Research Article
The Startup-Zoo: A Typology of Startups Based on the Ambitions of Their Founders
Tobias Kollmann*
,
Anna Pröpper
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 2, April 2025
Pages:
38-55
Received:
23 January 2025
Accepted:
11 February 2025
Published:
7 March 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijber.20251402.11
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Views:
Abstract: The development of a startup is determined by the entrepreneurial actions of its founders, and the associated entrepreneurial action theory accordingly describes the different goals, strategies, and measures of the founders for this development. The founders’ ambitions, which are a driving force behind entrepreneurial action, play a significant role in this context. Research shows that these ambitions determine the goals, strategies, and measures of the young company and, thus, the desired development from the founders’ perspective with the associated success. However, not every founder pursues the same ambitions in terms of content and form or always strives for the maximum. Based on three consecutive surveys (n = 1,985 startups), we use K-means cluster analysis to analyze three different dimensions of entrepreneurial ambition (growth, ownership, and cooperation) to examine their combined configuration. Based on this, we identified and double-checked four ambition groups with K-means cluster analysis and laid a foundation for a typology of startups based on the goals of their founders. The results have theoretical and practical implications for the founding and development of startups and a related focus on the founders’ ambitions, but also an associated broader consideration by potential investors.
Abstract: The development of a startup is determined by the entrepreneurial actions of its founders, and the associated entrepreneurial action theory accordingly describes the different goals, strategies, and measures of the founders for this development. The founders’ ambitions, which are a driving force behind entrepreneurial action, play a significant rol...
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Review Article
Strategy Development, Implementation and Context in Organizational Stability: A Critical Literature Review
Owino Meshack*,
Zachary Bollo Awino
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 2, April 2025
Pages:
57-68
Received:
24 January 2025
Accepted:
8 February 2025
Published:
7 March 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijber.20251402.12
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Abstract: Background: Lack of consciousness of the business environment can lead to unforeseen sudden catastrophic outcomes. Pandemics, wars and extreme weather conditions have obviously interrupted firms’ operations. Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine War, Tsunamis and cyclones come to mind. Therefore, there is need for conscious effort by scholars, strategists and management to reinforce strategy development and implementation practices in varying contexts with a purpose to spur organizational stability and consequently growth. Method: Qualitative research conducted through critical literature review. The researchers sampled the scholarly views on strategy development and implementation mediated by context. Results: When sound strategies in firms are developed and implemented from time to time with context sensitivity, there is bound to be a corresponding desired outcome in organizational stability. Conclusions: The literature review in this paper has revealed that the concepts of strategy development and strategy implementation are still equivocal to many a firm and scholars with regards to practice, research and policy. Organizational context mindfulness is even hazier. Worse still, scholars and managers are yet to agree on definition of terms, processes and measurements of organizational performance and stability in specific contexts. The researchers observed that they all had different notions about strategy as a concept, leave alone its development and implementation procedures with mindfulness to context. Organizational stability, as a measure of achievement, is a rare dependent variable in research and even scarcer objective in many firms’ policies. However, a few scholars have actually come up with tangible measures to the dependent variable in question. Cartels for example are formed by some organizations to ward off competition from undesired quarters thereby allowing the colluding firms to maintain their clientele base and bottom-line. Maintaining board membership and other stakeholders such as employees and suppliers in the long term is another indicator of mindfulness towards firms’ sustenance, especially in the eyes of shareholders and customers. Innovating firms also participate in continuous improvement to sustain their strongholds. This is usually done in response to and mindfulness of changes in the environment.
Abstract: Background: Lack of consciousness of the business environment can lead to unforeseen sudden catastrophic outcomes. Pandemics, wars and extreme weather conditions have obviously interrupted firms’ operations. Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine War, Tsunamis and cyclones come to mind. Therefore, there is need for conscious effort by scholars, strategists and m...
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