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Business Development in Post-Growth Economies: Challenging Assumptions in the Existing Business Growth Literature
Thomas Cyron 1,*
, Jan Cornelius Zoellick 2
, Jan Cornelius Zoellick 2Affiliations
Article Info
1 Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping University, Gjuterigatan 5, 551 11 Jönköping, Sweden
2 Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany and Institute of Sociology, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Existing literature has not specifically examined individual business growth in post-growth economies. This paper challenges dominant assumptions in the business growth literature by considering post-growth economies as an organisational context characterised by natural resource scarcity and an absence of macro-level economic expansion. We investigate conceptually how such a context impacts business growth theory by seeking to answer three major questions: (1) What is business growth? (2) Why do businesses grow? (3) And how do businesses grow? Accordingly, post-growth contexts pose three major challenges to business growth theorising: (1) business growth as an increase in measurable outcomes, (2) resource competition and dispositive path dependencies, and (3) detrimental growth modes and strategies. Based upon six revised assumptions, we re-define business development in line with forces at work in post-growth economies. We further suggest a multidimensional research agenda that can ca