International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing (9 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Better safe than sorry? The effect of trust on venture capitalists  
  by Carolin Helmreich 
  Abstract: This study investigates the impact of trust among nations on the formation of multinational venture capital syndicates. The data set is based on ThomsonONE and comprises 859 realised triads among lead venture capitalists, their syndicate partners, and portfolio firms. We find that bilateral trust has a significant positive impact on the probability of cooperation in a syndicate. The magnitude of this relationship depends on the status of venture capital markets. The relevance of bilateral trust to the probability of cooperation increases for investments in large venture capital markets with high deal numbers. In line with previous findings on venture capitalists' constricted scrutiny in boom phases, we find that trust becomes less relevant for cooperation during upswings of deal activity in the target market. Consistent with research that finds access to capital as one major reason for syndication, recent capital abundance in the syndicate partner's market reduces the impact of bilateral trust on the probability of cooperation.
  Keywords: trust; venture capital; syndication; inter-firm alliances; relationship formation; partner selection; internationalisation; venture capital markets.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2018.10012028
   
  
• Environmental orientation among nascent and established entrepreneurs: An empirical analysis of differences and their causes  
  by Jacob Hörisch, Jana Kollat, Steven A. Brieger 
  Abstract: This paper investigates differences between nascent and established entrepreneurs with regard to their ventures environmental orientation. Based on quantitative data of more than 10,000 entrepreneurs, analyses of variance (ANOVA) are conducted. The results show that the average environmental orientation is significantly higher among nascent than among established entrepreneurs. Variables are identified which influence the magnitude of these differences, as they exert different effects on environmental orientation among nascent and established entrepreneurs, such as household income or media reports. Based on the findings, implications for policymakers, entrepreneurs as well as for entrepreneurship education are drawn to use the potential of nascent environmental entrepreneurs more comprehensively. For instance, teaching institutions need to give realistic impressions of the challenges and potentials of environmental entrepreneurship. Similarly, environmental entrepreneurs should think about the specific challenges connected with environmentally-oriented ventures, such as potential trade-offs between environmental and economic objectives, at early stages of their entrepreneurial activity.This paper investigates differences between nascent and established entrepreneurs with regard to their ventures
  Keywords: Environmental entrepreneurship; environmental orientation; Global Entrepreneurship Monitor; nascent entrepreneurship; established entrepreneurship; trade-offs; entrepreneur; sustainability; firm-age.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2018.10018100
   
  
• How does context influence entrepreneurship education outcomes? Empirical evidence from Bangladesh and Germany  
  by Petra Dickel, Linda Kleemann, Tarun Kanti Bose 
  Abstract: This study uses quasi-experimental data from 245 students in Bangladesh and Germany to explore the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial attitudes (perceived desirability and perceived feasibility) and entrepreneurial intentions. The study specifically focuses on how context factors influence entrepreneurship education outcomes. Difference-in-differences analysis with propensity score matching is used to control for selection bias. The results show that the perceived entrepreneurship environment significantly affects the impact of entrepreneurship education and that the strength and direction of effects differ between the two countries. The implications of these results for entrepreneurship research, educators and policy makers are discussed accordingly.
  Keywords: entrepreneurship education; contingency approach; quasi-experimental design; self-selection bias.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2019.10018361
   
  
• Which factors determine the gender gap in the entrepreneurial action? Evidence from Mexico  
  by José Manuel Saiz-Álvarez, Lucía Rodríguez-Aceves 
  Abstract: The empirical evidence about how the gender gap influences on the entrepreneurial intention and its effects on the entrepreneurial action are still limited. The objective of this paper is to analyse the main factors to explain the entrepreneurial gender gap in Mexico related to entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial action and moderated by income, education, and marital status. Our findings show that, first, although women have a high entrepreneurial intention in Mexico, they are reluctant to create firms due to a high perceived behavioural control, so their entrepreneurship action is deficient. As a result, the Mexican labour market continues being very traditional with low rates of female participation Second, the entrepreneurial intention tends to decrease with income. Third, single men with completed graduate and/or postgraduate studies and high levels of income are more prone for entrepreneurship in Mexico.
  Keywords: gender gap; entrepreneurial action; entrepreneurial intention; GEM; Mexico; women entrepreneurship; education; marital status; income; perceived behavioural control.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2018.10014334
   
