Common use of Contribution to Theory Clause in Contracts

Contribution to Theory. This dissertation contributes to theory in two different forms. First, I contribute to the concept of dynamic capabilities. Although accepted as important, the framework has been subject to various points of critique. Different scholars (e.g., ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 1994; ▇▇▇▇ 1999; ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 1999; ▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ 2001) argue that the framework is tautological, non-operational, theoretically vague, and lacks empirical grounding (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ 2000; ▇▇▇▇▇▇ 2001; ▇▇▇▇ 2004). Although many scholars refer to the concept for empirical research, most of them use it rather to establish the context than to underpin the concept directly. However, some empirical work (e.g., ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 1994; ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 1999) constitutes very concrete tests of the framework (▇▇▇▇▇▇ 2001). In this dissertation, I operationalise the concept of dynamic capabilities to apply it to the growth processes of entrepreneurial firms. First, I identify the different capabilities that are required in a start-up company and thus address the criticism that the concept is non- operational. In addition, I contribute to the theory by describing the evolution of dynamic capabilities in entrepreneurial ventures. Finally, I enrich the strategic management framework by providing empirical grounding through the multi-method, multi-case field research described in the previous chapter. The second major contribution to theory focuses on the field of entrepreneurship research. By applying the concept of dynamic capabilities, I develop a framework that allows the tracking of the growth processes of technology-based new ventures over time. I identify differences in the growth processes of start-up companies and link these characteristics to performance.