Environment: How Innovative Small Firms Overcome Resource Constraints," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(04), pages 1-36, May.

    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:wsi:ijimxx:v:21:y:2017:i:02:n:s1363919617500207. 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: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.worldscinet.com/ijim/ijim.shtml .

    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.