A Penrosean theory of acquisitive growth

Andy Lockett and Andrew Wild

Business History, 2013, vol. 55, issue 5, 790-817

Abstract: Penrose's book The Theory of the Growth of the Firm presents a growth theory that overwhelmingly relates to organic growth, with little explicit focus on acquisitive growth. This article addresses the gap in her growth theory by drawing on the historical case of Enodis, and insights from the resource-based view of the firm, to develop a Penrosean theory of acquisitive growth. It concludes that acquisitive growth not only enables a firm to grow more quickly, but that under specific conditions, through its increase in the diversity of resources at the disposal of managers, it may act as a spur to future organic growth.

Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1080/00076791.2013.790370

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