Leading growth: CEO's cognition, knowledge acquisition and business model innovation in face of dynamism

"In this dissertation I specified a model proposing that managerial cognitive style could result in knowledge asymmetries which under environmental dynamism lead to a different emphasis placed on business model innovation which could be a determinant of firms' differential growth in an industry. This theory synthesizes insights from different but interrelated bodies of research including Edith Penrose's theory of the growth of the firm, managerial dynamic capabilities and the knowledge-based view, business model of the firm and strategic cognition. I further tested the proposed model using a mixed-methods design based on the data from CEOs of small manufacturing firms in Australia. In the quantitative phase a hybrid survey consisting of postal and online modes was conducted and data from 299 firms was analyzed by employing a two-step structural equation modeling approach. 13 hypotheses and 11 control variables were assessed. In the qualitative phase semi-structured in-depth interviews with 5 CEOs were conducted and analyzed using content and thematic analytic methods with Nvivo. The results of this qualitative phase were used to corroborate and cross-validate the results of the statistical analysis. Furthermore, this exploratory analysis generated a number of additional interesting themes. The results of these analyses supported my key theoretical expectations while offering some new insights into the underlying mechanisms of the growth of the firm.'' -- Abstract.