TY - JOUR
T1 - A field guide for gazelle hunters
T2 - Small, old firms are unlikely to become high-growth firms
AU - Coad, Alex
AU - Karlsson, Johan
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government ( NRF-2018S1A3A2075175 ).
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government ( NRF-2018S1A3A2075175 ). Karlsson gratefully acknowledges funding from the Centre of Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - We map the distribution of High-Growth Firms (HGFs, or “gazelles”) across the dimensions of firm size and firm age using contour plots, where firm size and growth are measured in terms of employees. The analysis is based on Swedish total population data for the period 1990–2016, covering approximately 11, 000, 000 firm-year observations. The results show that the majority of HGFs are small, which partly follows the high representation of small firms in the population. Yet when considering the proportions of HGFs across firm ages and sizes, a distinct feature emerges in that the territory of small, old firms appears to be almost completely deserted—despite their large overall numbers—where firms in this category have the (by far) lowest chances of becoming HGFs.
AB - We map the distribution of High-Growth Firms (HGFs, or “gazelles”) across the dimensions of firm size and firm age using contour plots, where firm size and growth are measured in terms of employees. The analysis is based on Swedish total population data for the period 1990–2016, covering approximately 11, 000, 000 firm-year observations. The results show that the majority of HGFs are small, which partly follows the high representation of small firms in the population. Yet when considering the proportions of HGFs across firm ages and sizes, a distinct feature emerges in that the territory of small, old firms appears to be almost completely deserted—despite their large overall numbers—where firms in this category have the (by far) lowest chances of becoming HGFs.
KW - Big data
KW - Contour plots
KW - Firm growth
KW - High-growth firms
KW - SME policy
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jbvi.2021.e00286
DO - 10.1016/j.jbvi.2021.e00286
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85119374445
SN - 2352-6734
VL - 17
JO - Journal of Business Venturing Insights
JF - Journal of Business Venturing Insights
M1 - e00286
ER -