Size Really Matters—New Insights for Start-ups’ Survival
基于以色列软件初创企业的数据，研究发现管理者非正式沟通网络规模越大，初创企业在外部冲击（如互联网泡沫破裂）中生存的概率越高，为创业者提供了实用指导。
This paper presents new evidence regarding a firm’s probability for survival, based on the network structure of the firm’s managers. We found that start-ups that have larger informal communication networks increased their chance to survive external shock. Original data have been collected from Israeli software start-ups during the dot-com economic growth. About eight years later, we added information about their ability to survive the burst of the dot-com bubble. From a theoretical point of view, this paper highlights the power of the classic social networks approach in explaining organizational performance. From a practical point of view, these findings offer some guidelines for managers of start-ups. Our results show that the size of informal interfirm networks really matters.