Title: Business angels' ties with entrepreneurs in traditional and secular-rational societies: China, Egypt and Iran contrasted Germany and Norway

Authors: Mahsa Samsami

Addresses: University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; University of Agder, Norway

Abstract: Business angels fund entrepreneurs starting a business. The entrepreneurs may be family members, relatives, co-workers, friends or strangers. Funding occurs in a social context such as institutions and culture. Family is more important in traditional than in modern or secular-rational culture, where formal institutions and generalised trust are stronger, and expectedly promote investment in strangers. We examine funding in traditional societies, China, Egypt and Iran, and in secular-rational societies, Germany and Norway. A representative sample of 16,223 investors reported ties with entrepreneurs. Recipients of funds are found to be close family as often in secular-rational culture as in traditional culture, but recipients are extended family and friends more often in traditional than in secular-rational culture. Conversely, recipients are strangers more often in secular-rational culture than in traditional culture. These findings contribute to theorising about the socio-cultural context of funding for entrepreneurial enterprising.

Keywords: investors; business angels; entrepreneurs; traditional culture; secular-rational culture; China; Egypt; Iran; Germany; Norway.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2023.133426

European Journal of International Management, 2023 Vol.21 No.2, pp.234 - 255

Received: 14 May 2020
Accepted: 11 Jun 2020
Published online: 15 Sep 2023 *

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