Navigating through the Journey of Growth in the Scandinavian Food Industry: A Multi-case Study Indentifying Growth Factors

Abstract

Growth is a broad concept that can be defined and measured in several ways. In this thesis, growth was treated as a process. Thus, this study was designed to explore the growth journey of Small and medium-sized enterprises in the Scandinavian food industry. The mission was to identify factors that Small and medium-sized enterprises should focus on while growing, as these factors are linked to opportunities that could generate growth of the firm, or challenges that hinder growth of the firm. This thesis studies the phenomenon of how Small and Medium-enterprises navigate through the Scandinavian food industry. Taking a qualitative research approach of inductive reasoning, this study conducted a multi-case study of four companies at various stages of growth based on interviews with four industry professionals. In an attempt to look for patterns amongst these in their growth journey, we conclude that Small and Medium-enterprises should focus on four factors in their attempt to grow their venture: Human Capital and capabilities, Alliances and collaboration, Product Diversification, development and Innovation as well as Financial Capital and investments. We recommend Small and medium-sized enterprises to place focus and emphasis on the four factors we have identified, as these might be involved in the growth journey through the Scandinavian food industry.