scholarly journals Digital news start-ups in Spain: symbolic and social capital as drivers of success

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 393-409
Author(s):  
Terese Mendiguren Galdospin ◽  
Irati Agirreazkuenaga Onaindia ◽  
Koldo Meso Ayerdi
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
Financial Capital ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Past ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Digital News ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
The Media ◽  
Start Ups

Ongoing downsizing in the media sector has sparked a new start-up culture in the field of journalism. Over the past few years an increasing number of news organizations seeking to leverage social and symbolic rather than financial capital and cultivate employee as well as audience loyalty have entered the market (Wagemans, Witschge and Deuze, 2016). This paper examines El Diario (eldiario.es) and El Confidencial (elconfidencial.com). Qualitative methods involving the on-site observation in their newsrooms and semi-structured interviews with their journalists were employed. Findings indicate that both see themselves as alternative news providers whose emphasis El Diario draws heavily upon the symbolic capital of its founder Ignacio Escolar, El Confidencial, has banked primarily on its social capital.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE INFORMAL ECONOMY: A STUDY OF UKRAINE'S HIDDEN ENTERPRISE CULTURE

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 119-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS ◽  
JOHN ROUND
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Enterprise Culture ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Past ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Start Ups

How many entrepreneurs start-up their business ventures conducting some or all of their trade in the informal economy? The aim of this paper is to answer this key question that has been seldom addressed using data from 600 face-to-face structured interviews conducted in Ukraine in late 2005 and early 2006. Analyzing the 331 entrepreneurs identified (i.e., individuals starting-up an enterprise in the past three years), just 10 percent operate on a wholly legitimate basis, while 39 percent have a license to trade and/or have registered their business but conduct a portion of their trade in the informal economy, and 51 percent operate unregistered enterprises and conduct all of their trade on an off-the-books basis. Given that some 90 percent of all business start-ups operate partially or wholly in the informal economy, and that 40 percent of all respondents depend on the informal economy as either their principal or secondary contributor to their livelihoods, the paper concludes by considering the wider implications of these findings both for further research and public policy.

Exploring the role of business relationships in start-ups’ life cycles

IMP Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-543
Author(s):  
Chiara Cantù ◽  
Sepe Giorgia ◽  
Alessandra Tzannis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Resources ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose Differently from previous works that focused on the entrepreneur and on his ability to manage social relationships, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of business relationships in the different stages of the life cycle of a start-up. Design/methodology/approach Since the paper aims to explore startups’ evolutionary phenomenon, it adopts a qualitative abductive methodology, presenting an in-depth study of two innovative Italian start-ups. The research is based on two steps. In the first one, the authors collected secondary data from start-ups’ reports and documents, financial indicators (when available) and processed them to understand their background. In the second one, the authors conducted ten semi-structured interviews, including face-to-face interviews, phone interviews and video conferences. Findings The paper presents a relationship-based life cycle model composed of four different stages, depending on the number and role of relationships developed. Indeed, since the beginning, start-ups adopt a relational approach and their evolution involves the shift from the focus on the entrepreneur to the centrality of a network approach based on interconnected relationships. The entering into a new stage of life cycle depends on relationships, mainly based on connected actors and resources shared and combined. Even if a key role is assumed by technology, the main resource is identified in the knowledge concerning the customer/user’s needs that require marketing competencies, human resources, relational capabilities. Thus, the shift from one stage to the next in the start-up’s life cycle is possible thanks to a parallel shift from a focus on the activities to a focus on those strategic and heterogeneous actors that ensure activities. Originality/value In a traditional perspective, the start-up’s life cycle depends on activities, financial resources and revenues, as stated by previous life cycle models. In a different perspective, as depicted in our analysis, the evolution of a start-up depends on the portfolio of their business relationships. The role of business relationships is hence to facilitate the interconnections within specialized key actors, which allow start-ups to access strategic resources. These resources are essential in order to develop the activities that characterize the specific stage of the life cycle.

Syndication in Venture Capital Investment in India: An Empirical Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarita Mishra ◽  
Dinabandhu Bag
Keyword(s):  
Venture Capital ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Control Mechanism ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Venture Capital Investment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Common Trend ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups

Indian economy witnessed high inflow of capital for start-ups in current fiscal year through venture capital (VC) investment. From different Indian VC deals, it is evident that VC investors prefer to invest jointly. In other words, joint investment or co-investment or syndication is a common trend in Indian VC industry. VCs adopt this strategy to minimise their future uncertainties as a part of the control mechanism. In this study, an attempt is made to find out different determinants of this syndication strategy. The samples taken in this study are retrieved from Venture Intelligence database for the period 2005–2014. The data are analysed through linear regression and binomial logistic regression. Two empirical models have been developed. The derived models validate different control variables and deal with specific characteristics to comprehend the rationale of syndication mechanism. The findings of the study indicate that the past experience and the number of industry exposure of a VC in IT and ITES industry are the major predictors for a syndication decision. Subsequently, the precautionary investment attributes like number of investment round, stage funding, etc. draw the interest of potential co-investors in a syndicated deal. Syndication mechanism benefits the VC investors through sharing of risk of investment in a start-up and preparing them for a successful exit. Extant literature supports the results as Indian VC investors prefer to share the risk profile of a start-up business and adopt different risk diversion mechanisms to attract co-investors in the deal. Furthermore, the joint investment by investors drag more funding amount and also create more human capital for efficient management of the investment in VC-backed portfolio.

