Mitigating the limited scalability of bootstrapping through strategic alliances to enhance new venture growth

Abstract

Although the benefits of bootstrapping are widely known, decreasing returns to venture growth from this strategy are less understood; falls in returns. Decreasing returns may result from limited scalability and increased costs resulting from reduced legitimacy among stakeholders. Using a sample of high-technology firms, this article tests the non-linear relationship between bootstrapping and venture growth and the moderating effects of alliances on this non-linear relationship. We find that bootstrapping has an inverted-U relationship with venture growth; however, alliance diversity enhances the positive effects of bootstrapping while mitigating its negative effects on venture growth.