Riassunto analitico
This research investigates the relationship between team composition and performance in innovative start-up companies, in particular the heterogeneity or homogeneity of the team and the deriving advantages or disadvantages in terms of growth. The purpose of such explorative analysis is to model a pattern able to represent the evidences emerged during the research and to provide a hint of how team composition can affect growth in new ventures. To achieve the aimed results a qualitative analysis has been carried out and data have been collected through interviews in ten innovative start-ups based in the Modena and Reggio Emilia area and operating in the ICT and electronics industries, the app and online platforms development sector, engineering and other science- and knowledge-based industries. The variables taken into account to assess the degree of heterogeneity of teams are area of study, achieved level of study, industry experience and start-up experience. The Herfindal-Hirschman Index indicates the degree of variety within teams. Performances have been expressed through different parameters, according to firm-specific and industry-specific constraints. While findings are quite variegated, results tend to converge towards a main pattern where team homogeneity is generally associated to poorer growth performances. Nevertheless there is room for moderating factors, such as industry experience level and networking capacity, whose static and dynamic effects in the relationship between team heterogeneity and firm’s growth are presented and analyzed.
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