An exploratory meta-analysis of the nomological network of bootstrapping in SMEs

Bootstrapping, the pursuit of creative ways of acquiring resources in non-traditional ways, is a defining entrepreneurial behavior in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, after nearly three decades of research there is no quantitative synthesis of the literature. We meta-analyze data from 22 empirical samples, across 62 effect sizes, and find no significant overall relation between bootstrapping and SME performance. We examined a set of moderators (i.e., type of performance, type of bootstrapping, and bootstrapping measures). Some moderators alter the direction and influence the statistical significance of the bootstrapping-SME performance relation, but none of these moderators were statistically significant.