Christian Hopp

Bern University of Applied Sciences | BFH · Department of Business

Founding an entrepreneurial venture does not comprise a dichotomous choice between market entry and non-entry; instead, a wide variety of entrepreneurial strategies are available to the nascent entrepreneur. Using data from the second Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED II), a representative sample of nascent entrepreneurial activity in t...

We investigate how the interplay between academic researchers’ and innovators’ entrepreneurial intentions and open innovationactivities fosters their market commercialization activities. We qualitatively analyse five case studies of European research consortia topropose potential theoretical mechanisms that limit or abet market commercialization ac...

In this research, we study the funding decision in crowdfunding from the perspective of potential backers. We assess whether perceived uncertainty affects the decision to contribute to crowdfunding campaigns. For this purpose, we conduct a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment with different stages of product development and the perceived innovativenes...

The proliferation of team-authored academic work has led to the proliferation of two kinds of authorship misconduct: ghost authorship, in which contributors are not listed as authors and honorary authorship, in which non-contributors are listed as authors. Drawing on data from a survey of 2,222 social scientists from around the globe, we study the...

In the present research, we investigate how the reasons leading to CEO turnover- voluntary departure vs. involuntary dismissal- may affect how appearance-based leadership perceptions sway the hiring decision. Based on a randomized experiment, we show that when CEO turnover takes place involuntary, potential followers look for a successor CEO who ex...

We juxtapose the executive recruitment decisions of family and non-family firms. We hypothesize that hiring preferences toward executive candidates differ between family and non-family firms. We test our predictions against field data from executive recruitment processes involving family and non-family firms. Drawn from an executive hiring company,...

We investigate what fosters or inhibits data sharing behaviour in a sample of 173 innovation management researchers. Theoretically, we integrate resource-based arguments with social exchange considerations to juxtapose the trade-off between data as a proprietary resource for researchers and the benefits that reciprocity in academic relations may pr...

In this work, we explore the link between electronic word of mouth in the form of user-generated content (online forum interactions on Kickstarter) and through mass personal communication (sharing information through Facebook) on the performance of crowdfunding campaigns. Our formal theoretical model implies that the efficiency of electronic word o...

This paper introduces a neural network and natural language processing approach to predict the outcome of crowdfunding startup pitches using text, speech, and video metadata in 20,188 crowdfunding campaigns. Our study emphasizes the need to understand crowdfunding from an investor’s perspective. Linguistic styles in crowdfunding campaigns that aim...

This paper replicates and extends Kuhn and Weinberger's (2005) “Leadership Skills and Wages”. The original article found that those white males who were club presidents and team captains in high school earned significantly more eleven years later. As the empirical relationship between leadership positions and subsequent earnings includes those char...

Scholars’ balancing act between research and application leads to trade-offs between commercial and research output. Yet what some scholars may consider as poles apart might lead to super-additive outcomes for others. Based on a survey carried out at three leading European universities of technology we investigate the influence of scholars’ researc...

Plagiarism in academia is endangering the veracity of any discipline. Yet, estimating the actual prevalence of plagiarism is difficult due to the sensitive nature of freely admitting actual offenses. Respondents to questions on plagiarism oftentimes conceal potential misconduct and thus refrain from truthfully responding to such a sensitive questio...

In this article, we aim to replicate and extend a study that has revealed a link between naïve personality and leadership judgments and company profits. Rule and Ambady (2008) found that power-and leadership-related perceptions derived from CEOs' faces were significantly related to company profits. In our follow-up study and extension, we focus on...

This research examines how potential backers form mental representations of products in reward- based crowdfunding campaigns, and how these representations affect funding decisions and campaign performance. To test our framework, we conducted four experiments and also drew on a sample of 961 Kickstarter campaigns. Our results show that two campaign...

This research examines how potential backers form mental representations of products in reward-based crowdfunding campaigns, and how these representations affect funding decisions and campaign performance. To test our framework, we conducted four experiments and also drew on a sample of 961 Kickstarter campaigns. Our results show that two campaign...

We study a large‐scale, partially outsourced recruitment process. A specialized consultancy assesses applicants' soft‐skills on behalf of a client firm, who retains agency over the hiring decision. We conceptualize this collaboration as an advice‐seeking, advice‐utilization process and analyze the effectiveness of hiring recommendations provided in...

This research presents the results of a survey regarding scientific misconduct and questionable research practices elicited from a sample of 1215 management researchers. We find that misconduct (research that was either fabricated or falsified) is not encountered often by reviewers nor editors. Yet, there is a strong prevalence of misrepresentation...

