Learning to Raise Money: How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns

Erk Peter Piening, Ferdinand Thies, Michael Wessel, Alexander Benlian

Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference abstract for conference › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The ability to learn from failure is of utmost importance to individuals, teams, and organizations. Yet, evidence suggests that organizational actors often ignore failures, struggle to understand their underlying causes, and ultimately fail to learn. Despite considerable scholarly attention devoted to this issue, our understanding of learning from failure and specifically the processes that may explain heterogeneity in learning outcomes remains incomplete. Based on the behavioral theory of the firm, we therefore examine the linkages between failure experiences, learning behaviors (i.e., explorative and exploitative learning), and learning outcomes. Using a comprehensive dataset of 62,532 crowdfunding projects, we map the learning trajectories of serial crowdfunders over time and show how their responses to project failure influence the success of their subsequent crowdfunding ventures. Our results demonstrate that failure and success trigger distinct learning processes – while failure is positively related to exploration, success increases the likelihood of exploitation. In turn, we find that exploration is negatively and exploitation positively related to future crowdfunding success. Moreover, we find some support for our assumption that temporal and social factors act as moderators influencing how entrepreneurs respond to performance feedback.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date13 Aug 2019
Number of pages1
Publication statusPublished - 13 Aug 2019
EventThe Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2019: Understanding the Inclusive Organization - Boston, United States
Duration: 9 Aug 2019 → 13 Aug 2019
Conference number: 79
http://aom.org/annualmeeting/

Conference

ConferenceThe Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2019
Number79
CountryUnited States
CityBoston
Period09/08/2019 → 13/08/2019
Internet address

Bibliographical note

CBS Library does not have access to the material

Cite this

Piening, E. P., Thies, F., Wessel, M., & Benlian, A. (2019). Learning to Raise Money: How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns. Abstract from The Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2019, Boston, United States.
Piening, Erk Peter ; Thies, Ferdinand ; Wessel, Michael ; Benlian, Alexander. / Learning to Raise Money : How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns. Abstract from The Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2019, Boston, United States.1 p.
@conference{e4cda70f185346898e7d455ea71dd96f,
title = "Learning to Raise Money: How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns",
abstract = "The ability to learn from failure is of utmost importance to individuals, teams, and organizations. Yet, evidence suggests that organizational actors often ignore failures, struggle to understand their underlying causes, and ultimately fail to learn. Despite considerable scholarly attention devoted to this issue, our understanding of learning from failure and specifically the processes that may explain heterogeneity in learning outcomes remains incomplete. Based on the behavioral theory of the firm, we therefore examine the linkages between failure experiences, learning behaviors (i.e., explorative and exploitative learning), and learning outcomes. Using a comprehensive dataset of 62,532 crowdfunding projects, we map the learning trajectories of serial crowdfunders over time and show how their responses to project failure influence the success of their subsequent crowdfunding ventures. Our results demonstrate that failure and success trigger distinct learning processes – while failure is positively related to exploration, success increases the likelihood of exploitation. In turn, we find that exploration is negatively and exploitation positively related to future crowdfunding success. Moreover, we find some support for our assumption that temporal and social factors act as moderators influencing how entrepreneurs respond to performance feedback.",
author = "Piening, {Erk Peter} and Ferdinand Thies and Michael Wessel and Alexander Benlian",
note = "CBS Library does not have access to the material; null ; Conference date: 09-08-2019 Through 13-08-2019",
year = "2019",
month = "8",
day = "13",
language = "English",
url = "http://aom.org/annualmeeting/",

}

Piening, EP, Thies, F, Wessel, M & Benlian, A 2019, 'Learning to Raise Money: How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns', Boston, United States, 09/08/2019 - 13/08/2019, .

Learning to Raise Money : How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns. / Piening, Erk Peter; Thies, Ferdinand; Wessel, Michael; Benlian, Alexander.

2019. Abstract from The Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2019, Boston, United States.

Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference abstract for conference › Research › peer-review

TY - ABST

T1 - Learning to Raise Money

T2 - How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns

AU - Piening, Erk Peter

AU - Thies, Ferdinand

AU - Wessel, Michael

AU - Benlian, Alexander

N1 - CBS Library does not have access to the material

PY - 2019/8/13

Y1 - 2019/8/13

N2 - The ability to learn from failure is of utmost importance to individuals, teams, and organizations. Yet, evidence suggests that organizational actors often ignore failures, struggle to understand their underlying causes, and ultimately fail to learn. Despite considerable scholarly attention devoted to this issue, our understanding of learning from failure and specifically the processes that may explain heterogeneity in learning outcomes remains incomplete. Based on the behavioral theory of the firm, we therefore examine the linkages between failure experiences, learning behaviors (i.e., explorative and exploitative learning), and learning outcomes. Using a comprehensive dataset of 62,532 crowdfunding projects, we map the learning trajectories of serial crowdfunders over time and show how their responses to project failure influence the success of their subsequent crowdfunding ventures. Our results demonstrate that failure and success trigger distinct learning processes – while failure is positively related to exploration, success increases the likelihood of exploitation. In turn, we find that exploration is negatively and exploitation positively related to future crowdfunding success. Moreover, we find some support for our assumption that temporal and social factors act as moderators influencing how entrepreneurs respond to performance feedback.

AB - The ability to learn from failure is of utmost importance to individuals, teams, and organizations. Yet, evidence suggests that organizational actors often ignore failures, struggle to understand their underlying causes, and ultimately fail to learn. Despite considerable scholarly attention devoted to this issue, our understanding of learning from failure and specifically the processes that may explain heterogeneity in learning outcomes remains incomplete. Based on the behavioral theory of the firm, we therefore examine the linkages between failure experiences, learning behaviors (i.e., explorative and exploitative learning), and learning outcomes. Using a comprehensive dataset of 62,532 crowdfunding projects, we map the learning trajectories of serial crowdfunders over time and show how their responses to project failure influence the success of their subsequent crowdfunding ventures. Our results demonstrate that failure and success trigger distinct learning processes – while failure is positively related to exploration, success increases the likelihood of exploitation. In turn, we find that exploration is negatively and exploitation positively related to future crowdfunding success. Moreover, we find some support for our assumption that temporal and social factors act as moderators influencing how entrepreneurs respond to performance feedback.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

ER -

Piening EP, Thies F, Wessel M, Benlian A. Learning to Raise Money: How and When Entrepreneurs Learn from Failed Crowdfunding Campaigns. 2019. Abstract from The Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2019, Boston, United States.