Significados de crescimento e de sucesso para empreendedor do setor de vestuário

Abstract

When it refers to entrepreneurship, growth can be understood as incremental changes in some of aspects of a company. It can be represented by the increase of quantities and figures (such as an increase in sales) or as an internal process of development and enhancement gradually achieved over time. The present dissertation studies the growth of micro, small and medium-sized companies in the clothing industry. Essentially, it is about the meanings of growth and difficulties on growing presented by individuals who started and presently manage companies in the clothing industry. Moreover, it covers the meanings of success presented by these entrepreneurs, because the basic assumption of this research is that the meanings of growth and success may be equivalents. A quantitative approach was chosen with the main objective of comprehending the meanings connected to growth and the meanings of success, as well as the possible connection between both, for entrepreneurs of the clothing industry. The data was obtained using questionnaires, on a survey involving 40 entrepreneurs, who were the total sample of the study. They were divided in two segments: 20 from retail and 20 from industrial companies. The results indicate that the meanings of growth involve both quantitative and qualitative aspects and that some of the major meanings to the entrepreneurs are not connected to the increases in figures of the companies. Lastly the meanings of success, despite being less connected to quantitative elements, are similar to the ones for growth and highly associated with figures which were also connected to growing, such as the balance between the personal and professional aspects of life and the increase in the profitability of the company.