Entrepreneurial parents can serve as sources of information and inspiration to transmit entrepreneurial intentions to their offspring. Yet we find that role modelling is not purely observational, but it requires social interactions between parents and children to take effect. Our results using more than 2,500 child-parent dyads from the German soci...

This articles is an introduction into a Special Issue (SI) on “Innovation in the Digital Age: From Stage-Gate to an Agile Development Paradigm?”. This issues explores whether traditional product development models such as Stage-Gate (Cooper, 1986, Cooper, 2008) are still fit for purpose in today's digital age or whether they are set to be widely re...

This paper investigates how potential backers' perception of user entrepreneur characteristics influences the success of a crowdfunding campaign. We hypothesize that the accentuation of user entrepreneur characteristics is associated with higher crowdfunding success, i.e. with the chance to reach a campaign goal successfully. Data from 963 Kickstar...

In this work, we explore the link between electronic word of mouth in the form of user-generated content (online forum interactions on Kickstarter) and through mass personal communication (sharing information through Facebook) on the performance of crowdfunding campaigns. Our formal theoretical model implies that the efficiency of electronic word o...

Crowdfunding is a relatively new gateway for entrepreneurs to access capital for creative and innovative ideas. It allows individuals to start experiments with new products and technologies where the outcome is distant. Yet predicting the success of hitherto unseen products and technologies is fraught with ambiguity and uncertainty. Early stage pro...

Entrepreneurship is a learning process, yet the paths that entrepreneurs take to achieve success and the resources they assemble differ widely. To better understand when and for whom specific learning styles and new venture organizing activities are beneficial, this study develops a theoretical framework based on entrepreneurs' learning orientation...

Eliciting deceitful behaviour is a daunting task. Respondents oftentimes conceal wrongdoings and refrain from truthfully responding to sensitive questions. In this work, we employ advancements in randomized response techniques to overcome the neglect of respondents to truthfully reveal deceitful behaviour. Our results report that the studied crossw...

The present paper re-analyzes and extends a study on institutional forces and the written business plan (Honig and Karlsson in J Manag 30(1):29–48, 2004). We attempt to examine to what extent critical decision making is evident in model and variable choice, and whether the implications provided by systematic replication efforts may serve to provide...

We hypothesize that risk aversion, plasticity, stability, and locus of control have different effects on a person's decision to enter entrepreneurship and the person's entrepreneurial performance. Empirical results reveal that plasticity and risk tolerance have positive effects on selection but negative effects on income derived in entrepreneurship...

See virtual issue: Disruptive Innovation

Reward-based crowdfunding (CF) has become a meaningful alternative to facilitate the realization process of new product ideas. While prior research has primarily investigated antecedents of campaign success on the project level, research from a consumer’s perspective is scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to make a first step in this...

We look into the question whether heterogeneity stemming from research orientation, gender, or disciplinary and cultural differences with their PhD supervisors helps or hampers academics’ careers. Based on a sample of 248 academics at two leading European universities of technology, we combine multinomial logit models and sequential logit models to...

This analysis provides novel insights into the theoretical and practical dichotomy between “disruptive” and “radical” innovation. Using a natural language processing approach, the article takes stock of extant disruption research and analyzes the full-text corpus of 1,078 journal articles published on disruption between 1975 and 2016. This allows y...

We survey 1215 management researchers, including editors, researchers, and reviewers, about their views and experiences with four types of academic misconduct: plagiarism, self-plagiarism, coercive citations, and questionable reviewing practices. Management researchers hold strict views on plagiarism, though editors report on frequent instances enc...

In this work, we analyze video pitches of creators in crowdfunding campaigns and focus on linguistic particularities of "lead user" entrepreneurs. Theory suggests that lead users sense needs long before they become known to the broader public and would benefit greatly from finding a solution to these needs. For our study, we consider 537 video pitc...

Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel from 1984 to 2012, we explore income effects of self-employment for females and migrants. Controlling for the selection into self-employment, we differentiate the overall earnings differential between the self-employed and the wage-employed into an endowment effect (they are equipped with characterist...

In this study, we investigate the pitfalls associated with measuring risk aversion within studies of entrepreneurial behavior. First, we raise substantial concerns as to whether standard questions employed can be used to infer risk aversion among nascent entrepreneurs. In our work we show that the US, Canadian and Swedish panel study datasets do no...

This study develops and tests a counterfactual model of the relationship between formal written business plans and the achievement of new venture viability. This is important because extant theory remains oppositional and there is a practical need to provide guidance to founders on the utility of formal plans. To test our model, we use propensity s...

In this study, we examine three under-explored dimensions of the temporal relationship between formal written business plans and the achievement of new venture viability. First, we theorize and investigate the effects of plan sequencing; arguing that a business plan written early on in new venture development increases the prospects of venture viab...

