Firm Success (firm + success)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Making It Happen: Beyond Theories of the Firm to Theories of Firm Design

ENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 6 2004
Saras D. Sarasvathy
Current theories of the firm provide no explanation for entrepreneurial success except in terms of firm success. Even when the focus is on the entrepreneur, s/he is entirely cast as a bundle of traits/behaviors or heuristics/biases that serves to explain firm performance. In this article, I suggest putting the entrepreneur center stage, adopting an instrumental view of the firm. Drawing upon the work of Simon in symbolic cognition and Lakoff in semantic cognition, I explore how we can go beyond explanations based on economic forces and evolutionary adaptation to entrepreneurial effectuation; I end with specific research questions pertaining to firm design. [source]


Determinants of new firm success,

PAPERS IN REGIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2000
Veronique A.J.M. Schutjens
New firm growth; success determinants; starter typology Abstract. The differences between new firms, even the differences present right at the start, may affect their life course and success over time. This article addresses the determinants of success of Dutch start-ups from a longitudinal perspective. After an overview of the literature on both the definition of success and the success factors of new firms we test how new firm characteristics relate to firm growth in number of employees using a panel of nearly 2,000 firms. In addition to a large firm size right from the start, good preparation, having a business partner, and some years in salaried employment also enhance firm growth. Based on these success determinants we construct a typology of starters that may be used to predict future growth chances. [source]


Exploring the Appeal of Product Design: A Grounded, Value-Based Model of Key Design Elements and Relationships,

THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010
Charles H. Noble
Product design is increasingly being recognized as an important source of sustainable competitive advantage. Until recently, the domain of design has been loosely categorized as "form and function" issues. However, as this paper will explore, product design deals with a much richer range of issues, many of which have not been considered in the marketing literature. To explore the domain and elements of design, the paper begins with two major goals: (1) to elicit the key dimensions of design and to develop an enriched language for the understanding and study of design; and (2) to integrate the design dimensions within a broader model that ties initial design goals to eventual psychological and behavioral responses from consumers. To achieve these ends, grounded theory development is used by conducting an extensive literature review, in-depth interviews, and an interactive object elicitation technique. Drawing from this rich source of qualitative information as well as diverse literature fields, a framework is proposed for the creation of design value in consumer products. This framework not only explores the domain of design but also highlights the important elements of design that go well beyond the clichéd form and function issues. The resulting model reflects specific marketplace and organizational constraints that may help or impede the conversion of designer goals to so-called design levers. These levers are used to convey three types of values to consumers: rational, kinesthetic, and emotional. The framework then explains how and when these different values may be perceived by the consumer. Within this framework, testable research propositions and specific directions for future design-based research are also offered. Beyond its potential to spur marketing and new product development (NPD) management thought, the framework offered here represents a significant contribution to the field of design, which has historically been represented as a highly fragmented body of knowledge. Formalizing this framework should help overcome perhaps the largest obstacle to date to marketing-related and NPD-related research in this area,the lack of a detailed and consistent nomological view of the scope of design dimensions including testable linkages. Design has become an important tool that can be used by managers to develop dominant brands with lasting advantages. This research lends the NPD manager and the marketing manager better insights in into how this increasingly popular focus can be used to influence consumer behavior and firm success. "Design may be our top unexploited competitive edge." Tom Peters, 2004 (cover review of Norman, 2004) "We don't have a good language to talk about [design]. In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer., But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation." Steve Jobs, Apple Computers [source]


Choosing strategic responses to address emerging environmental regulations: size, perceived influence and uncertainty

BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 8 2008
Bruce Clemens
Abstract How companies respond to impending regulations is a significant aspect of corporate strategy. Regulations, especially environmental regulations, are expanding quickly and increasingly important to firm success. The threat of impending environmental regulation forces companies to choose levels of strategic responses on a continuum from passive to active. Using practitioner oriented research and existing theoretical models of corporate response, this study finds that the type of strategic response is negatively related to size, positively related to state uncertainty and negatively related to effect/response uncertainty. Based on existing literature and the results of this study, the paper suggests that simplifying the uncertainty construct could lead to more definitive findings in future research. The study results also suggest that a curvilinear relationship may exist between managerial perception of influence and level of strategic response. Most importantly, the findings could have a significant impact on firm decision making regarding environmental investments. For example, it is hoped that firms will be able to use the findings of this study to further understand and anticipate their competitors' decisions. Practitioners may also benefit from the conclusions on uncertainty in that they may be able to more cleanly parse the types of uncertainty immersed in impending environmental regulations. Finally, firms may be better able to understand decisions by their own managers and their competitors' managers in terms of their perceived influence over the regulatory process. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]