From pirates to professionals: Retaining a sense of integration during venture scaling

Graeme Martin; Stephen Knox; Norin Arshed

doi:10.1111/1467-8551.70031

From pirates to professionals: Retaining a sense of integration during venture scaling

Graeme Martin
, Stephen Knox
, Norin Arshed (Lead / Corresponding author)

Management and Marketing

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Our paper explains how organizations can build and sustain internal member identification during rapidly scaling transitions. Using a longitudinal case study of a UK scaling firm, we show how organizational members follow a recursive process of retaining and forgoing the past and foreseeing the future to create a transitional organizational identity through transitionary identity work. Key to such identity work is identification-based trust, which embraces being valued, having confidence in colleagues and being aligned with company values. Such identification-based trust generates positive emotions and holds a scaling firm together while it changes. Our study contributes to the literature on identity transition, showing how integration can be achieved in underexplored settings of chaotic and unstable change.

Original language	English
Article number	e70031
Number of pages	21
Journal	British Journal of Management
Early online date	26 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.70031
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 26 Dec 2025

Keywords

venture scale-up
organisational identity
identity work
identification-based trust

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Business,Management and Accounting
Strategy and Management
Management of Technology and Innovation

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10.1111/1467-8551.70031Licence: CC BY

Final Published VersionFinal published version, 802 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "From pirates to professionals: Retaining a sense of integration during venture scaling ",

abstract = "Our paper explains how organizations can build and sustain internal member identification during rapidly scaling transitions. Using a longitudinal case study of a UK scaling firm, we show how organizational members follow a recursive process of retaining and forgoing the past and foreseeing the future to create a transitional organizational identity through transitionary identity work. Key to such identity work is identification-based trust, which embraces being valued, having confidence in colleagues and being aligned with company values. Such identification-based trust generates positive emotions and holds a scaling firm together while it changes. Our study contributes to the literature on identity transition, showing how integration can be achieved in underexplored settings of chaotic and unstable change.",

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From pirates to professionals: Retaining a sense of integration during venture scaling

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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