Myth-busting and entrepreneurship policy: the case of high growth firms

Abstract

Promoting high growth firms (HGFs) has become a strong fixation within enterprise policy. This is a debate article seeking to examine and challenge the mythology perpetuated by policy makers and embedded within high growth entrepreneurship policy frameworks. Within the article we argue that a number of distinctive 'myths' have become deeply embedded within these policy frameworks. Such myths have been built on misconceived preconceptions of HGFs, which has resulted in policy-makers taking a myopic view of these firms. A key aim of the paper is to highlight how false perceptions of HGFs translate into inappropriate policy interventions. The paper challenges some of the most commonly held myths about these firms (that they are predominantly young, small, high-tech, VC-backed, university spin-outs, who grow in an orderly organic fashion, operating similarly irrespective of location) and identifies a clear mismatch between how policy makers perceive HGFs and what they actually look like in reality. Suggestions for the design of future policy approaches are forwarded.

Looking inside the spiky bits: a critical review and conceptualisation of entrepreneurial ecosystems

“…Entrepreneurship scholars and policy makers have recently become fascinated with the role of high growth firms (HGFs) (Henrekson and Johansson, 2010;Brown et al, 2017), young innovative companies (YICs) (Schneider and Veugelers 2010) and new technology based firms (NTBFs) (Colombo and Grilli, 2007). Most of whom are typically small.…”

O fenômeno da internacionalização e as empresas scale-up: Uma revisão sistemática da literatura

“…In addition to these methodologies, 3 literature review articles were found (Demir, Wennberg, & McKelvie, 2017;Dwyer & Kotey, 2015;Pugliese, Bortoluzzi, & Zupic, 2016). Furthermore, 5 theoretical essays were identified among the selected articles (Brown, Mawson, & Mason, 2017;Buss, 2002;F. M. and A. Coad, 2015;Du & Temouri, 2015;Sipola, Puhakka, & Mainela, 2016).…”

Developing Entrepreneurship in Digital Economy: The Ecosystem Strategy for Startups Growth

“…Some researchers [9,14,23] are quite skeptical about the advantages of the starting-up in general, describing a blanket policy focus on startups as "bad public policy." It occurs when startups born, thank to public facilitations and supports, and limit themselves at crowding-out existing companies that have not benefited from support or when they replicate existing business model taking advantage of greater operational and management slenderness by virtue of learning by others mistakes ("copycat") or if they absorb all the resources allocated for policy measures.…”

“…These peculiarities contrast with the typical weaknesses of new ventures, when they are not able to evolve in more established societal or legal forms [20][21][22]. The overwhelming focus on technologies innovation might acquire an ambiguous meaning when related to startups [23]. Firms operating into the so-called traditional sectors (automotive, domestic appliances, furnishings, etc.)…”