Entrepreneurship and New Gazelle Creation

Despite entrepreneurship practice extending back thousands of years, only recently has research identified a rare breed of entrepreneurial firm, new gazelles, which appear to be economic dynamos of national and regional development. New gazelles start life larger and grow much faster in their early years, than other new firms. Some grow big. Some may become corporate superstars. This study argues it is not just which activities entrepreneurs pursue during firm conception, but how entrepreneurs pursue those activities, that may lead to birth of a new gazelle. Based on in-depth interviews during 2002 with ten entrepreneurs, four who created new gazelles and six who did not, this study identified certain activities and how those activities were pursued that appeared key to new gazelle creation. Also examined were the roles entrepreneurs played in pursuit of those activities and what new gazelles looked like as they entered the market. This study offers entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship academics and students, as well as economic policymakers a glimpse into the fascinating, complex world of entrepreneurs, who strive to create a rare but particularly important type of new firm.