In this chapter, we examine two theorized approaches to entrepreneurial activity: experiential versus prediction based strategies. We empirically assess the comparative performance of several commonly recommended approaches À researching customer needs, researching the competitive landscape, writing a business plan, conceptually adapting the busine...

Recent years have seen an upsurge of novel sources of new venture financing through crowdfunding (CF). We draw on 54,943 successfully crowdfunded projects and 3,313 venture capital (VC) investments throughout the period 04/2012-06/2015 to investigate, on the aggregate level, how crowdfunding is related to a more traditional source of entrepreneuria...

Recent years have seen an upsurge of novel sources of new venture financing through crowdfunding (CF). We draw on 54,943 successfully crowdfunded projects and 3,313 venture capital (VC) investments throughout the period 04/2012-06/2015 to investigate, on the aggregate level, how crowdfunding is related to a more traditional source of entrepreneuria...

Entrepreneurs can profit from both their human and social capital. However, research on how the two types of capital interact in shaping relevant outcomes has produced inconclusive results. Attempting to explain the inconsistencies in previous findings, we suggest that the relationship between entrepreneurs’ human and social capital is neither fund...

In this chapter, we examine two theorized approaches to entrepreneurial activity: experiential versus prediction based strategies. We empirically assess the comparative performance of several commonly recommended approaches researching customer needs, researching the competitive landscape, writing a business plan, conceptually adapting the business...

In this article, we examine longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics II to infer whether formal business planning affects the amount of formal financing raised by nascent entrepreneurs. Our findings suggest that by and large the use of business plans is mimetic and reveals only limited information about the underlying entr...

Despite the growing importance of temporary work agencies, the benefits they bring to temporary agency employees (TAEs) are still disputed, and empirical findings are, by and large, mixed. Using a unique dataset comprising almost 12,000 TAEs on their first and second temporary work assignments, this work aims at disentangling the consequences of te...

Entrepreneurs are expected to profit from their human as well as their social capital. So far, however, research has produced largely inconclusive results on how the two types of capital interact in shaping entrepreneurial outcomes. The paper at hand addresses this gap in research. We hypothesize that depending on the type of resource provided by n...

In this paper we analyze the relation between an investor’s experience and the intensity of monitoring activities. Specifically, we consider venture capitalist firms and their choices of time intervals between financing rounds. We hypothesize that more industry investment experience leads to longer time intervals between financing rounds and hence,...

This paper analyzes the factors impacting partnering decisions in venture capital syndicates using a unique data set of 2,373 venture capitalist (VC) transactions in Germany. We employ a signaling perspective to partner-selection strategies within VC syndicates. By including time-varying information about industry experience and cooperation pattern...

Understanding the factors driving the successful founding of new firms is a subject of ongoing interest. We link prestart-up experience and intentions of nascent entrepreneurs to the shape of the entrepreneurial gestation process and eventually to successful founding. By experience, we mean previous entrepreneurial activities, labor market experien...

The successful foundation of entrepreneurial firms comprises a multitude of complementary human tasks. The effect of founders’ human capital on firm success hinges on the information structure that prevails when nascent entrepreneurs are matched in partnerships. Empirically, we assume that rational matching occurs in incubated spin-offs and corpora...

We empirically analyse the determinants of Initial Public Offering (IPO) underpricing using panel data for 24 countries over the period 1988–2005. Our hypotheses stress the importance of institutional and legal factors in explaining cross-country variations. We find evidence that underpricing is higher in countries with stronger protection of outsi...

The importance of informal institutions and in particular culture for entrepreneurship is a subject of ongoing interest. Past research has mostly concentrated on cross-national comparisons, cultural values and the direct effects of culture on entrepreneurial behaviour, but in the main found inconsistent results. We add a fresh perspective to this r...

In the present study, we provide important insights into the knowledge and experience individuals gain when engaging in nonprofit and voluntary work. The article explores how applicable the acquired human capital is when put to work in environments that share some common elements. Using data from the second panel study of entrepreneurial dynamics (...

Using data from the Second Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, this study analyzes the role of information acquisition and utilization in new venture development. We employ competing risk analysis to make use of the longitudinal data structure in PSED II. Our results highlight the contingent nature of information acquisition in assisting the n...

The importance of informal institutions and particularly culture for entrepreneurship continues to attract attention. Past research mostly concentrates on cross-national comparisons, cultural values, and direct effects of culture on entrepreneurial behavior, but finds by and large inconsistent results. The present research adds a fresh perspective...

