Management priorities of digital health service start-ups in California

Abstract Digitalisation has revolutionised health service delivery, which has provided global business opportunities for start-ups that specialise in digital innovations. Such start-ups challenge the traditional healthcare service industry by introducing radical and sustainable innovations in the agile product development cycle and the creative acquisition of resources within their networks. Starting up is the most critical period in establishing a new digital health service company. However, little is known about the critical early growth processes of newly established digital healthcare service businesses. The aim of this study is to clarify the experience-based priorities of managers of digital health service businesses in California during the critical start-up stage. Based on this multiple case study, the qualitative and contextual characteristics of growth in California-based digital health service start-ups were clarified, and a framework of management priorities was formed. Network management is a high priority in digital service start-ups that are focused on bringing radical innovations to the complex and hard-to-access market where fundraising is an integral part of success

Early stages of service business:review and synthesis

Abstract Many stage models have been introduced to clarify management priorities during the early stages of business growth. However, many of these models are conceptual and universal, providing only limited benefits to specific industries and business contexts. The early stages of technology-based ventures have attracted interest, while little attention has been paid to the early stages of service-based firms. This study examines the early stages of growth in service-based firms. The following research questions are posed: What are the basic characteristics of recent empirical studies on the early stages of service-based firms? What are the themes and sequential patterns in the early stages of service-based firms as revealed in the recent empirical literature? This study provides a meta-analytical review designed to answer the research questions. A group of recent empirical-stage models of the early stages of service-based business were selected for meta-analysis and synthesis. The meta-analysis integrates the findings of these models and introduces a self-evaluation framework for the early stages of service-based companies

The early stages of growth in technology- and service-based firms

Abstract Many stages of growth models have been introduced to clarify management priorities during the early stages of business growth. However, many of these models are conceptual and universal, providing only limited benefits to specific industries and business contexts. The early stages of technology-based ventures have attracted broad interest, while less attention has been paid to the early stages of service-based firms. However, in recent years, interest in service-based businesses, as well as servitisation, has grown. This literature-based study explores and compares the early stages of growth in service-based and technology-based firms. On one hand, this study condenses the basic characteristics of recent empirical studies on the early stages of technology- and service-based firms. On the other, this study clarifies the central themes, sequential patterns and central differences in the early stages of service- and technology-based firms. This study pinpoints the importance of contextual understanding related to the early stages of business growth and encourages the scholars towards bridging the contextual gaps of this stream of literature