Operational functions for innovative startups in France

Submitted by Alexandre Jacob Dahan (alexandrejacob.dahan@sciencespo.fr) on 2016-03-16T09:01:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Operational functions for innovative startups in France_MPGI 2016_Final Report.pdf: 2060248 bytes, checksum: dbc8287f2f7b13950e3798fecfc12d59 (MD5) === Approved for entry into archi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Dahan, Alexandre Jacob
Other Authors: Escolas::EAESP
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10438/15955
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Summary:Submitted by Alexandre Jacob Dahan (alexandrejacob.dahan@sciencespo.fr) on 2016-03-16T09:01:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Operational functions for innovative startups in France_MPGI 2016_Final Report.pdf: 2060248 bytes, checksum: dbc8287f2f7b13950e3798fecfc12d59 (MD5) === Approved for entry into archive by Ana Luiza Holme (ana.holme@fgv.br) on 2016-03-16T12:17:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Operational functions for innovative startups in France_MPGI 2016_Final Report.pdf: 2060248 bytes, checksum: dbc8287f2f7b13950e3798fecfc12d59 (MD5) === Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-16T12:49:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Operational functions for innovative startups in France_MPGI 2016_Final Report.pdf: 2060248 bytes, checksum: dbc8287f2f7b13950e3798fecfc12d59 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-16 === This thesis will try to understand the importance of operational functions in French startups.A huge flexibility in tasks to be covered and a horizontal management characterize startups. Thus, it is very uncommon for newly created companies like startups to have a clear human resources management policy. Indeed, every partner or people in the startup may be brought to think about very large issues such as sales, business development, commercialization, marketing and technology or product development. This thesis will not scrutinize each task or the time spent at working in each of these tasks. It will rather look for the perception of the allocation preferences regarding each key function of the newly company. Whatever the sector in consideration or the startup stage of maturity, key functions that are perceived to make the startup successful are research & development and commercialisation. Managerial functions are not the most important ones. Technologyoriented startups consider the 'CEO function' as key whereas services startups do not put so much importance in it. Serial entrepreneurs might put more attention to marketing and fundraising functions rather than management function. Indeed, as experienced entrepreneurs, they also anticipate middle-term issues. Finally, entrepreneurs often have a bias regarding their academic background because they overestimate functions they think they can do compared to functions they are able to do. This thesis will try to show the link between operational functions exercised by a partner and the shares he owns in the startup. This link depends on the number of partners (known as shareholders), the type of partners (principal shareholders or secondary shareholders) and the impact of corporate governance regarding equity distribution. This work will lead to quantify and measure the importance of each basic function in newly created companies. In the end, it appears that partners’ responsibilities can explain equity distribution even if this criterion is not unique and sufficient enough. Indeed, functions’ importance is only one of the factors explaining equity distribution. Entrepreneurs perceive R&D and commercialization as Moreover, the thesis has also pointed out some limits (non-operational partners are neglected and assuming linearity of equity distribution based on functions’ respective weight might not be the best approach) === Nessa tese, é buscado um maior entendimento sobre a importância das funções operacionais nas startups francesas. Uma grande flexibilidade das tarefas a ser coberta e uma gestão horizontal caracterizam as startups. Desse jeito, não é muito comum para as empresas recentemente criadas como as startups ter uma politica clara de recursos humanos. Na verdade, cada participante na start-up pode ser levado a pensar de forma diferente em termos de vendas desenvolvimento de negócios, comercialização, marketing, tecnologia ou desenvolvimento de produto. Essa tese não vai explorar cada uma dessas tarefas. Mas vai procurar para identifcar a percepção sobre a alocação ótima de recursos para cada função chave da nova empresa. Qualquer seja o setor de mercado em consideração ou o estágio de amadurecimento da startup, funções chaves que são percebidas como sendo a base para start-ups bem sucedidas são pesquisa & desenvolvimento e comercialização. Funções de liderança não são tão importantes. Somente a startup focada na tecnologia tem uma 'função de chefe executivo' com maior importância do que as startups médias. Além disso, empreendedores em série, bem sucedidos ou não, focam predominantemente aspectos relacionados ao marketing e à captação de recursos em detrimento de aspectos ligados à gestão do negócio. No final, os empresários, muitas vezes tem um preconceito ao respeito da sua formação acadêmica porque ele sobrestimam funções que eles pensam poder fazer em comparação das funções que eles são capazes de fazer. Nessa tese, intent-se demonstrar a relação entre as funções ocupadas por um sócio e as ações que ele possui na startup. Essa relação depende do número de sócios (conhecido como acionistas), o tipo de sócios (acionistas principais ou acionistas segundarias) e o impacto na administração corporativa a respeito da distribuição do capital próprio.