Putting process on track: empirical research on start-ups’ growth drivers

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the growth drivers of start-up firms from the process perspective. Increasing scholarly attention to the growth of start-up firms has led to a more sophisticated understanding of their drivers. However, the richness of the results is partly offset by both potential and real contradictions in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, 233 studies on the growth of start-up firms are reviewed using a process-oriented lens.

Findings

The analysis reveals an imbalance in the use of variance-based empirical approaches to study the process-based phenomenon and some misalignments in the use of non-process-based empirical approaches to improve a process-based theory.

Originality/value

This paper offers an original perspective from which to reconsider the relevant literature and provides useful recommendations for researchers to forge a path ahead in this field.

Citation

Pugliese, R., Bortoluzzi, G. and Zupic, I. (2016), "Putting process on track: empirical research on start-ups’ growth drivers", Management Decision, Vol. 54 No. 7, pp. 1633-1648. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-10-2015-0444