The Power of Expressed Humility: Investors' Reaction to Humble Entrepreneurs

Laurent Vilanova () and Ivana Vitanova
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Ivana Vitanova: COACTIS - COnception de l'ACTIon en Situation - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne

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Abstract: We conduct a randomized field experiment examining how an entrepreneur's expressed humility affects venture capitalists' willingness to fund his/her venture. While high humility is often associated with effective leadership and constructive behavior, it may also inhibit entrepreneurial action and generative behavior. Our findings show that early-stage investors perceive that humble entrepreneurs have higher constructive qualities and are more compatible with investors than non-humble entrepreneurs. Expressed humility has an overall positive effect on investors' evaluations of the venture's likelihood of success and their willingness to fund the venture.

Keywords: venture capital; humility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-08-07
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Published in Academy of Management Annual Meeting (AOM), Academy of Management, Aug 2020, Vancouver, Canada. pp.18884, ⟨10.5465/AMBPP.2020.108⟩

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Working Paper: The power of expressed humility: Investors' reaction to humble entrepreneurs (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04747914

DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2020.108

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