Journal article
Steering through the storm: Managing startup growth and pivots
Organizational dynamics, v 55(1), 101205
Mar 2026
Featured in Collection : Drexel's Newest Publications
Abstract
Startups often need to pivot their direction in order to survive while at the same time maintaining momentum toward growth. Pivoting while trying to grow presents a complex and often conflicting challenge, forcing startups to balance adaptation and scalability. Attempting both simultaneously can overstretch limited resources and create tension among stakeholders. Existing research offers some insight into pivoting and growth as separate phenomena, but rarely examines them in tandem, leaving a gap in our understanding of how entrepreneurial firms manage the dual challenge of adapting their strategy while simultaneously striving to scale. This study examines how startups navigate the dual challenge of pivoting and growth as interconnected processes. While pivots typically arise from feedback, market shifts, or performance gaps, they do not halt the pursuit of growth. Instead, successful ventures leverage pivots as strategic resets that enable scaling—through operational adaptation, trust-building, and ecosystem engagement. Drawing from both qualitative and quantitative research in the FoodTech sector—a fast-moving industry marked by scalability and regulatory challenges—this study explores the intertwined processes of pivoting and growth, offering a practical framework for managing organizational transitions. We introduce the WHIL model, which captures four perceptual dimensions (Worth, Hope, Identity, and Legitimacy) that shape stakeholder responses to change, mapping these dimensions against transition type and trust level. Ultimately, the research provides a diagnostic toolkit based on five elements: change agents, ecosystem capital, internal communication, trust in leadership, and organizational identity. By framing growth and pivoting as interconnected, this study equips startup leaders with actionable tools to navigate strategic change and drive long-term growth.
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Details
- Title
- Steering through the storm: Managing startup growth and pivots
- Creators
- Netta Granot - University of HaifaShay Tzafrir - University of HaifaDaniel Tzabbar - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Organizational dynamics, v 55(1), 101205
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 10
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Management
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001676064600001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105027782738
- Other Identifier
- 991022158359404721