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The development of entrepreneurial finance research.

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research in entrepreneurial finance is apparent in the proliferation
proliferation /proliferation/ (pro-lif?er-ashun) the reproduction or multiplication of
similar forms, especially of cells.proliferativeproliferous
proliferation
n. of work focusing on the financial aspects of entrepreneurship; a field of management science
which is beginning to organise itself along the same lines as other existing fields such as strategy,
marketing or finance. This surge in interest is reflected not only by the increase in the number of
research papers on entrepreneurial finance being published in the main financial journals but also
by the appearance of scientific magazines, books and conferences dedicated to this field such as
Venture Capital journal (1999), The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance and Business Ventures
(2000), or the annual conference of The Academy of Entrepreneurial Finances (1989).
According to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. Denis Denis, king of Portugal: see Diniz. (2004), entrepreneurship had long been regarded
by finance researchers as a separate field from corporate finance due to the presupposition
presuppose
tr.v. presupposed, presupposing, presupposes
1. To believe or suppose in advance.
2. To require or involve necessarily as an antecedent condition. See Synonyms at presume. that
problems encountered in entrepreneurial finance are sufficiently different from those faced by listed
companies as to limit the applicability of traditional financial theory. However, more recently,
financiers have recognized that entrepreneurial situations are characterized by the two same
fundamental problems which are at the root of financial theory: agency dilemmas and asymmetric
information Asymmetric Information
Information available to some people but not others.
Notes:
In other words, the asymmetric information is held by only one side, meaning someone is keeping a
secret. . Entrepreneurial finance differs from traditional corporate finance only in that the
importance of these problems is greater, necessitating recourse to contractual solutions distinct
from those put in place in larger, more established companies. Initially confined confine
v. confined, confining, confines
v.tr.
1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See
Synonyms at limit. to the study of four main fields (alternative sources of capital, financial
contracting issues, public policy issues, risk and return in private equity investments),
entrepreneurial finance now explores a broader range of fields.
In order to better understand the importance of financial fact in entrepreneurship, it is advisable to
first define entrepreneurship itself. Several authors such as Schildt et al. (2006) have defined
entrepreneurship by its paradigms such as: business opportunity, the creation of an organization,
value creation, innovation, and entrepreneurial risk. But whatever the paradigm selected,
entrepreneurship and finance are inevitably dependant because entrepreneurial projects require
resources. The acquisition of these resources depends on the capacity to finance them. This involves
looking into the financial dimension of entrepreneurial projects.
Faced with the obvious links between entrepreneurship and finance, several questions arise. What is
entrepreneurial finance exactly? What are the issues surrounding it? What research has been or is
being carried out in this area?
To answer these questions, we will approach them from two different angles. Firstly we will try to
specify the scope of entrepreneurial finance by identifying the issues surrounding them which have
already featured in published research work. Then, we will attempt to structure the studies done in
this field and suggest some lines of research.
II. HOW IS THE FIELD OF ENTREPRENEURIAL FINANCE DEFINED?
How can one define the field of entrepreneurial finance? Several studies have attempted to present
the different themes and topics, or to summarize summarize
intr. & tr.v. summarized, summarizing, summarizes
To make a summary or make a summary of.
sum results obtained in the field of entrepreneurial finance (or within the narrower area of venture
capital). On initial analysis, examining these works closely can help identify the chosen lines of
research and thus gain a greater understanding of the field of entrepreneurial finance. Three studies
have been retained. They are studies by Brophy & Shulman (1992), Saint-Pierre and Mathieu (2003)
and Denis (2004) which provide details of more recent developments.
Brophy & Shulman (1992) consider that venture capital is a field which provides the hub between
finance and entrepreneurship. They identify several specific areas of research:
* the characteristics of investors in new ventures: the company creator and his team, informal
investors (business angels), and formal investors (venture capital).
* the characteristics used by investors as selection criteria for new projects and the ex-post factors
associated with the success or the failure of the new firms, whether concerning operational success
or financing;
* the investment process, including the negotiations and the structuring of the deals, the appraisal of
new ventures and monitoring participation;
* the issues involved with the exit of investors, including the sale of all or part of the firm, whether
through strategic alliance, merger, divestment divestment to strip one's investment from an entity.
, organization of a LBO LBO
See: Leveraged buyout
LBO
See leveraged buyout (LBO).
or by going public.
