Capabilities in small high-tech firms : A case of plural-Entrepreneurship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of evaluating the innovative/entrepreneurial capabilities of small firms in high-technology industries. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is a literature review and case study. Findings – The contribution of the paper is twofold: in the first part, it is tried to distinguish the different forms of entrepreneurship existing. This leads to determine a form of entrepreneurship, plural entrepreneurship, that is typical in high-tech start-ups. In the second part, it is then tried to evaluate the innovative/entrepreneurial capabilities of a firm in such a framework. This is based on a longitudinal case study of a high-tech start-up where we explore how different dimensions of entrepreneurship coexist and interplay to create a firm’s innovative dynamics depending on its initial resources and those added during the firm’s growth. Originality/value – The paper is an original attempt to distinguish different notions of entrepreneurship including the notion of plural-entrepreneurship and capabilities in a small enterprise. Keywords Entrepreneurialism, Innovation, Small enterprises Paper type Research pape