Characterizing High-Growth Firms in New Zealand

This study characterizes high-growth New Zealand-owned firms operating in business-to-business relationships. Within a case study design featuring six such firms, four dimensions emerged that captured their key features: founders' characteristics; opportunity orientation; opportunity exploitation; and the management of growth. All the firms had joint founders who brought complementary skills and maintained external advice networks. The growth opportunities leveraged innovations of other firms. Exploitation was in niche areas in which there were both few competitors and small numbers of larger customers, facilitating intensive relationship marketing. The founders managed the businesses by developing a pro-growth culture among employees, but supported this through strong financial control systems and low debt preference. The lack of evidence on the characteristics of this important group of firms has contributed to poorly targeted policy. This paper begins to redress this situation.

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High-growth firms and the use of formalised planning and control systems

International Journal of Management and Decision Making ◽

10.1504/ijmdm.2014.063571 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 266 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Leona Achtenhagen ◽

Anders Melander ◽

Alexandra Rosengren ◽

Andrea Standoft

Keyword(s):

Control Systems ◽

High Growth ◽

Planning And Control ◽

Growth Firms ◽

And Control

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Targeting for Growth: A Critical Examination

The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation ◽

10.5367/ijei.2012.0063 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 45-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David Smallbone ◽

Claire Massey

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Empirical Analysis ◽

High Growth ◽

Critical Examination ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Self Selection ◽

Growth Firms ◽

Profile Characteristics ◽

And Training

The targeting debate has been around for more than 20 years, and yet we are still discussing how best to identify high-growth SMEs. Following a discussion of targeting issues and a review of some of the key literature on SME growth, the paper focuses on an empirical analysis of the performance of a panel of SMEs in New Zealand over a three-year period. The results show that, even when growth occurs in SMEs, it is typically discontinuous. In addition, most of the easily verifiable profile characteristics that are often used for targeting, such as size, sector, age, whether or not the firm is exporting and/or innovating, did not consistently distinguish growth firms from others. Possible conclusions are that policy makers need more effective long-term assessment of government programmes and/or that the heterogeneity of those enterprises able to achieve growth points towards the principle of self-selection. However, the authors suggest a more radical response based on investing more in education and training and aiming to make more explicit the implications of actions and non-actions by entrepreneurs with regard to growth.

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Determinants of Financial Control Systems for Multiple Retailers — Some Case Study Evidence

Managerial Finance ◽

10.1108/eb013460 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 52-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J.A. Piper

Keyword(s):

Control Systems ◽

Financial Control

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Case Study – Design & Instrumentation Monitoring Of A Soil Nail Wall Support System In Soft Rock Excavation For A Road Bridge Underpass In Auckland New Zealand

Proceedings of the 18th Southeast Asian Geotechnical Conference (18SEAGC) & Inaugural AGSSEA Conference (1AGSSEA) ◽

10.3850/978-981-07-4948-4_343 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Joseph Otu Owusu ◽

Raymond W. M. Lo ◽

Veeral Patel

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Study Design ◽

Support System ◽

Soft Rock ◽

Rock Excavation ◽

Soil Nail ◽

Case Study Design ◽

Soil Nail Wall

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Financial resource management in the Nigerian public sector: policy measures to address loopholes

Problems and Perspectives in Management ◽

10.21511/ppm.18(2).2020.27 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 329-339

Author(s):

Adesola Victoria Adebayo ◽

Kehinde Damilola Ilesanmi

Keyword(s):

Public Sector ◽

Control Systems ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Primary Data ◽

Financial Control ◽

The Public ◽

Performance Accountability ◽

Policy Measures ◽

Regular Review

Despite concerted efforts made by successive government administrations in Nigeria to eliminate or better still minimize the menace of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, inflation of contract prices, payment of salaries to ghost workers etc., it seems as if the challenge is far from being over. It is believed that the implementation of effective and efficient financial control systems may result in better performance, accountability, and better reporting process in the public sector. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of financial control in the public sector of Nigeria using Akoko South-West Local Government Area (ASWLGA) as a case study. The study employed both descriptive and econometric analytical methods to achieve the stated objectives. Specifically, the hypotheses were tested using regression analysis based on the primary data collected. The study revealed that the level of financial control in ASWLGA is adequate and capable of reducing financial misappropriation and that financial control is also cost-effective. However, there is a need for regular review of the financial control system in order to boost the effectiveness of the public sector.

