Scaling is increasingly recognised as one of the most important yet least understood phenomena in entrepreneurship research. While much is known about the antecedents of rapid firm growth, important questions remain about how organizations successfully scale, sustain high growth over time, and navigate the organizational transformations required to do so.
The International Small Business Journal invites submissions for a forthcoming Special Issue exploring the processes, challenges and strategies for scaling and persistent high growth.
We welcome conceptual, qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research addressing topics including:
- Scaling as an organizational transformation process
- Leadership, organizational design and human capital
- Business model innovation, digital transformation and AI
- Entrepreneurial ecosystems and external enablers
- Family business and SME scaling
- International scaling
- Sustainable growth, resilience and persistent high performance
Submission deadline: 3 November 2026 (submission window opens two weeks prior).
The Special Issue is edited by Afsaneh Bagheri, Vanessa Bretas, Christian Felzensztein, Justin Jansen, and Simon Raby.
We encourage colleagues working in entrepreneurship, strategic management, innovation, small business, family business and international business to consider submitting their work.
Key dates:
The deadline for submission of papers is November 3, 2026. The submission window will open two weeks prior to this date. The Special Issue is scheduled to be published in May, 2028. Papers must be original and comply with ISBJ submission guidelines. Please click here for submission guidelines and a link to the on-line submission system. In the online system please ensure you submit your paper within Manuscript Type: “Special Issue: Processes, Challenges and Strategies for Scaling and Persistent High Growth ”.
Download the full Call here.
Questions and informal enquiries should be directed to: Afsaneh Bagheri