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Business growth through intentional and non-intentional network processes

Øystein Rennemo (Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University, Levanger, Norway)
Lars Øystein Widding (Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet, Trondheim, Norway)
Maria Bogren (Department of Business, Economics and Law, Mittuniversitetet, Ostersund, Sweden)

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

ISSN: 1462-6004

Article publication date: 15 May 2017

985

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine business growth and explore the “growth mode” among 24 women entrepreneurs participating in a Nordic research, development and networking programme.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal design made it possible to follow entrepreneurial growth as an unfolding and emerging research process with a methodology inductive in nature and driven by empirical findings. The analysis is structured following established procedures for inductive, theory-building research, using guidelines for constant comparison techniques and working recursively between the data and the emerging theory.

Findings

Two processes were found important to understand the women entrepreneurs’ growth mode. The first is interpreted as intentionally driven and relates to the women’s achievement of expanding their knowledge reservoir; the other is non-intentionally driven and a result of uncontrolled network responses. The latter unfolded as a movement towards a preferable macro-actor status for some of the entrepreneurs.

Practical implications

The study calls attention to relevant knowledge preferable to entrepreneurs who face challenges when trying to grow their businesses. The political implications of this study relate to the importance of awareness among governmental organizations and municipal business advisers regarding the effects of entrepreneurial networking.

Originality/value

This study provides an empirically rigorous insight into the processes of entrepreneurial growth. The findings led the authors to develop a conceptual model for business growth, which contributes to the recent stream of literature on how new businesses are growing.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding: This paper is a part of the research, development and networking programme “Women & Growth” funded by Interreg (www.interreg-sverige-norge.com/in-english/).

The authors would like to thank the 24 women entrepreneurs that have taken part in this study, for letting the authors present their stories in the way the authors have done.

Citation

Rennemo, Ø., Widding, L.Ø. and Bogren, M. (2017), "Business growth through intentional and non-intentional network processes", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 242-260. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-08-2016-0131

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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