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Motivational Cues and Angel Investing: Interactions among Enthusiasm, Preparedness, and Commitment

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  • Melissa S. Cardon
  • Cheryl Mitteness
  • Richard Sudek

Abstract

Angel investors often make investment decisions based on motivational cues communicated during pitches—including enthusiasm, preparedness, and commitment—to evaluate potentially important qualities of entrepreneurs. We tested the independent and interaction effects of these cues by having 72 angels complete 1,995 evaluations of 133 live pitches. We found a positive effect of preparedness on angel evaluations, an effect enhanced by one form of commitment. The relationship between enthusiasm and evaluations of funding potential varies depending on the type of commitment considered. Our findings suggest that enthusiasm, preparedness, and commitment should be treated as conceptually and empirically distinct.

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  • Melissa S. Cardon & Cheryl Mitteness & Richard Sudek, 2017. "Motivational Cues and Angel Investing: Interactions among Enthusiasm, Preparedness, and Commitment," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(6), pages 1057-1085, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:41:y:2017:i:6:p:1057-1085
    DOI: 10.1111/etap.12255
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    3. Liu, Jingting & Zhu, Ying & Serapio, Manuel & Cavusgil, S. Tamer, 2019. "The new generation of millennial entrepreneurs: A review and call for research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 1-1.
    4. Lefebvre, Vincent & Certhoux, Gilles & Radu-Lefebvre, Miruna, 2022. "Sustaining trust to cross the Valley of Death: A retrospective study of business angels’ investment and reinvestment decisions," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    5. Lewis, Trey & Cardon, Melissa S., 2020. "The Magnetic Value of Entrepreneurial Passion for Potential Employees," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    6. Mojca Svetek, 2023. "The Role of Entrepreneurs’ Perceived Competence and Cooperativeness in Early-Stage Financing," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(6), pages 2047-2076, November.
    7. Ullah, Subhan & Attah-Boakye, Rexford & Adams, Kweku & Zaefarian, Ghasem, 2022. "Assessing the influence of celebrity and government endorsements on bitcoin’s price volatility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 228-239.
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    9. Lin Jiang & Dezhi Yin & Dong Liu & Richard Johnson, 2023. "The More Enthusiastic, the Better? Unveiling a Negative Pathway From Entrepreneurs’ Displayed Enthusiasm to Funders’ Funding Intentions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1356-1388, July.
    10. Oo, Pyayt P. & Allison, Thomas H. & Sahaym, Arvin & Juasrikul, Sakdipon, 2019. "User entrepreneurs' multiple identities and crowdfunding performance: Effects through product innovativeness, perceived passion, and need similarity," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 1-1.
    11. Adi Hoorvitch Lavi & Eyal Yaniv, 2023. "The Effect of Entrepreneur Attributes on Investment Evaluations in Pitch Competitions," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(1), pages 39-74, March.
    12. Warnick, Benjamin J. & Davis, Blakley C. & Allison, Thomas H. & Anglin, Aaron H., 2021. "Express yourself: Facial expression of happiness, anger, fear, and sadness in funding pitches," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    13. Schwarte, Ying & Song, Yue & Hunt, Richard A. & Lohrke, Franz T., 2023. "Passion as process: Three perspectives on entrepreneurial passion and an integrated path forward," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    14. Wesley II, Curtis L. & Kong, Dejun Tony & Lubojacky, Connor J. & Kim Saxton, M. & Saxton, Todd, 2022. "Will the startup succeed in your eyes? Venture evaluation of resource providers during entrepreneurs' informational signaling," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(5).
    15. Shane, Scott & Drover, Will & Clingingsmith, David & Cerf, Moran, 2020. "Founder passion, neural engagement and informal investor interest in startup pitches: An fMRI study," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
    16. Roccapriore, Ashley Y. & Imhof, Zoë & Cardon, Melissa S., 2021. "Badge of honor or tolerable reality? How previous firm failure and experience influences investor perceptions," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    17. Jianhong Chen & Jeffrey E. Sohl & Wan-Chien Lien, 2023. "Angel Investors’ Political Ideology and Investments in Women-Owned Ventures," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(2), pages 379-396, November.
    18. Warnick, Benjamin J. & Murnieks, Charles Y. & McMullen, Jeffery S. & Brooks, Wade T., 2018. "Passion for entrepreneurship or passion for the product? A conjoint analysis of angel and VC decision-making," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 315-332.
    19. Raymond K. Van Ness & Charles F. Seifert & Janet H. Marler & William J. Wales & Mark E. Hughes, 2020. "Proactive Entrepreneurs: Who Are They and How Are They Different?," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 29(1), pages 148-175, March.
    20. Allison, Thomas H. & Warnick, Benjamin J. & Davis, Blakley C. & Cardon, Melissa S., 2022. "Can you hear me now? Engendering passion and preparedness perceptions with vocal expressions in crowdfunding pitches," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(3).
    21. Cottle, Griffin W. & Anderson, Brian S., 2020. "The temptation of exaggeration: Exploring the line between preparedness and misrepresentation in entrepreneurial pitches," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    22. Sanchez-Ruiz, Paul & Wood, Matthew S. & Long-Ruboyianes, Anna, 2021. "Persuasive or polarizing? The influence of entrepreneurs' use of ingratiation rhetoric on investor funding decisions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    23. Williamson, Amanda Jasmine & Battisti, Martina & Pollack, Jeffrey M., 2022. "Capturing passion expressed in text with artificial intelligence (AI): Affective passion waned, and identity centrality was sustained in social ventures," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).

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