This volume not only illustrates the research that is being done in the
area of human resources in entrepreneurial firms but it raises many
issues that exemplify the complexity of the topic. It is not a case of
small versus large firms. There are small established firms, small
start-up firms and small high growth firms. As pointed out by Alvarez
and Molloy these firms differ with established firms dealing with risk
while high growth firms deal with uncertainty. These firms vary in
ownership based on family ownership, ownership by founder, or some type
of privately held stock ownership. These firms also vary based on how
they handle people issues: structure versus lack of structure; the
traditional HR functional approach versus the use of people management
practices; person-job fit versus person- organization fit; ability and
work experience versus integrity and conscientiousness; work processes
and bureaucracy versus agility and adaptability; tasks versus roles;
in-house professionals versus reliance on third-party vendors;
traditional pay versus variable pay; short-term orientation of
incentives versus long-term orientation of incentives; and many more. We
challenge you to pursue this stream of research and to help not only
develop theory and conceptual models and pursue empirical research but
to also disseminate your information in a way that will help
practitioners and owners in all the small and high growth firms.
