IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bushor/v65y2022i1p7-19.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unpeel the layers of trust! A comparative analysis of crowdfunding platforms and what they do to generate trust

Author

Listed:
  • Ferreira, Valeria
  • Papaoikonomou, Eleni
  • Terceño, Antonio

Abstract

Crowdfunding can prove to be a crucial alternative financing method, especially for microentrepreneurs, new ventures, and nonprofit associations. But trust needs to be built before prospective users decide to use crowdfunding, and we still lack an in-depth understanding of how crowdfunding platforms make users trust them. We analyzed 50 crowdfunding platforms of different types, from investment and lending platforms to reward and donation platforms. Within the sample, we included successful and consolidated platforms, such as Kickstarter, Crowdcube, and Indiegogo, as well as lesser-known and less active platforms, such as Crowdence, Zank, and Fundeen. A comparative analysis of these platforms reveals a diversity of organizational practices that aim to generate trust on four levels: trust toward the platform, toward the project, toward the users, and toward the notion of crowdfunding overall. We suggest guidelines for best practices for crowdfunding platforms and a checklist of points for prospective users searching for the right crowdfunding platform.

Suggested Citation

  • Ferreira, Valeria & Papaoikonomou, Eleni & Terceño, Antonio, 2022. "Unpeel the layers of trust! A comparative analysis of crowdfunding platforms and what they do to generate trust," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 7-19.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:65:y:2022:i:1:p:7-19
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2021.08.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681321001634
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.08.004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lagazio, Corrado & Querci, Francesca, 2018. "Exploring the multi-sided nature of crowdfunding campaign success," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 318-324.
    2. Cowden, Birton J. & Young, Susan L., 2020. "The copycat conundrum: The double-edged sword of crowdfunding," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 541-551.
    3. Mollick, Ethan, 2014. "The dynamics of crowdfunding: An exploratory study," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-16.
    4. Di Pietro, Francesca & Butticè, Vincenzo, 2020. "Institutional characteristics and the development of crowdfunding across countries," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    5. Baucus, Melissa S. & Mitteness, Cheryl R., 2016. "Crowdfrauding: Avoiding Ponzi entrepreneurs when investing in new ventures," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 37-50.
    6. Gerrit K.C. Ahlers & Douglas Cumming & Christina Günther & Denis Schweizer, 2015. "Signaling in Equity Crowdfunding," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(4), pages 955-980, July.
    7. Boon, Edward & Pitt, Leyland & Salehi-Sangari, Esmail, 2015. "Managing information sharing in online communities and marketplaces," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 347-353.
    8. Paul A. Pavlou & David Gefen, 2004. "Building Effective Online Marketplaces with Institution-Based Trust," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(1), pages 37-59, March.
    9. Katherine J. Stewart, 2003. "Trust Transfer on the World Wide Web," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(1), pages 5-17, February.
    10. Ert, Eyal & Fleischer, Aliza & Magen, Nathan, 2016. "Trust and reputation in the sharing economy: The role of personal photos in Airbnb," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 62-73.
    11. Cumming, Douglas J. & Johan, Sofia A. & Zhang, Yelin, 2019. "The role of due diligence in crowdfunding platforms," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    12. Douglas Cumming & Lars Hornuf (ed.), 2018. "The Economics of Crowdfunding," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-66119-3, September.
    13. Paula Jarzabkowski, 2003. "Strategic Practices: An Activity Theory Perspective on Continuity and Change," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 23-55, January.
    14. Armin Schwienbacher, 2018. "Entrepreneurial risk-taking in crowdfunding campaigns," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 843-859, December.
    15. Barbi, Massimiliano & Mattioli, Sara, 2019. "Human capital, investor trust, and equity crowdfunding," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 1-12.
    16. Brown, Terrence E. & Boon, Edward & Pitt, Leyland F., 2017. "Seeking funding in order to sell: Crowdfunding as a marketing tool," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 189-195.
    17. Christopher Courtney & Supradeep Dutta & Yong Li, 2017. "Resolving Information Asymmetry: Signaling, Endorsement, and Crowdfunding Success," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(2), pages 265-290, March.
