IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v157y2020ics0040162519309187.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Why are rewards not delivered on time in rewards-based crowdfunding campaigns? An empirical exploration

Author

Listed:
  • Appio, Francesco Paolo
  • Leone, Daniele
  • Platania, Federico
  • Schiavone, Francesco

Abstract

Crowdfunding is an alternative way to seek capital for new projects. However, it can also be a danger for entrepreneurs facing the post-campaign phase delays in the delivery of the promised rewards. Crowdfunding campaigns require months of preparation and meeting delivery deadlines seems to be a real problem. With this study, we try to explain why this is the case. By drawing on a dataset of 1,567 successfully funded new technological projects in the period 2009–2017, and by means of a text mining routine, this study presents a comprehensive description of the causes of delay in rewards delivery in crowdfunding campaigns. Our findings reveal that perceived incompetence, fraud, and funding cancellation, are the main causes of delay in rewards delivery. Furthermore, controlling for the presence of serial project creators, project appeal (% of new backers), project complexity (number of FAQs, days of funding, number of updates, number of comments), project financial size (% funded, amount raised, financial goal, average pledge per backer), as well as time, mitigate but does not eliminate the problem. Results provide a thorough contribution and implications for both the agents of the crowdfunding industry (e.g., creators, backers), platform managers, and the academic community.

Suggested Citation

  • Appio, Francesco Paolo & Leone, Daniele & Platania, Federico & Schiavone, Francesco, 2020. "Why are rewards not delivered on time in rewards-based crowdfunding campaigns? An empirical exploration," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:157:y:2020:i:c:s0040162519309187
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120069
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162519309187
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120069?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. Kaminski, Jermain & Hopp, Christian & Tykvová, Tereza, 2019. "New technology assessment in entrepreneurial financing – Does crowdfunding predict venture capital investments?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 287-302.
    2. Ajay Agrawal & Christian Catalini & Avi Goldfarb, 2014. "Some Simple Economics of Crowdfunding," Innovation Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 14(1), pages 63-97.
    3. Allison, Thomas H. & Davis, Blakley C. & Webb, Justin W. & Short, Jeremy C., 2017. "Persuasion in crowdfunding: An elaboration likelihood model of crowdfunding performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 707-725.
    4. Crosetto, Paolo & Regner, Tobias, 2018. "It's never too late: Funding dynamics and self pledges in reward-based crowdfunding," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(8), pages 1463-1477.
    5. Vincenzo Butticè & Massimo G. Colombo & Mike Wright, 2017. "Serial Crowdfunding, Social Capital, and Project Success," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(2), pages 183-207, March.
    6. Garry Bruton & Susanna Khavul & Donald Siegel & Mike Wright, 2015. "New Financial Alternatives in Seeding Entrepreneurship: Microfinance, Crowdfunding, and Peer–to–Peer Innovations," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(1), pages 9-26, January.
    7. Douglas Cumming & Lars Hornuf (ed.), 2018. "The Economics of Crowdfunding," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-66119-3, October.
    8. Stanko, Michael A. & Henard, David H., 2017. "Toward a better understanding of crowdfunding, openness and the consequences for innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 784-798.
    9. Douglas Cumming & Sofia Johan, 2013. "Demand-driven securities regulation: evidence from crowdfunding," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4), pages 361-379, October.
    10. 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.
    11. Anglin, Aaron H. & Short, Jeremy C. & Drover, Will & Stevenson, Regan M. & McKenny, Aaron F. & Allison, Thomas H., 2018. "The power of positivity? The influence of positive psychological capital language on crowdfunding performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 470-492.
    12. Xu, Bo & Zheng, Haichao & Xu, Yun & Wang, Tao, 2016. "Configurational paths to sponsor satisfaction in crowdfunding," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 915-927.
    13. Ajay Agrawal & Christian Catalini & Avi Goldfarb, 2015. "Crowdfunding: Geography, Social Networks, and the Timing of Investment Decisions," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 253-274, June.
    14. Parhankangas, Annaleena & Renko, Maija, 2017. "Linguistic style and crowdfunding success among social and commercial entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 215-236.
    15. Daniele Leone & Francesco Schiavone & Luca Dezi, 2018. "Post-Campaign Operational Problems Hindering Promised Rewards in Crowdfunding Projects," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(2), pages 173-194.
    16. Kuppuswamy, Venkat & Bayus, Barry L., 2017. "Does my contribution to your crowdfunding project matter?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 72-89.
    17. Javier Ramos, 2014. "Crowdfunding and the Role of Managers in Ensuring the Sustainability of Crowdfunding Platforms," JRC Research Reports JRC85752, Joint Research Centre.
    18. Vincenzo Verardi & Christophe Croux, 2009. "Robust regression in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(3), pages 439-453, September.
    19. Davies, William E. & Giovannetti, Emanuele, 2018. "Signalling experience & reciprocity to temper asymmetric information in crowdfunding evidence from 10,000 projects," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 118-131.
    20. Ellman, Matthew & Hurkens, Sjaak, 2019. "Fraud tolerance in optimal crowdfunding," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 11-16.
    21. Mollick, Ethan, 2014. "The dynamics of crowdfunding: An exploratory study," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-16.
    22. Francesco Schiavone, 2017. "Incompetence and Managerial Problems Delaying Reward Delivery in Crowdfunding," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(2), pages 185-207.
    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. Rotem Shneor & Urszula Mrzygłód & Joanna Adamska-Mieruszewska & Anna Fornalska-Skurczyńska, 2022. "The role of social trust in reward crowdfunding campaigns’ design and success," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(3), pages 1103-1118, September.
    2. Bollaert, Helen & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Schwienbacher, Armin, 2021. "Fintech and access to finance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    3. Seyb, Stella K., 2022. "Red flags and rave reviews: Explaining too-good-to-be-true crowdfunding campaigns," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 69-78.
    4. Serwaah, Priscilla & Shneor, Rotem & Nyarko, Samuel Anokye & Nielsen, Kristian Roed, 2024. "Explaining gender differences in crowdfunding contribution intentions," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    5. 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.

