Early Stages of Technology-Intensive Companies in Southern California

Purpose: Numerous stage models have attempted to clarify management priorities during the early stages of companies. However, a need for more focused and context-specific studies exists. This study seeks to clarify the early stages of technology- intensive companies in Southern California. To summarise the research questions, the authors ask: What early stages do technology-intensive companies face based on empirically based stage literature? How do the experiences of managers in early-stage technology-intensive companies relate to assumptions of such stage framework? What viewpoints should be considered when using stage framework in context of Southern California? Design/methodology/approach: To answer these questions, this retrospective multiple case study devises a four-stage framework describing early stages of technology-intensive companies and reflects it through nine case studies. The study utilises sequential incident technique (SIT) and semi-structured interviews in data collection. Three perspectives were analysed in each case company for triangulation purposes – one from company management, one from operations management, and one from marketing management. Findings: The applicability of the framework will be clarified in this study; moreover, an analysis of context-specific viewpoints will be provided. It is necessary to recognise these viewpoints when using this framework in Southern California. Research limitations/implications: The research focus of this study is limited to the context studied. This limits the applicability of the explorative and descriptive results to other contexts. Practical implications: The results of the study may be effectively used in intermediary organisations and companies as framework for predicting the early-stages of technology intensive companies. Originality/value: The context specific viewpoints and their affect to the early stages of company have not been broadly studied - this study takes the context into account and provides new insights into growth-management of technology-intensive companies in the studied context.