Do all entrepreneurs want to make their new technology-based firm grow An approach through expected consequences of growth

Abstract

Because the French Government is aware of the high potential of new technology-based firms' (NTBFs) in terms of supporting economic growth, it has set up specific support measures since many years. However, there still is a strong heterogeneity of their growth trajectories. This research aims to better understand this heterogeneity by analysing entrepreneurs' motives for growth. We study the representations of 253 NTBFs' entrepreneurs whose firms have been supported by the French Ministry in charge of Research. We show that it is necessary to better understand the expected consequences that those entrepreneurs anticipate in case of strong growth in order to better understand their motivation to make their business grow.