Title: Growth management of digital service startups in the Brazilian context

Authors: Laura de Amorim Lana Dib; Matti Muhos; Veronica Freitas de Paula; Vérica Freitas; Martti Saarela

Addresses: School of Business and Management, UFU – Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. João Naves de Ávila, 216 – Santa Mônica, Uberlândia – MG 38400-902, Brazil ' Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu, Pajatie 5, FI-85500 Nivala, Finland ' School of Business and Management, UFU – Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. João Naves de Ávila, 216 – Santa Mônica, Uberlândia – MG 38400-902, Brazil ' School of Business and Management, UFU – Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. João Naves de Ávila, 216 – Santa Mônica, Uberlândia – MG 38400-902, Brazil ' Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu, Pajatie 5, FI-85500 Nivala, Finland

Abstract: Even though growth management in digital startups has been researched in developed countries, there is a relative paucity in the context of emerging economies. This study aims to bridge the above-described gap by clarifying the growth management priorities of digital service startups in Brazil by analysing the experiences of the owner-managers of and reflecting these through a thematic framework of service business growth management. A multiple-case study was conducted using the critical incident technique on nine startups. As a result, this study opens the contextual aspects of growth management in Brazilian digital service startups from the perspectives of digital service business and Brazilian startup ecosystem. The findings can be used as propositions for theory building and as a benchmark for the owner-managers, intermediaries, and policymakers. The research strategies presented in this study can be used as reference for opening new contexts.

Keywords: startup; digital service; startup stage; service business; Brazil; growth management; enterprise development; digitalisation; contextual characteristics; multiple case study; emerging economies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2024.138442

International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 2024 Vol.23 No.1, pp.51 - 72

Received: 02 Jul 2023
Accepted: 22 Jan 2024
Published online: 03 May 2024 *

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