Being flexible through customization − The impact of incubator focus and customization strategies on incubatee survival and growth

Abstract

Given the increased importance of flexibility in company development models, it is not surprising that start-up support structures such as business incubators give more attention to flexible service offerings. In this paper, we argue that an incubator's service customization strategy is ideal in situations with high incubatee need heterogeneity. Moreover, we examine how an incubator's industry segmentation efforts are related to its customization strategy, and examine its subsequent impact on incubatee survival and growth. Based on an empirical study using data from 166 Brazilian incubators, we find that service customization is a significant mediator through which an incubator's industry focus can influence incubatee survival and growth. Moreover, contrary to the common assumption that an industry focus automatically leads to a higher incubatee performance level, we fail to find any evidence for a significant direct relation between an incubator's industry segmentation and incubatee survival and growth.

Proposta de práticas para obtenção e manutenção de qualificação de empresas incubadas segundo o modelo CERNE

“…Deve-se, nesta direção, apostar em serviços que tenham maior potencial de agregar diferencial competitivo. Para Vanderstraeten et al (2016), uma estratégia de personalização dos serviços oferecidos, além do foco em um segmento empresarial, é a chave para melhorar os resultados e indicadores das incubadoras de empresas. 14, Número 4, 2019, pp.…”

Surviving through Incubation Based on Entrepreneurship-Specific Human Capital Development: The Moderating Role of Tenants’ Network Involvement

“…In this case, emotional support becomes a sort of customized service that can express a clear purpose [32]. The more extensive the tenants' network involvement is, the more customized orientation the emotional support is [43]. Highly customized emotional support is more convenient to smooth away entrepreneurs' anxieties and puzzles.…”

The geographical distribution of Portuguese business incubators: an empirical approach

“…Exceptions to this are the studies by Qian, Haynes, and Riggle (2011) and by Yu, Middleton, and Jackson (2010) which focus on BI clusters in USA and explore significant variables to explain the location of BIs; they are therefore of relevance to our specific topic. However, the research on BIs typically examines topics such as their success factors (Grimaldi & Grandi, 2005;Lee & Osteryoung, 2004;Mian, 1996;O'Neal, 2005), the various impacts of their screening processes (Aerts, Matthyssens, & Vandenbempt, 2007;Lumpkin & Ireland, 1988), the consequences of BI specialization (Schwartz & Hornych, 2010;Vanderstraeten, van Witteloostuijn, Matthyssens, & Andreassi, 2016), the link between BIs and innovation (Thierstein & Willhelm, 2001;Xiao & North, 2017) and the cooperation between universities and BIs (McAdam & McAdam, 2008;Mian, 1996).…”