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Do firms develop dynamic capabilities differently? The case of professional services firms in New Zealand

10.26686/wgtn.17142293.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Andrea Dickens

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Dynamic Capabilities ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Current Theory ◽

Professional Services ◽

Case Study Design ◽

Generic Class ◽

Professional Services Firms

<p>Differences in dynamic capabilities (DCs) help explain firms’ abilities to change. DCs research has explored what DCs might be and generic categorisations of them after they have emerged, but little light has been thrown on the specific practices that enable or inhibit their emergence. This study explores how DCs emerge and why firms might develop DCs differently under the same market conditions. This thesis sought to understand these questions and respond to calls for longitudinal empirical studies to extend DC theory by studying the paths of four professional services firms in New Zealand over three decades. Using a multi-case study design and thematic analysis, this research applied Teece’s (2007) framework of sensing, seizing and transforming capabilities to identify the presence of DCs within each case, before attempting to identify the enablers and inhibitors influencing the development of such capabilities. While elements of each generic class of DC were evident in each case, the findings suggest that in order to utilise DCs to adapt effectively to environmental changes, a firm must deploy all three classes of capabilities at the same time. This research contributes to the DC literature by proposing a prioritised typology of antecedents that may help stimulate Teece’s sensing, seizing and transforming DCs, while identifying the rigidities that could inhibit their development. The empirical results reported on in this thesis suggest that similar firms’ development of DCs may be different because of idiosyncratic leadership and culture that can limit a firm’s ability to perceive the importance of DCs. Other characteristics that inhibit the development of DCs include centralised, non-participative cultures and high internal (or inward looking) orientation. These results extend current theory about triggers for developing DCs by identifying that the strongest triggers may be either serious macro-economic events or internally driven by firm-defined goals or strategies.</p>

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Revisiting Amit and Zott’s model of value creation sources: The SymBelt Customer Center case

Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research ◽

10.3390/jtaer1030019 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 16-27

Author(s):

Niklas Johansson ◽

Ulrika Mollstedt

Keyword(s):

Value Creation ◽

The Internet ◽

Electronic Business ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Business Context ◽

Value Evaluation ◽

The Core ◽

Lock In ◽

Business To Business

Amit and Zott [2] recognized the importance of understanding value sources in electronic business (ebusiness). However, the concept of e-business is rather broad and therefore this paper suggests a more narrow focus on the value of complementary services. The reason for this approach is an ever-increasing importance for firms to provide complimentary services supporting products. Amit and Zott’s [2] model of the sources of value creation in e-business includes four dimensions of value creation; efficiency, lock-in, complementarities and novelty. In contrast to Amit and Zott [2], we suggest that the four dimensions of the model should not only be used as value creation sources, but moreover as value evaluation dimensions. The findings of this case study, where Metso Paper’s Internet-based service (a complementary service) and some of their customers’ perceptions of the service have been studied, show that the customers have used the services infrequently. This study also shows that in this specific business-to-business context, the characteristics of the product, which the Internet-based service supports, are vital. Therefore, we suggest a modification of Amit and Zott’s [2] business model when used as a model for value evaluation of complementary services, to replace complementarities with nature of the core product.

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High-growth firms in New Zealand: Superstars or shooting stars?

International Small Business Journal Researching Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1177/0266242616659913 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 244-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Sara Satterthwaite ◽

RT Hamilton

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Empirical Study ◽

Growth Phase ◽

High Growth ◽

Service Industries ◽

Future Research ◽

Death Rates ◽

Sustained Growth ◽

Growth Firms ◽

The Creation

This is an empirical study of the origin, demographics and fate of two cohorts of high-growth firms in New Zealand. Customised data on high-growth firms, covering 1125 and 1067 firms in the 2005 and 2008 cohorts, respectively, came from government sources. High-growth firms are smaller, more likely to emerge in service industries and grow through the creation of multiple separate establishments. The ability to sustain high-growth is independent of pre-growth age and employment size. High-growth firms have death rates up to four times greater than other contemporary firms, but the survivors do retain their employment size, continuing to contribute disproportionately to employment for some years beyond their initial high-growth phase. The demonstrated inability of high-growth firms to sustain high growth suggests a rethink on how ‘high growth’ is defined, with future research focusing on sustained growth firms.

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In search of relationship quality, customer retention and shareholder value: Findings from an exploratory, qualitative multiple case study

Journal on Chain and Network Science ◽

10.3920/jcns2001.x005 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 49-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Adam Lindgreen

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Relationship Marketing ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Shareholder Value ◽

Multiple Case Study ◽

Customer Retention ◽

Wine Sector ◽

Multiple Case

This article reports on the findings from an exploratory, qualitative first part of a research that (1) theorises that successful creation of shareholder value in relationship marketing and management requires relationship quality, which translates into customer retention, and that (2) models relationship quality and customer retention as key mediating variables in the creation of shareholder value. A multiple case study involving companies (in exporter-importer dyads) in the Danish- British dairy sector, the Danish-British bacon sector and the New Zealand-British wine sector explored the key constructs of relationship quality; specifically, the cases examined whether or not the dimensions of relationship quality that Roberts (1998) and Roberts et al. (2000) have suggested are an appropriate framework. These dimensions are as follows: trust in credibility, trust in benevolence, commitment, conflict, satisfaction and social bonding. The evidence of the findings suggests that it does make sense to employ relationship quality as a concept in relationship marketing and management, and that the six dimensions are an appropriate framework for doing so. The managerial implications of the research findings are examined. The article concludes that there is a positive relationship between all of the antecedents of relationship quality (except for conflict), and that there is a positive relationship between customer retention and all of the consequences of customer retention (except for customer costs), and it proposes to test this idea in a confirmative, quantitative second part (using LISREL) in the context of the New Zealand-British wine sector.

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