Sabine Jung - Development of a Heuristic Rating Model for the Classification of Know-how-intensive and Technology-oriented Start-ups (kitss) in Austria

The paper provides an insight into a doctoral thesis at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Objective of this work was to analyse the reasons for success of know-how-intensive and technology-oriented Start-ups (KITSs) and to assess the potential for success at an early point of time in the companies’ life cycle development. By demonstrating factors for success and failure and using them for the categorisation of start-ups, information asymmetries should be reduced and the success rate of these companies increased. First, an explanatory model of the success of KITSs was developed, describing success factors as a cause for subsequent company success (effect). Success factors, relevance systems and interactions were identified in expert interviews, providing empirical cause-effect relationships based on experience. Second, a descriptive decision model (rating model) was derived which enables the categorisation (“Stars”, “High potential for success”, “Low potential for success”) of a single case (specific KITS) through the application of the “general rules” identified in the success factors analysis. Success factors research (strategic management theory), rating theory (and practice) as well as model theory (heuristics) provide the theoretical framework for this work. A qualitative research design allowed the generation of a deeper understanding of the complex problem area. Furthermore, the lack of studies focusing on KITSs providing an up to date variable pool lead to a qualitative-explorative approach. 36 poblem-centered interviews were conducted with founders of young, established but also failed know-how-intensive and technology-oriented companies from different industry fields and experts of technology-intensive markets and companies (venture capitalists, business angels, representatives of funding agencies and incubators, start-up coaches, serial entrepreneurs). Factors for success and failure were identified in the domains of “team”, “finance” and “market-technology-fit”. For the rating model, the success factors are viewed as the “rating criteria”, factors for failure as “warning signals”. The weight of each rating criteria relates to the respective relevance identified in the success factors model and varies in dependence of the distinguishing features applicable to the specific KITS. For the evaluation of the KITS, the classification heuristics for evaluation and selection of alternatives “tallying” and “take-the-best” were identified. As one further result of the interviews, a “rating heuristic” was developed for the evaluation (rating) of a specific KITS.