The successful foundation of entrepreneurial firms comprises a multitude of complementary human tasks. Within entrepreneurial teams, the effect of founders’ human capital on firm success hinges on the information structure that prevails when nascent entrepreneurs are matched in partnerships. Empirically, we assume that rational matching occurs in i...

Using longitudinal data from a graduate course (with 97 students grouped into 18 teams) we analyze the emergence of collaborative working patterns and the influence of personal traits on team performance and individual team member satisfaction. We find a positive effect of global centrality measures on individual satisfaction, while local centralit...

Using a cross-section of Venture Capital (VC) transactions in Germany during the period 1995 to 2005, I analyse the origins of social networks in VC financing and document how they evolve over time. I focus specifically on the industry and investment experience of VCs as a resource to allow for better screening of business proposals and to provide...

Using a sample of 2,373 unique capital contributions from 437 venture capitalists (VCs) over subsequent rounds into 961 start-ups during the period 1995–2005 in Germany we disentangle the circumstances under which lead VCs engage in syndicate relationships with partner VCs. The results indicate that syndication is more pronounced when VCs face high...

Using data on the establishment of Venture Capital syndicates in Germany during the period 1995-2005 I document that relationships are formed between VCs that occupy different strategic positions in the network to allow for the combination of complimentary investment expertise.

This dissertation comprises five different stand-alone research papers that were written as part of the doctoral program in “Quantitative Economics and Finance” at the University of Konstanz within the period of January 2004 and January 2008. All of the papers deal with an empirical analysis of Venture Capital (VC) financing in Germany and Switzerl...

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die treibenden Faktoren bei der Partnerselektion in Venture-Capital-Syndikaten anhand von 2400 Transaktionen im Zeitraum 1995–2005 in Deutschland. Um eine bessere Beratungs- und Management-Unterstützung zu gewährleisten, bilden Ressourcen und Fähigkeiten der potenziellen Partner das Kernstück der Analyse zur Partnerwahl du...

We empirically analyze the determinants of Initial Public Offering (IPO) underpricing using panel data for 29 countries over the period 1988-2005. Our hypotheses stress the importance of institutional and legal factors in explaining cross-country variations. We find that increased protection of shareholders and greater accounting transparency contr...

This paper analyses the Determinants of Venture Capital Staging and Syndication in Switzerland. I find that among the different affiliations of VC investors in Switzerland especially independent investors make more extensive use of staged capital infusions. Moreover, the results suggest that staging is employed as a tool for mitigating risks in VC...

In this paper I analyze the driving forces of Venture Capital staging. I find that staging is more pronounced for younger firms with higher agency problems. Moreover, the duration of financing rounds is shorter for seed and early stage financing indicating that monitoring is paramount to cope with the higher level of uncertainty at these stages of...

Technologische und politische Veränderungen sowie komplexere Wertschöpfungsketten haben in den letzten Jahrzehnten zu einer verstärkten Unternehmensexpansion mittels Mergers and Acquisitions geführt. Unter dem Sammelbegriff "Mergers and Acquisitions" werden strategische Entscheidungen eines Unternehmens subsumiert, ein anderes Unternehmen oder eine...

In this paper we analyze the structure of the German market for Venture Capital. We con- sider the differing roles of market participants namely public, banking dependent and independent VC investors. We find that the players differ in their regional investment scope, such that public inves- tors invest in areas considered unprofitable by independe...

In unserem Beitrag analysieren wir die Struktur des deutschen Marktes für Beteiligungskapital unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Rollen der unabhängigen, der bankenassoziierten und der öffentlichen Investoren. Wir finden substantielle Unterschiede im Verhalten der Akteure in einem regionalen Kontext. Hier lässt sich feststellen, dass öffentliche...

This paper analyses the syndication behavior of VC organisations and the factors influencing their overall propensity to co-invest. We develop hypothesis concerning the investment behavior of Venture Capitalists in the German market and compare these hypothesis to the actual empirical evidence from a data set including 2,500 VC investments. We find...

Theory suggests a positive relationship of business planning with venture formation. Yet, empirical evidence is scarce, or ambiguous. In contrast to previous empirical studies, we treat the decision to plan or not to plan as an endogenous strategic choice by entrepreneurs.

Using longitudinal data from a graduate management course (with 97 students grouped into 18 teams) we analyze the evolution of collaborative working patterns, and the influence of personal traits on group performance and individual team member satisfaction. Our results indicate that the aggregation of power within working groups is detrimental for...

This paper analyses the factors impacting partnering decisions in Venture Capital syndicates using a unique dataset of 2,373 VC transactions in Germany. By including time varying information about industry experience and cooperation patterns we explicitly take into account not only the changing social context for partner selection but also the dyna...