Capabilities in small high‐tech firms: a case of plural‐entrepreneurship

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of evaluating the innovative/entrepreneurial capabilities of small firms in high‐technology industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken is a literature review and case study.

Findings

The contribution of the paper is twofold: in the first part, it is tried to distinguish the different forms of entrepreneurship existing. This leads to determine a form of entrepreneurship, plural entrepreneurship, that is typical in high‐tech start‐ups. In the second part, it is then tried to evaluate the innovative/entrepreneurial capabilities of a firm in such a framework. This is based on a longitudinal case study of a high‐tech start‐up where we explore how different dimensions of entrepreneurship coexist and interplay to create a firm's innovative dynamics depending on its initial resources and those added during the firm's growth.

Originality/value

The paper is an original attempt to distinguish different notions of entrepreneurship including the notion of plural‐entrepreneurship and capabilities in a small enterprise.

Citation

Burger‐Helmchen, T. (2009), "Capabilities in small high‐tech firms: a case of plural‐entrepreneurship", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 16 No. 3, pp. 391-405. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000910977125