Enterprise survival in the high-tech community: persuasion and power in board decisions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronit Yitshaki ◽  
Eli Gimmon ◽  
Susanna Khavul
Keyword(s):  
High Tech ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Long Term Survival ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Processes ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose This study aims to examine the extent to which board size, the use of power by venture capital investors and entrepreneurs’ interpersonal tactics such as persuasion to sway board decisions, influence the long-term survival of start-ups. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative part is based on data collected from 179 chief executive officers (CEOs) of high-tech start-ups community financed by venture capitalists (VCs) in Israel of which 59 did not survive. To achieve a better understanding of these findings, semi-structured interviews with 12 entrepreneurs were conducted. Findings Smaller boards were positively associated with venture survival. The use of power by VC investors positively influenced start-up survival. CEO persuasion had a negative effect on venture survival; however, its interaction with board size suggests that it had a lesser effect on very small boards. Practical implications Although investors’ control over decision-making contributes to long-term survival, entrepreneurs should be aware of the possible detrimental effects of exercising a high level of persuasion in board processes. The findings also suggest that a small board size is preferable for start-up survival. Originality/value Exploring the effect of board processes on venture survival is considered complex. A unique sample of high-technology start-ups consisting of both surviving and failed start-ups was analyzed to explore the effects of persuasion and power in board processes.

Empowering human resource functions with data-driven decision-making in start-ups: a narrative inquiry approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepkumar Varma ◽  
Pankaj Dutta
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Data Driven Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose Across industries, firms want to adopt data-driven decision-making (DDDM) in various organizational functions. Although DDDM is not a new paradigm, little is known about how to effectively implement DDDM and which problem areas to focus on in these functions. This study aims to enable start-ups to use DDDM in human resources (HR) by studying five HR domains using a narrative inquiry technique and aims to guide managers and HR practitioners in start-ups to enable data-driven decisions in HR. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts the narrative inquiry technique by conducting semi-structured interviews with HR practitioners and senior members handling HR functions in start-ups. Interview memos are thematically analyzed to identify repeated ideas, concepts or elements that become apparent. Findings The study findings indicate that start-ups need to have canned operational reports with right attributes in each of these HR domains, which members should use when performing HR tasks. Few metrics, like cost-to-hire in recruitment, distinctly surfaced relatively higher in importance that each start-up, should compute and use in decision-making. Practical implications Managers, HR practitioners and information technology implementation teams will be able to consume the findings to effectively design or evaluate HR processes or systems that empower decision-making in a start-up. Originality/value Start-ups have a fast-paced culture where creativity, relationships and nimbleness are valued. Prevalent decision models of larger organizations are not suitable in start-ups’ environments. This study, being cognizant of these nuances, takes a fresh approach to guide start-ups adopt DDDM in HR and identify key problem areas where decision-making should be enabled through data.

What do Indonesian start-ups communicate during the COVID-19 pandemic?

2022 ◽  
pp. 1329878X2110684
Author(s):  
Jandy Luik
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Human Values ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Mutual Assistance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Start Up ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Right ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
The Impact

This article aims to explore the media content during the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on the pandemic-handling videos released by start-up companies in Indonesia through their official YouTube accounts. As start-ups were also experiencing the impact of the pandemic, one of their biggest challenges was to communicate optimistic messages to the public with the right content and context. Therefore, this article examines the contents of the videos released by start-up companies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Drawing from the data collected between March and December 2020, this qualitative study finds four inspirational media themes: ‘ we all are affected by the pandemic’, the appearance of human values, presenting action taken, and optimistic expressions. Further, this article discusses the arrangement of inspirational statements and acts of empathy, which are predominantly mixed with brand identities and echo the value of gotong royong (mutual assistance).