    18. Alice Rossi & Silvio Vismara, 2018. "What do crowdfunding platforms do? A comparison between investment-based platforms in Europe," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 8(1), pages 93-118, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Amina Rizwan & Faisal Mustafa, 2022. "Fintech Attaining Sustainable Development: An Investor Perspective of Crowdfunding Platforms in a Developing Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Peter Konhäusner & Marius Thielmann & Veronica Câmpian & Dan-Cristian Dabija, 2021. "Crowdfunding for Independent Print Media: E-Commerce, Marketing, and Business Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Sardar Muhammad Usman & Farasat Ali Shah Bukhari & Huiwei You & Daniel Badulescu & Darie Gavrilut, 2020. "The Effect and Impact of Signals on Investing Decisions in Reward-Based Crowdfunding: A Comparative Study of China and the United Kingdom," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Zhao, Liang & Shneor, Rotem & Sun, Zhe, 2022. "Skin in the game: Self-funding and reward crowdfunding success," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 89-100.
    4. Cristina Martínez-Gómez & Francisca Jiménez-Jiménez & M. Virtudes Alba-Fernández, 2020. "Determinants of Overfunding in Equity Crowdfunding: An Empirical Study in the UK and Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-29, December.
    5. Yasar, Burze & Sevilay Yılmaz, Işıl & Hatipoğlu, Nurullah & Salih, Aslıhan, 2022. "Stretching the success in reward-based crowdfunding," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 205-220.
    6. Anna Prisco & Valerio Muto & Ciro Troise & Mario Tani, 2022. "How to Engage the Crowds to Create Value? Evidence from the Pathfinder Arena Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-22, April.
    7. Chan, Ho Fai & Moy, Naomi & Schaffner, Markus & Torgler, Benno, 2021. "The effects of money saliency and sustainability orientation on reward based crowdfunding success," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 443-455.
    8. Bernardino, Susana & Freitas Santos, José & Oliveira, Sílvie, 2021. "The impact of social media and e-WOM on the success of reward-based crowdfunding campaigns," Cuadernos de Gestión, Universidad del País Vasco - Instituto de Economía Aplicada a la Empresa (IEAE).
    9. Vitaly Skirnevskiy & David Bendig & Malte Brettel, 2017. "The Influence of Internal Social Capital on Serial Creators’ Success in Crowdfunding," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(2), pages 209-236, March.
    10. Alsagr, Naif & Cumming, Douglas J. & Davis, Justin G. & Sewaid, Ahmed, 2023. "Geopolitical risk and crowdfunding performance," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    11. Mohammed Alharbey & Stefan Van Hemmen, 2021. "Investor Intention in Equity Crowdfunding. Does Trust Matter?," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-20, January.
    12. Sewaid, Ahmed & Parker, Simon C. & Kaakeh, Abdulkader, 2021. "Explaining serial crowdfunders' dynamic fundraising performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    13. Joern H. Block & Alexander Groh & Lars Hornuf & Tom Vanacker & Silvio Vismara, 2021. "The entrepreneurial finance markets of the future: a comparison of crowdfunding and initial coin offerings," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 865-882, August.
    14. Duan, Yang & Hsieh, Tien-Shih & Wang, Ray R. & Wang, Zhihong, 2020. "Entrepreneurs' facial trustworthiness, gender, and crowdfunding success," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    15. Shuangfa Huang & David Pickernell & Martina Battisti & Thang Nguyen, 2022. "Signalling entrepreneurs’ credibility and project quality for crowdfunding success: cases from the Kickstarter and Indiegogo environments," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 1801-1821, April.
    16. Hörisch, Jacob & Tenner, Isabell, 2020. "How environmental and social orientations influence the funding success of investment-based crowdfunding: The mediating role of the number of funders and the average funding amount," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    17. Xu, Lei & Li, Dahui & Chiu, Chun-Hung & Zhang, Qing & Gao, Runpeng, 2022. "Implications of warm-glow effect and risk aversion in reward-based crowdfunding," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    18. Ferrer, José María & Ulrich, Klaus & Blanco-González-Tejero, Cristina & Caño-Marín, Enrique, 2023. "Investors’ confidence in the crowdlending platform and the impact of Covid-19," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    19. Francesca Pietro, 2021. "The rationale for listing on equity crowdfunding: actual and expected benefits for companies," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(4), pages 527-549, December.
    20. Felipe, Israel José dos Santos & Mendes-Da-Silva, Wesley & Leal, Cristiana Cerqueira & Braun Santos, Danilo, 2022. "Reward crowdfunding campaigns: Time-to-success analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 214-228.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:65:y:2022:i:1:p:7-19. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/bushor .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.