Startup activities of established Finnish companies
Saalasti, Sini (2016)
2016
Kauppatieteiden tutkinto-ohjelma - Degree Programme in Business Studies
Johtamiskorkeakoulu - School of Management
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2016-12-16
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:uta-201612202871
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:uta-201612202871
Tiivistelmä
Established companies have collaborated with startups for decades in order to enhance their capabilities in technology and innovation. However, in the recent years, the changes in the business environment have induced established companies to increase their collaboration with startups. Thus, startup activities of established companies have become a timely phenomenon. This study explores the startup activities of established companies by analyzing all the activity established companies conduct in collaboration with startups, related to startups and as startups. The aims of this study are to explore how, why and how extensively established companies engage in their startup activities.
The theoretical background of this study is based on the previous discussions of corporate entrepreneurship. Corporate entrepreneurship describes various entrepreneurial phenomena appearing in corporations. It includes corporate venturing and strategic endeavors of entrepreneurial actions. The concept is broad and ambiguous, but scholars value its heterogeneity. A theoretical framework of the purposes and forms of corporate entrepreneurship is presented. The empirical research is based on a qualitative study. Eleven Finnish companies from varied industries provide the empirical research subject. The data is collected by semi-structured interviews, observation in events and by using secondary data sources, such as non-academic reports and company communications. The analysis method is content analysis.
The findings suggest that the reasons to engage in startup activity vary from strict business goals to reputational and social purposes. Based on the empirical materials, established companies can be categorized into four categories in terms of their engagement in startup activities. The categories are: no startup activity, opportunists, special know-how exploiters and strategic exploiters. The main empirical findings also include the favorable aspects towards startup activity: keeping up with the changes of the business environment, developing the business, developing the organization, repute advantages, and social responsibility, as well as the negative aspects: encountering and finding the startups, risky partners, financial matters, the effect of industry, cultural challenges, and the impact of management guidelines.
In conclusion, the study suggests that startup activities of established companies are one manifestation form of corporate entrepreneurship. Thus, corporate entrepreneurship can be conducted through startup activities. The studied companies mostly associate their activities to practical matters. They conceive different features of types of corporate entrepreneurship, but they do not plan their startup activities in the way the theory defines.
The theoretical background of this study is based on the previous discussions of corporate entrepreneurship. Corporate entrepreneurship describes various entrepreneurial phenomena appearing in corporations. It includes corporate venturing and strategic endeavors of entrepreneurial actions. The concept is broad and ambiguous, but scholars value its heterogeneity. A theoretical framework of the purposes and forms of corporate entrepreneurship is presented. The empirical research is based on a qualitative study. Eleven Finnish companies from varied industries provide the empirical research subject. The data is collected by semi-structured interviews, observation in events and by using secondary data sources, such as non-academic reports and company communications. The analysis method is content analysis.
The findings suggest that the reasons to engage in startup activity vary from strict business goals to reputational and social purposes. Based on the empirical materials, established companies can be categorized into four categories in terms of their engagement in startup activities. The categories are: no startup activity, opportunists, special know-how exploiters and strategic exploiters. The main empirical findings also include the favorable aspects towards startup activity: keeping up with the changes of the business environment, developing the business, developing the organization, repute advantages, and social responsibility, as well as the negative aspects: encountering and finding the startups, risky partners, financial matters, the effect of industry, cultural challenges, and the impact of management guidelines.
In conclusion, the study suggests that startup activities of established companies are one manifestation form of corporate entrepreneurship. Thus, corporate entrepreneurship can be conducted through startup activities. The studied companies mostly associate their activities to practical matters. They conceive different features of types of corporate entrepreneurship, but they do not plan their startup activities in the way the theory defines.