Saint-Pierre and Mathieu (2003) published a very detailed synopsis A summary; a brief statement,
less than the whole.
A synopsis is a condensation of something--for example, a synopsis of a trial record. of the results
of research relating to relating to relate prep -> concernant
relating to relate prep -> bezglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc venture capital. They identified
six themes:
* The role of venture capital in economic development, legal frameworks and investor sources.
* How the venture capital market works: financing decisions Financing decisions
Decisions concerning the liabilities and stockholders' equity side of the firm's balance sheet, such as
a decision to issue bonds. , measuring risk, contactual aspects.
* The comparison between firms financed by venture capital and those which were not
(performance, sales, job creation, level of innovation, etc).
* The impact of the venture capital company on the company they financed.
* The impact and the rate of survival of the firms financed by VC after divestment by the venture
capital company.
* New trends.
Denis (2004), in a summary focusing on entrepreneurial finance published in the Journal of
Corporate Finances, chose the following themes:
* Contributors of capital, including venture capital, business angels and corporate venture.
* The problems surrounding financing contracts, including signaling and agency dilemmas.
* The influence of public policies, including the development of financial markets and fiscal policy.
* Returns on investment and risks involved when investing in new ventures.
* Other lines of research.
As a starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point
terminus a quo
commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the
time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the , we
used the three contributions above; studies which have been published since, and themes chosen by
the Academy of Entrepreneurial Finance for its annual conference (http://www.aoef.org/). In the
table below we have summed up the different themes encompassed by the field of entrepreneurial
finance.
This summary requires two comments. Firstly, British/American style entrepreneurial finance can be
easily confused with the field of venture capital in its broadest sense (integrating the different
categories of investors such as business angels or corporate venture, and institutional aspects which
could have a bearing on this type of investment). Secondly, one can notice that over time the field of
entrepreneurial finance has expanded. Researchers are now interested in other phases of company
development, before venture capitalists come on the scene, or after they have left, but there is also
interest in firms which are not financed by this type of investor.
III. OBSERVATIONS AND LINES OF RESEARCH
In this section, by defining the field of entrepreneurial finance we will suggest a framework for
organizing the work done in this research area. Then, we will suggest new lines of research.
A. Structuring the Work Done in the Field of Entrepreneurial Finance: A Double Tropism
tropism (tr?p`?z?m), involuntary response of an organism, or part of an organism, involving
orientation toward (positive tropism) or away from (negative tropism) one or more external stimuli.

Firstly, we proceeded with an analysis of the distribution of work on entrepreneurial finance
according to the main themes, which enabled us to highlight a double orientation in this field of
research.
Our analysis of the distribution of academic works relating to the main themes of entrepreneurial
finance used as a starting point the bibliographical databases from SSRN SSRN Social Science
Research Network .com (listing mainly unpublished articles and writings) and EBSCO EBSCO Elton
B. Stephens Company (primarily articles published in academic peer review journals). The themes
retained were the following: small business finance, SME finance The economic and social
importance of the Small and medium enterprise (SME) sector is well recognized in academic
literature.[1] It is also recognised that these actors in the economy are underserved, largely in terms
of finance. , private companies finance, start-ups, entrepreneurial finance, corporate venture,
venture capital, private equity, IPO (Initial Public Offering) The first time a company offers shares of
stock to the public. While not a computer term per se, many founders, employees and insiders of
computer companies have found this acronym more exciting than any tech term they ever heard. ,
and Business Angels (Table 2).
It appears from this analysis of published works that research in entrepreneurial finance shows a
double orientation. The first orientation is a focusing of works on venture capital financing To start
an own company or to bring a new product to the market, the venture may need to attract financial
funding. There are several categories of financing possibilities. If it is a small venture, then perhaps
the venture can rely on family funding, loans from friends . Indeed, the results show a strong
concentration of research work on venture capital. This is despite the fact that figures from the
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM 2007 Report) measuring the entrepreneurial phenomenon
worldwide, show that overall financing by venture capital only represents $21.2 billion invested in
2514 firms, compared to $1078 billion of informal investment in millions of newly created
companies.
It becomes clear that there is a significant gap between the preoccupations of researchers and
realities on the ground, characterized by the prevalence of 'ordinary' companies, for which a more
informal financing prevails. Moreover, the bulk of research in entrepreneurial finance looked at
American firms and American investors. However, venture capital is also well developed in many
other countries.
