Human resources and the growth of new technology based firms

Because of their potential as the developers of tomorrow's technologies and markets, new technology based firms (NTBFs) have attracted increasing attention from both researchers and policy makers. This growing body of research often underlines the importance of human capital, in the form of highly qualified, skilled and networked individuals, in the success of NTBFs. However, attention has tended to focus almost exclusively on the personality characteristics and previous work experiences of the entrepreneurs and the founding team. Very little is known on the processes through which NTBFs attract and retain other qualified human resources, despite the fact that these processes heavily influence NTBFs' ability to grow. This paper presents ongoing research on the link between human resources management practices and growth in a sample of about 600 Italian NTBFs.