IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/sbusec/v65y2025i1d10.1007_s11187-025-01001-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Political participation and new venture decentralization: an attention-based view

Author

Listed:
  • Di Song

    (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Sichuan Province)

  • Xuan Huang

    (Nottingham University Business School China, University of Nottingham Ningbo China)

Abstract

Drawing on the attention-based view, we examine how political participation influences the decentralization of new ventures. Using a sample of 6,077 new ventures from a China’s nationwide survey, we find that political participation encourages entrepreneurs to allocate more managerial attention to external activities, which in turn induces their ventures to implement a more decentralized decision-making system. Moreover, entrepreneurs are more likely to allocate their attention to external activities when their ownership is low and government intervention is more prominent. This study makes several theoretical contributions to the research on the origin of new venture decentralization, the attention-based view, and the political participation literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Di Song & Xuan Huang, 2025. "Political participation and new venture decentralization: an attention-based view," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 509-533, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:65:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11187-025-01001-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-025-01001-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11187-025-01001-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11187-025-01001-w?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xiaowei Rose Luo & Ling Yang & Xiaobin He, 2020. "Can One Stone Kill Two Birds? Political Relationship Building and Partner Acquisition in New Ventures," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(4), pages 817-841, July.
    2. Zuhui Xu & Yi Tang & Zhiyang Liu, 2023. "Buddhist Entrepreneurs, Managerial Attention Allocation, and New Ventures' Access to External Resources," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(2), pages 454-494, March.
    3. Joris Meijaard & Maryse Brand & Marco Mosselman, 2005. "Organizational Structure and Performance in Dutch small Firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 83-96, August.
    4. Sucheta Nadkarni & Pamela S. Barr, 2008. "Environmental context, managerial cognition, and strategic action: an integrated view," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(13), pages 1395-1427, December.
    5. William Ocasio, 2011. "Attention to Attention," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1286-1296, October.
    6. Colombo, Massimo G. & Rossi-Lamastra, Cristina & Matassini, Beatrice, 2016. "The Organizational Design of High-Tech Entrepreneurial Ventures," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 11(6), pages 427-523, February.
    7. Boudreaux, Christopher J. & Nikolaev, Boris N. & Klein, Peter, 2019. "Socio-cognitive traits and entrepreneurship: The moderating role of economic institutions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 178-196.
    8. Thomas Hellmann & Manju Puri, 2002. "Venture Capital and the Professionalization of Start‐Up Firms: Empirical Evidence," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(1), pages 169-197, February.
    9. Belkhouja, Mustapha & Fattoum, Senda & Yoon, Hyungseok (David), 2021. "Does greater diversification increase individual productivity? The moderating effect of attention allocation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(6).
    10. João Ricardo Faria & Laudo Ogura & Mauricio Prado & Christopher J. Boudreaux, 2023. "Government investments and entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 1657-1670, December.
    11. Hongbin Li & Lingsheng Meng & Junsen Zhang, 2006. "Why Do Entrepreneurs Enter Politics? Evidence from China," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 44(3), pages 559-578, July.
    12. Knockaert, Mirjam & Bjornali, Ekaterina S. & Erikson, Truls, 2015. "Joining forces: Top management team and board chair characteristics as antecedents of board service involvement," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 420-435.
    13. Massimo Colombo & Annalisa Croce & Samuele Murtinu, 2014. "Ownership structure, horizontal agency costs and the performance of high-tech entrepreneurial firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 265-282, February.
    14. Ge, Jianhua & Li, Joanna Mingxuan & Zhao, Eric Yanfei & Yang, Fan, 2022. "Rags to riches? Entrepreneurs' social classes, resourceful time allocation, and venture performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(5).
    15. Christine M. Beckman & M. Diane Burton, 2008. "Founding the Future: Path Dependence in the Evolution of Top Management Teams from Founding to IPO," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 3-24, February.
    16. Srivastava, Smita & Sahaym, Arvin & Allison, Thomas H., 2021. "Alert and Awake: Role of alertness and attention on rate of new product introductions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    17. Markku V. J. Maula & Thomas Keil & Shaker A. Zahra, 2013. "Top Management’s Attention to Discontinuous Technological Change: Corporate Venture Capital as an Alert Mechanism," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 926-947, June.
