Embracing the “fail fast and learn fast” mindset: conceptualizing learning from failure in knowledge-intensive SMEs

Koporcic, NikolinaLuleå tekniska universitet,Industriell ekonomi,Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Vantaa, Finland (författare)

Full text license: CC BY
“Fail fast and learn fast” is a principle commonly advanced to quickly grow and scale startups and SMEs. However, the literature lacks detailed insights into how such learning is organized. The paper aims to investigate how knowledge-intensive SMEs learn from failures through organizational learning processes. To answer this question, we present in-depth case studies of three SMEs that operate in a dynamic context where quick adaption to changes, failures, and learning are natural modes of practice. Our findings present the learning from the failure process, which includes three phases: (1) failure recognition, (2) interactive sensemaking, and (3) organizational adaptation. We condense our insights into a framework disentangling how SMEs succeed and fail and how they can learn from failures through their underlying learning processes. We contribute to prior literature on organizational learning in SMEs by focusing on knowledge-intensive SMEs and practices that enable effective learning from failures.

Sjödin, DavidLuleå tekniska universitet,Industriell ekonomi,University of South-Eastern Norway, USN Business School, Horten, Norway(Swepub:ltu)davron (författare)
Kohtamäki, MarkoLuleå tekniska universitet,Industriell ekonomi,School of Management, University of Vaasa, Vaasa, Finland(Swepub:ltu)markot (författare)
Parida, VinitLuleå tekniska universitet,Industriell ekonomi,University of South-Eastern Norway, USN Business School, Horten, Norway; School of Management, University of Vaasa, Vaasa, Finland(Swepub:ltu)vinpar (författare)
Luleå tekniska universitetIndustriell ekonomi (creator_code:org_t)

Av författaren/redakt...: Koporcic, Nikoli ...; Sjödin, David; Kohtamäki, Marko; Parida, Vinit

Om ämnet

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP: SAMHÄLLSVETENSKA ...; och Ekonomi och näri ...; och Företagsekonomi

Kungliga biblioteket hanterar dina personuppgifter i enlighet med EU:s dataskyddsförordning (2018), GDPR. Läs mer om hur det funkar här.
Så här hanterar KB dina uppgifter vid användning av denna tjänst.