A multiple case study on success factors for Dutch sustainable startups Author:
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2024-06-12
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en
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Abstract
With the large environmental challenges society faces today, there is an urgent need for
startups to use innovative solutions to address those challenges. These sustainable startups
are mostly driven by innovation and technological advancements. Compared to traditional
businesses, sustainable startups have the advantage of not being bound by shareholders and
existing arrangements. But these startups also face sustainability-related challenges like the
sustainable startup paradox, where the potential climate performance can contradict the
business performance of the startup. This research aims to identify different factors influencing
the success of Dutch sustainable startups. The method used for this research is a multiple
case study following the Eisenhardt method on different success factors within the strategy of
environmentally sustainable startups located in the Netherlands. These success factors are
divided into three levels: internal, external, and contextual success factors. In total, twelve
experts within the field of Dutch sustainable startups are interviewed and these interviews are
analyzed using a within-case analysis and a cross-case pattern search. These experts are
founders and managers of startups and scaleups, coaches of incubators and accelerators,
managers of investment platforms, and a government official. This analysis resulted in several
success factors, of which the most critical for this research are: the focus on the impact of the
product, the network of the entrepreneur, and the region where the startup operates. These
results are interpreted using the literature on sustainable startups and the Resource-Based
View. These results fill the gap in the literature where there was a need for qualitative research
about factors influencing sustainable startups, where little was known about Dutch sustainable
startups. This research also offers tools for sustainable entrepreneurs to improve their
strategies and enable them to create more environmental impact.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen