Virtualization in Enterprises´ Different Growth Stages and Its Motives: A Classical Grounded Theory Research

Virtualization is taken as a special operating phenomenon, which is widely applied in industry circles and becoming a hot spot in academic circles. So, in order to explain the phenomenon and solve the problem of the motives in different stages of enterprises´ development, two Chinese indigenous companies´ interviews and cases are used in this paper. By introducing the classical grounded theory and its coding technique, a large number of primary sources and secondary sources are integrated and optimized to explain the enterprises´ virtualization phenomenon. For illustration, empirical analysis results show that enterprises choose virtualization in pioneering stage that we define it as pioneering stage virtualization and the other enterprises do the same things in developing stage that we define it as developing stage virtualization in the process of open coding and selective coding. In the stage of theoretical coding, comparing the two stages of virtualization, their different motives emerged. By exploring the regulation underlying the phenomenon, we develop a specific conceptual model that the motives of virtualization are in enterprises´ different growth stages. Motives model reveal the reasons why enterprises take virtualization as the optimized choice in different stages. The model will help practitioners and researchers fully understand enterprises´ virtualization from a unique perspective. Our findings provide insights to literature of virtualization, and contribute general knowledge to theories of virtualization.