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The Company You Keep: How Young Firms in Different Competitive Contexts Signal Reputation through Their Customers

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  • A. Rebecca Reuber
  • Eileen Fischer

Abstract

This article explores how young firms, across different competitive contexts, signal reputation through their customers. Four distinct competitive contexts were differentiated based on whether the complexity of the customer's purchase process was high or low and whether the product/service was customized or standardized. CEOs of young firms operating in each of the four contexts were interviewed to discern patterns, both within and across contexts, in the reputational signals conferred by customers. Analysis of the interview data yields suggestions for how current theory on the exchange partners of young firms can be refined and extended, as well as propositions related to customer–derived reputation in different competitive contexts.

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  • A. Rebecca Reuber & Eileen Fischer, 2005. "The Company You Keep: How Young Firms in Different Competitive Contexts Signal Reputation through Their Customers," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(1), pages 57-78, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:29:y:2005:i:1:p:57-78
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2005.00069.x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Liliana Doganova, 2009. "Entrepreneurship as a process of collective exploration," Working Papers halshs-00431695, HAL.
    3. Eileen Fischer & Rebecca Reuber, 2007. "The Good, the Bad, and the Unfamiliar: The Challenges of Reputation Formation Facing New Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 31(1), pages 53-75, January.
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    5. Bömer, Max & Maxin, Hannes, 2018. "Why Fintechs Cooperate with Banks - Evidence from Germany," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-637, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    6. Ebbers, Joris J. & Wijnberg, Nachoem M., 2012. "Nascent ventures competing for start-up capital: Matching reputations and investors," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 372-384.
    7. Caglayan, Mustafa & Talavera, Oleksandr & Xiong, Lin, 2022. "Female small business owners in China: Discouraged, not discriminated," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    8. Stevens, Charles E. & Makarius, Erin E. & Mukherjee, Debmalya, 2015. "It Takes Two to Tango: Signaling Behavioral Intent in Service Multinationals' Foreign Entry Strategies," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 235-248.
    9. Tessa Christina Flatten & Andreas Engelen & Timo Möller & Malte Brettel, 2015. "How Entrepreneurial Firms Profit from Pricing Capabilities: An Examination of Technology–Based Ventures," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(5), pages 1111-1136, September.
    10. Chowdhury, Sanjib, 2011. "The moderating effects of customer driven complexity on the structure and growth relationship in young firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 306-320, May.
    11. Suzanne Mawson, 2018. "Customer perceived value in high growth firms," Revista Cuadernos de Economia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID, vol. 37(75), pages 755-778, December.
    12. Guldiken, Orhun & Tupper, Christina & Nair, Anil & Yu, Huizhi, 2017. "The impact of media coverage on IPO stock performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 24-32.
    13. Yli-Renko, Helena & Denoo, Lien & Janakiraman, Ramkumar, 2020. "A knowledge-based view of managing dependence on a key customer: Survival and growth outcomes for young firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(6).
    14. C. S. Richard Chan & Annaleena Parhankangas, 2017. "Crowdfunding Innovative Ideas: How Incremental and Radical Innovativeness Influence Funding Outcomes," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(2), pages 237-263, March.
    15. Xiong, Yangchun & Lam, Hugo K.S. & Hu, Qiaoxuan & Yee, Rachel W.Y. & Blome, Constantin, 2021. "The financial impacts of environmental violations on supply chains: Evidence from an emerging market," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    16. Nataliya Galan & Ellinor Torsein, 2021. "Identification of international opportunities: A study of mature firms in mature industries," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 53-103, March.
    17. Hui Zheng & Xuexu Piao & Sangmoon Park, 2021. "The Role of Founder-CEO, Human Capital and Legitimacy in Venture Capital Financing in China’s P2P Lending Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    18. Valérie-Inès de La Ville, 2006. "Collective learning processes in high tech firms," Post-Print hal-01845200, HAL.
    19. Antoaneta P Petkova, 2016. "Standing Out or Blending In? The Formation of New Firms’ Legitimacy and Reputation under Different Levels of Market Uncertainty," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(1), pages 22-34, February.
    20. Stefan Kurpjuweit & Stephan M. Wagner & Thomas Y. Choi, 2021. "Selecting Startups as Suppliers: A Typology of Supplier Selection Archetypes," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(3), pages 25-49, July.
    21. Karl Taeuscher, 2019. "Uncertainty kills the long tail: demand concentration in peer-to-peer marketplaces," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 29(4), pages 649-660, December.
    22. Lanchimba, Cintya & Welsh, Dianne H.B. & Fadairo, Muriel & Silva, Vivian-Lara D.S., 2021. "The impact of franchisor signaling on entrepreneurship in emerging markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 337-348.
    23. Liliana Doganova, 2009. "Entrepreneurship as a process of collective exploration," Post-Print halshs-00431695, HAL.
    24. Lukas Maier & Christian V. Baccarella & Jörn H. Block & Timm F. Wagner & Kai-Ingo Voigt, 2023. "The Legitimization Effect of Crowdfunding Success: A Consumer Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1389-1420, July.
    25. Edelman, Linda F. & Manolova, Tatiana S. & Brush, Candida G. & Chow, Clifton M., 2021. "Signal configurations: Exploring set-theoretic relationships in angel investing," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(2).

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