    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. Boudreau, Kevin J. & Jeppesen, Lars Bo & Reichstein, Toke & Rullani, Francesco, 2021. "Crowdfunding as Donations to Entrepreneurial Firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(7).
    2. Cai, Wanxiang & Polzin, Friedemann & Stam, Erik, 2021. "Crowdfunding and social capital: A systematic review using a dynamic perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    3. Saul Estrin & Susanna Khavul & Mike Wright, 2022. "Soft and hard information in equity crowdfunding: network effects in the digitalization of entrepreneurial finance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 1761-1781, April.
    4. 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.
    5. Calic, Goran & Shevchenko, Anton, 2020. "How signal intensity of behavioral orientations affects crowdfunding performance: The role of entrepreneurial orientation in crowdfunding business ventures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 204-220.
    6. Xiaobei Liang & Xiaojuan Hu & Jiang Jiang, 2020. "Research on the Effects of Information Description on Crowdfunding Success within a Sustainable Economy—The Perspective of Information Communication," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-36, January.
    7. Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio & Natalicchio, Angelo & Panniello, Umberto & Roma, Paolo, 2019. "Understanding the crowdfunding phenomenon and its implications for sustainability," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 138-148.
    8. Chan, C.S. Richard & Parhankangas, Annaleena & Sahaym, Arvin & Oo, Pyayt, 2020. "Bellwether and the herd? Unpacking the u-shaped relationship between prior funding and subsequent contributions in reward-based crowdfunding," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(2).
    9. Sewaid, Ahmed & Parker, Simon C. & Kaakeh, Abdulkader, 2021. "Explaining serial crowdfunders' dynamic fundraising performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    10. W. Cai & F.H.J. Polzin & F.C. Stam, 2019. "Crowdfunding and Social Capital: A Systematic Literature Review," Working Papers 19-05, Utrecht School of Economics.
    11. 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.
    12. Francisca Jiménez-Jiménez & Maria Virtudes Alba-Fernández & Cristina Martínez-Gómez, 2021. "Attracting the Right Crowd under Asymmetric Information: A Game Theory Application to Rewards-Based Crowdfunding," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(21), pages 1-23, October.
    13. Tajvarpour, Mohammad Hossein & Pujari, Devashish, 2022. "The influence of narrative description on the success of crowdfunding campaigns: The moderating role of quality signals," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 123-138.
    14. Fisch, Christian, 2019. "Initial coin offerings (ICOs) to finance new ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 1-22.
    15. Frimpong, Bright & Mohammed, Fatima & Larson, Keri M. & Anderson Junior, Henry, 2024. "Take my word for it! The role of projected certainty signaling and certainty alignment in reward crowdfunding outcomes," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    16. Roma, Paolo & Vasi, Maria & Kolympiris, Christos, 2021. "On the signaling effect of reward-based crowdfunding: (When) do later stage venture capitalists rely more on the crowd than their peers?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(6).
    17. Yang Zhao & Xuemei Xie & Liuyong Yang, 0. "Female entrepreneurs and equity crowdfunding: the consequential roles of lead investors and venture stages," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-29.
    18. Yang Zhao & Xuemei Xie & Liuyong Yang, 2021. "Female entrepreneurs and equity crowdfunding: the consequential roles of lead investors and venture stages," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 1183-1211, September.
    19. Elrashidy, Zeinab & Haniffa, Roszaini & Sherif, Mohamed & Baroudi, Sarra, 2024. "Determinants of reward crowdfunding success: Evidence from Covid-19 pandemic," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    20. Yang, Jialiang & Li, Yaokuang & Calic, Goran & Shevchenko, Anton, 2020. "How multimedia shape crowdfunding outcomes: The overshadowing effect of images and videos on text in campaign information," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 6-18.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crowdfunding campaigns; Causes of delay; Technology projects; Perceived incompetence; Fraud; Cancelled funding;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:tefoso:v:157:y:2020:i:c:s0040162519309187. 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.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    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.