Title: Management priorities of technology-based growth ventures in two Finnish high-tech business contexts

Authors: Anna-Mari Simunaniemi; Martti Saarela; Matti Muhos

Addresses: Micro-entrepreneurship Center of Excellence MicroENTRE, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu, Pajatie 5, 85500 Nivala, Finland ' Micro-entrepreneurship Center of Excellence MicroENTRE, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu, Pajatie 5, 85500 Nivala, Finland ' Micro-entrepreneurship Center of Excellence MicroENTRE, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu, Pajatie 5, 85500 Nivala, Finland

Abstract: There is a need for new knowledge about growth in technology-based growth ventures in order to strengthen business development within this context. This retrospective multiple-case study clarifies the context-specific viewpoints related to the early stages of technology-intensive companies in two cities in Finland. The research question is: What are the management priorities of technology-intensive growth ventures in Finnish high-tech contexts? Using the sequential incident technique and semi-structured interviews, the managers of ten companies were asked to describe their business growth. The study tests the applicability of a literature-based framework for the early stages of growth in technology companies and analyses context-specific viewpoints. By taking account of the context, the study provides new insights into the growth and management of technology-intensive companies as well as into the special characteristics of different high-tech contexts. Moreover, the results provide evidence of the applicability of the framework in the selected contexts.

Keywords: growth management; technology-intensive companies; business contexts; business growth; sequential incident technique; SIT; multiple-case study.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVCM.2020.105473

International Journal of Value Chain Management, 2020 Vol.11 No.1, pp.1 - 23

Received: 31 May 2019
Accepted: 02 Jun 2019
Published online: 02 Mar 2020 *

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