  
• Beyond the finance paradigm: the entrepreneurial logic of financial resource acquisition from an effectuation perspective  
  by Christopher Weigand 
  Abstract: This study examines the logic that entrepreneurs follow when acquiring and mobilising financial resources in the early stages of firm development. By adapting effectuation theory to the demand side of entrepreneurial finance, this study proposes an effectual logic of financial resource acquisition as a theoretical counterpart to the causal financial resource logic associated with the neoclassical finance paradigm. Effectuation provides a behavioural explanation for differences in capital acquisition and financial pecking-orders under the assumption of boundedly rational entrepreneurs. This study develops a conceptual framework which relates the application of an effectual or causal financial resource logic to specific boundary conditions, thereby strengthening the theoretical links between entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance. As this study goes beyond what is known from traditional corporate finance, it helps to align theoretical predictions with entrepreneurial practice and provides entrepreneurs with guidance on how to finance entrepreneurial opportunities in situations of uncertainty, risk or resource scarcity.
  Keywords: entrepreneurial finance; financial decision-making; new venture financing; financial resource logic; start-up financing; capital structure decisions; pecking-order hypothesis; effectuation; capital acquisition.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2019.10018365
   
  
• RADICALLY RETHINKING THE WAY CROWDFUNDING WORKS: THE CASE OF JUMPSTARTFUND AND THE HYPERLOOP  
  by Nikolaus Lipusch, Dominik Dellermann, Ulrich Bretschneider, Philipp Ebel, Jan Marco Leimeister 
  Abstract: In this research, we explore the unique case of JumpStartFund, a new crowdfunding platform that is used to develop the Hyperloop project. To this end, we employ an in-depth single case study to examine the participation architecture of the platform as well as the Hyperloop campaign content, based on which we derive a new crowdfunding model. The derived crowdfunding model differs from existing crowdfunding models in that it allows entrepreneurs to develop their business with the crowdmore actively. Our research has important implications for research and practice. First, we introduce a new crowdfunding model that expands the boundaries of existent models. Second, we explain how our model helps to more efficiently leverage the potential inherent in the crowd thereby redefining entrepreneurial success within crowdfunding. Third, we discuss how our findings contribute to existent research within the context of crowdsourcing.
  Keywords: crowdfunding; case study; crowdfunding models; co-creation.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2019.10018319
   
  
• Specialization and Syndication as Risk Management Strategies for Venture Capital Firms in India  
  by Kshitija Joshi 
  Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of syndication and domain specialisation strategies pursued by the venture capital (VC) firms in India. Using the theoretical lens of the resource-based view, we explore how three main resource-related attributes: resource structure of the VC firms, resource requirements of the investee ventures and the ease of access to resources, drive the intensities of syndication and specialisation for the VC firms under study. We use the K-means cluster analysis technique, to analyse and profile four distinct VC firm segments: a) low syndication and low specialisation; b) high syndication and low specialisation; c) low syndication and high specialisation; d) high syndication and high specialisation. Our study contributes to the extant literature on VC investment strategies, top management teams and fills an important gap on the literature pertaining to VC firms in India.
  Keywords: Venture Capital; Syndication; Specialization; India; Social Capital; Human Capital; Top Management Teams.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2019.10018320
   
  
• Bound for Glory or Cursed for Life? Exploring the Impact of Initial Resources on the Venture Emergence of New Technology-based Firms  
  by Ferran Giones, Francesc Miralles 
  Abstract: The value of existent firm's resources in uncertain and dynamic contexts is unclear. It is difficult to determine whether starting a new firm with a strong resource position will give an advantage in technology-intense contexts. We propose a revision of the role of resources in new tech-based ventures. We adopt a mixed-method approach. We use the cases of 21 new technology firms to build propositions on what factors (resources) play a role in new venture emergence. We then test to what extent those resources make an effect on the new venture emergence using a longitudinal dataset of 400 new technology-based firms. The results show that not all resources matter equally in the early-stages of a new technology-based firm. We identify that specific combinations of entrepreneurial experience and industry knowledge has a positive impact, while other resources such as technology assets, surprisingly, do not generate a clear impact.
  Keywords: Technology Entrepreneurship; Venture Emergence; Technology Resources; Panel Data Set.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2019.10018627
   
  
• Don’t throw in the towel too early! How agency conflicts affect the survival of Corporate Venture Capital units  
  by Daniel Fischer, Deniz Philipp Kruse, Hannes Leonardy, Christiana Weber 
  Abstract: We empirically investigate the largely unexplored relationship between corporate top management teams (TMT) and CVC unit managers. Doing so, we provide new insights into the interplay between TMT decisions and CVC managers' behaviour and how agency conflicts between them influence the survival of CVC units. Using a proprietary dataset of 64 CVC units we apply fsQCA in order to identify the interrelatedness, causal asymmetry and equifinality of agency-related conditions leading to survival. We relativise former literature by demonstrating that financial incentivisation of CVC managers need to be complemented by additional factors to impact the survival of CVC units. Further, we conclude that the decision-making autonomy of CVC managers seem to work as a form of non-financial incentive. Finally, we demonstrate that the configuration of providing strategic support, investing with high strategic proximity, and non-autonomously acting CVC managers is related to non-survival of the CVC unit.
  Keywords: Corporate Venture Capital; CVC; Survival; Agency Theory; Configuration; Qualitative Comparative Analysis; QCA.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2019.10019042