The role of start-up incubators in cooperation networks from the perspective of resource dependence and interlocking directorates

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 2816-2836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anderson Galvão ◽  
Carla Marques ◽  
Mário Franco ◽  
Carla Mascarenhas
Keyword(s):  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Transaction Cost Economics ◽  
Resource Dependence Theory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interlocking Directorates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Dependence Theory ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose Based on resource dependence theory and the concept of interlocking directorates, the purpose of this paper is to understand the importance of networks for start-ups and the role incubators play in these companies’ networking processes. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with the entrepreneurs responsible for three start-ups and the heads of their incubators. The interview data were subjected to content analysis using NVivo software. Findings The results indicate that start-ups often resort to networks to overcome their weak reputations and scarce resources. Incubators play a quite important role in this process since they promote events that encourage the creation of partnerships and networks either between start-ups within the same incubator or with external institutions. In addition, the results reveal that most cooperation networks are informal and that they fulfil needs that start-ups are not yet able to meet themselves, for example, when they compete for public tenders. Practical implications The present study explored this topic from two perspectives (i.e. start-ups and incubators). This approach facilitated the identification of the main features upon which start-ups depend, the entities to which these companies turn for help, the kind of communication in which they usually engage, the primary advantages of establishing cooperation networks and the main types of support given by incubators. Originality/value Most studies of cooperation networks are based on transaction cost economics, a resource-based perspective and/or institutional theory. In contrast, this study innovated by applying resource dependence theory and the concept of interlocking directorates, which provided an alternative explanation regarding cooperation networks’ importance to start-ups and incubators’ roles in these companies’ networking processes.

scholarly journals Google, the media patron. How the digital giant ensnares journalism.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Fanta ◽  
Ingo Dachwitz
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Key Innovation ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Digital News ◽  
The Media ◽  
Publishing Houses ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Start Ups

The study describes how Google has funnelled more than 200 million euro in cash gifts to European media since 2013, while at the same time the company has resisted political efforts in Europe to force it to share advertising revenue with ailing publishing houses. Google’s first fund was created in France in 2013 to appease publishers calling for a “Google tax” on digital advertising. This provided a template for the future, as the study’s analysis of the origins of the Google News Initiative shows. The study describes how Google’s attention and gifts have transformed the relationship between the Silicon Valley company and German publishing houses. Findings are based on anonymised interviews with 25 German media executives and journalists covering digital media, a data analysis of 645 projects funded by Google’s Digital News Initiative (DNI) in Europe between 2015 and 2019, as well as a survey on the use of Google tools among German media houses. The research is flanked by an interview with two key figures in Google’s European news division and supported by an in-depth analysis of source material on origins of Google’s journalism initiative. Of Google’s giving to media between 2015 and 2019, the bulk of the money went to long-established Western European publishers. Commercial publishing businesses account for 70 percent of Google’s funding within the Digital News Initiative. Only 9 percent of funding went to non-profit and public service media companies, with other funds going to research institutions, individuals and non-journalistic media start-ups. The median founding date of funded organisations is 1996, which shows Google’s funding favours incumbent companies. (The company says funding decisions are made by experts and industry leaders on the board of its News Initiative, but it hand-picks who sits on that board.) While Google is not transparent about funding figures for media, the study is able to drawn on a data gathered from publishers and publicly available information. Interviews with publishing executives show that while most of them were sceptical of Google’s motives and several interviewees described the company’s funding as a PR exercise, the money was often spent on key innovation projects within publishing houses. “Well, we wouldn’t have done it otherwise, because we simply can’t afford it”, one manager told the authors.

scholarly journals EXPLORING SKILLS NEEDED FOR DISRUPTIVE DIGITAL BUSINESS

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 83-112
Author(s):  
Dewi Handayani ◽  
Jann Tjakraatmadja ◽  
Achmad Ghazali
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Education Technology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Analytical Thinking ◽  
Start Up ◽  
New Business ◽  
Core Questions ◽  
Start Ups

Research Purpose – In today’s disruptive digital business era, many new business models, such as digital start-ups, have emerged, and this phenomenon needs workers with particular skills. The aims of this preliminary empirical research paper are to explore and identify the skills needed for disruptive digital business in the Indonesian context, particularly in the Jakarta region. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with ten respondents from various types of Indonesian start-ups, such as unicorn start-up, financial technology and education technology, that have been in operation four to 12 years. The interviews were based on five core questions with the purpose of exploring respondents’ experience regarding skills needed and challenges faced at work in disruptive digital business. Observation was conducted at the Education Technology start-up office located in Jakarta with an aim to investigate workplace environment, and triangulation was used to validate the interviews’ results. Findings – The results show that (1) innovativeness, (2) leadership skills, (3) social interaction, (4) initiative mindsets, (5) self-disruption, (6) critical thinking, (7) management, and (8) analytical thinking are eight pivotal skills identified for managing disruptive digital business. Practical implications – Innovativeness, leadership and social interaction are the top three skills that are essential for actors in Indonesian digital start-ups to have competitive advantages in this disruptive digital business era. Original/value – This paper explores skills needed for the disruptive digital era in an Indonesian context.

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