Catching Up with Gazelles: A Systematic Literature Review of High Growth Antecedents

Abstract

Research on high-growth firms (HGFs) or gazelles is expanding due to their significant contribution to job growth and economic development. However, the knowledge about the conditions and factors that set these firms on their rapid growth trajectory remains fragmented. Therefore, this chapter provides an abreast inventory of the surging gazelle studies by systematically reviewing the international gazelle growth literature and consolidating firm-level, industry-level, and macroeconomic-level growth factors and their interactions as elaborated in the studies. Based on the review of 62 international empirical studies, this chapter finds that the gazelle growth is complex and multidimensional in its scope and nature. The firm’s growth intention and entrepreneurial nature emerge as necessary but not sufficient conditions to guarantee rapid growth as it results from the impact of and interaction between various firm-level and external factors. The different growth-influencing factors are summarized using a theoretical gazelle growth model, which supports the rare and temporal nature of the gazelle growth.

Citation

Gaikwad, P. (2022), "Catching Up with Gazelles: A Systematic Literature Review of High Growth Antecedents", Becker-Ritterspach, F., Dörrenbächer, C. and Tomenendal, M. (Ed.) The Promises and Properties of Rapidly Growing Companies: Gazelles, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 7-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-818-120221002