    18. Inessa Love & Boris Nikolaev & Chandra Dhakal, 2024. "The well-being of women entrepreneurs: the role of gender inequality and gender roles," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 325-352, January.
    19. Vincenzo Butticè & Massimo G. Colombo & Paola Rovelli, 2024. "Venture capital and the delegation of decision authority in startups: an exploratory study," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 51(4), pages 893-923, December.
    20. Deng, Lu & Jiang, Ping & Li, Sifei & Liao, Mingqing, 2020. "Government intervention and firm investment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    21. Yosem Companys & Jeffery McMullen, 2007. "Strategic Entrepreneurs at Work: The Nature, Discovery, and Exploitation of Entrepreneurial Opportunities," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 301-322, April.
    22. Yoon, Hyungseok & Tashman, Peter & Benischke, Mirko H. & Doh, Jonathan & Kim, Namil, 2024. "Climate impact, institutional context, and national climate change adaptation IP protection rates," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 39(1).
    23. Nicolai J. Foss & Jacob Lyngsie & Shaker A. Zahra, 2013. "The role of external knowledge sources and organizational design in the process of opportunity exploitation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(12), pages 1453-1471, December.
    24. Dan Li & Li-Qun Wei & Qing Cao & Deqiu Chen, 2022. "Informal institutions, entrepreneurs’ political participation, and venture internationalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(6), pages 1062-1090, August.
    25. Yoon, Hyungseok (David) & Boudreaux, Christopher & Kim, Namil, 2024. "Connecting the dots between democracy and innovation: The role of pro-market institutions and information processing," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(8).
    26. Saerom (Ronnie) Lee, 2022. "The myth of the flat start‐up: Reconsidering the organizational structure of start‐ups," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 58-92, January.
    27. Guangjin Chen & Peng Lu & Zeyan Lin & Na Song, 2019. "Introducing Chinese private enterprise survey: points and prospects," Nankai Business Review International, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(4), pages 501-525, November.
    28. Pankaj C. Patel & Marcus Wolfe, 2023. "Public administration and new venture startups: The association between economic development and the role of bureaucracy in startup activity," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 61(6), pages 3255-3283, November.
    29. John Joseph & Alex J. Wilson, 2018. "The growth of the firm: An attention‐based view," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(6), pages 1779-1800, June.
    30. Andrew J. Hoffman & William Ocasio, 2001. "Not All Events Are Attended Equally: Toward a Middle-Range Theory of Industry Attention to External Events," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(4), pages 414-434, August.
    31. Daniel Erian Armanios & Charles E. Eesley & Jizhen Li & Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, 2017. "How entrepreneurs leverage institutional intermediaries in emerging economies to acquire public resources," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(7), pages 1373-1390, July.
    32. Anna Grandori, 2024. "Entrepreneurial governance and the nature of the entrepreneurial firm," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(4), pages 1503-1516, December.
    33. Zhao, Hongxin & Lu, Jiangyong, 2016. "Contingent value of political capital in bank loan acquisition: Evidence from founder-controlled private enterprises in China," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 153-174.
    34. Robin Stevens & Nathalie Moray & Johan Bruneel & Bart Clarysse, 2015. "Attention allocation to multiple goals: The case of for-profit social enterprises," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(7), pages 1006-1016, July.
    35. Shihao Wei & Christopher J. Boudreaux & Zhongfeng Su & Zhan Wu, 2024. "Natural disasters, personal attributes, and social entrepreneurship: an attention-based view," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1409-1427, April.
    36. Ge, Jianhua & Stanley, Laura J. & Eddleston, Kimberly & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2017. "Institutional deterioration and entrepreneurial investment: The role of political connections," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 405-419.
    37. Breugst, Nicola & Patzelt, Holger & Rathgeber, Philipp, 2015. "How should we divide the pie? Equity distribution and its impact on entrepreneurial teams," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 66-94.
    38. Colombo, Massimo G. & Foss, Nicolai J. & Lyngsie, Jacob & Rossi Lamastra, Cristina, 2021. "What drives the delegation of innovation decisions? The roles of firm innovation strategy and the nature of external knowledge," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    39. Wubiao Zhou, 2014. "Regional institutional development, political connections, and entrepreneurial performance in China’s transition economy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 161-181, June.
    40. William Ocasio, 1997. "Towards An Attention‐Based View Of The Firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(S1), pages 187-206, July.
    41. Shameen Prashantham & Charles Dhanaraj, 2010. "The Dynamic Influence of Social Capital on the International Growth of New Ventures," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 967-994, September.
    42. Simona Gentile-Lüdecke & Rui Torres de Oliveira & Justin Paul, 2020. "Does organizational structure facilitate inbound and outbound open innovation in SMEs?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 1091-1112, December.
    43. Fernhaber, Stephanie A. & Li, Dan, 2013. "International exposure through network relationships: Implications for new venture internationalization," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 316-334.
    44. Alicia DeSantola & Ranjay Gulati & Pavel I. Zhelyazkov, 2023. "External Interfaces or Internal Processes? Market Positioning and Divergent Professionalization Paths in Young Ventures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(1), pages 1-23, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Tang Wang & Dirk Libaers & Hao Jiao, 2025. "CEO power and strategic persistence: evidence from post-IPO firms in China," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 64(4), pages 2197-2222, April.
    2. Jingyu Li & Yigang Pan & Yi Yang & Caleb H. Tse, 2022. "Digital platform attention and international sales: An attention-based view," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(8), pages 1817-1835, October.
    3. Wang, Xincheng & Li, Yuan & Tian, Longwei & Hou, Ye, 2023. "Government digital initiatives and firm digital innovation: Evidence from China," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    4. Shinkle, George A. & Hodgkinson, Gerard P. & Gary, Michael Shayne, 2021. "Government policy changes and organizational goal setting: Extensions to the behavioral theory of the firm," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 406-417.
    5. Weiqi Dai & Mingqing Liao & Qiao Lin & Jincai Dong, 2022. "Does entrepreneurs’ proactive attention to government policies matter?," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(3), pages 396-431, July.
    6. Long, Zhineng & Duan, Yulan & Zhan, Heng, 2024. "The impact of organizational-level political connection on environmental strategy in private firms," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    7. Hezun Li & Siri Terjesen & Timurs Umans, 2020. "Corporate governance in entrepreneurial firms: a systematic review and research agenda," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 43-74, January.
    8. Varshney, Mayank, 2023. "Learning-by-hiring: How do rival firms learn from focal firm's hiring," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(2).
    9. Luca Berchicci & Murat Tarakci, 2022. "Aspiration formation and attention rules," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 1575-1601, August.
    10. Srivastava, Smita & Sahaym, Arvin & Allison, Thomas H., 2021. "Alert and Awake: Role of alertness and attention on rate of new product introductions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    11. Zhe Zhang & Xin Wang & Ming Jia, 2021. "Echoes of CEO Entrepreneurial Orientation: How and When CEO Entrepreneurial Orientation Influences Dual CSR Activities," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(4), pages 609-629, April.
    12. Philip Mundlos, 2025. "The impact of artificial intelligence on managerial attention allocation for discontinuous change: a conceptual framework," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(2), pages 1-45, June.
    13. Ronald S. Burt & Sonja Opper, 2020. "Political Connection and Disconnection: Still a Success Factor for Chinese Entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(6), pages 1199-1228, November.
    14. He, Qi & Wang, Chang & Deng, Chan & Zhou, Yifang, 2025. "Insisting or shifting technological trajectory? TMT attention and firms’ innovation responses to technology-forcing policy changes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    15. Andrea Fracasso & Kun Jiang, 2022. "The performance of private companies in China before and during the global financial crisis: firms’ characteristics and entrepreneurs’ attributes," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 803-836, May.
    16. Kamal Sakhdari & J. Henri Burgers, 2018. "The moderating role of entrepreneurial management in the relationship between absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship: an attention-based view," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 927-950, December.
    17. Varshney, Mayank & Jain, Amit, 2023. "Understanding “reverse” knowledge flows following inventor exit in the semiconductor industry," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    18. Jin, Chenfei & Monfort, Abel & Chen, Feng & Xia, Neng & Wu, Bao, 2024. "Institutional investor ESG activism and corporate green innovation against climate change: Exploring differences between digital and non-digital firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    19. Varkey K. Titus Jr. & Brian S. Anderson, 2018. "Firm Structure and Environment as Contingencies to the Corporate Venture Capital-Parent Firm Value Relationship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(3), pages 498-522, May.
    20. Garg, Sam & Howard, Michael & Pahnke, Emily Cox, 2025. "Directors in new technology-based ventures: An empirical inquiry," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 40(2).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

    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:kap:sbusec:v:65:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11187-025-01001-w. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.