The second orientation refers to a concentration of works on the later stages of the entrepreneurial
adventure. An examination of the literature shows that researchers show greater interest in the later
stages of the development of new ventures. The results of the extraction of EBSCO data testify to the
number of works devoted in particular to venture capital financing and to the comparative
performance of new ventures which have depended on this type of financing as opposed to those
which have not. Many studies have been devoted to issues surrounding new ventures which go
public. Comparatively little work has been devoted to financing early stages of the entrepreneurial
adventure (what financial contribution do entrepreneurs need to launch their projects? Does it
depend on their age, training, professional experience? Does it depend on the type of project?). The
lack of work devoted to Business Angels is also regretted (Denis, 2004).
B. Future Lines of Research
This analysis of research in entrepreneurial finance highlights several lines of research which
deserve to be developed further given their contribution to the understanding of the entrepreneurial
phenomena.
1. Financing needs of new firms
Saint Pierre Saint Pierre or Saint-Pierre
The capital of St. Pierre and Miquelon, on St. Pierre Island in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Population: 6,100. and Mathieu (2003) remark on a lack of knowledge about new firms' financing
requirements, according to the type of business, the degree of risk, the stage of development, the
financing alternatives, the development potential (export, expansion, innovation), etc. These lines of
research could be linked to other researches on the merger of personal and professional assets,
belonging to company creators, and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in
command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the
Chairman of the Board. entrenchment.
2. Sources of alternative financing
Denis (2004) estimates that up until now the bulk of research in entrepreneurial finance related to
companies financed by venture capital. Studies on the role of sources of alternative financing, such
as Business Angels, corporate venture or from individual operators (such as the business incubators)
would make it possible to improve our overall knowledge of the funding of new ventures. This
research will allow us to look into the optimal balance between the sources of funding for early stage
companies and to better understand how corporate venture or business incubators can be integrated
in this balance.
3. Contracts between creator(s) and financier(s)
Although many studies have already been devoted to it, the question of the optimal contract between
creator(s) and financier(s) (in particular venture capital) still needs to be looked into more deeply.
Information asymmetries which can occur between the different parties could cause conflicts of
interests (Denis, 2004). This issue encompasses the nature of contracts, restrictive clauses, the costs
of financing, monitoring the investment, etc. (Rassoul, 2006).
4. The role of the legal and institutional environment
The role of legal and institutional environments deserves to be looked into more closely, in particular
the establishing of optimal financing contracts (Denis, 2004), but also the intervention of the State in
high-risk firms despite their strong potential (innovation, start up, ...), or about the existence of a
stock market for SMEs with strong growth (Saint-Pierre and Mathieu, 2003).
5. Innovating firms
Another line of research is to make an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of innovation projects
and firms with a high level of intangible assets: their development phases, risk, contract, rate of
success, etc. (Saint-Pierre and Mathieu, 2003).
At the end of this presentation, several conclusions can be drawn. Entrepreneurial finance is
developing as a field of research with two main focuses. For researchers in entrepreneurship, it
means taking the financial element more into account as it is indissociable from entrepreneurial fact.
For financiers', the specific requirements of entrepreneurial situations have been better recognized
and an increasing amount of work is being dedicated to this area. However, the analysis of studies
on entrepreneurial finance reveals a double tropism or orientation: on the one hand, a focusing of
publications on topics related to financing by venture capital, on the other hand a concentration of
works on the early stages of the entrepreneurial adventure (entrance of investors, IPO). However,
this type of questioning only concerns a very small portion of new ventures. The new lines of
research which we suggested would enable a better understanding of the indissociable links
between finance and entrepreneurship.
This issue aims to explore these lines of research in entrepreneurial finance. It includes the four
following contributions:
* "The Impact of Business Model Characteristics on IT Firms' Performance" (Redis, 2009)
* "International Comparison of Entrepreneurial Sub-Cultures within Cultures: Effect of Territory on
Entrepreneurial Strategies for Fundraising" (Rantanen anf Bernasconi, 2009)
* "Active Financial Intermediation and Market Efficiency: The Case of Fast-Growing Firms Financed
by Venture Capitalists" (Lantz and Sahut, 2009)
* "The Impact of Corporate Governance Corporate Governance
The relationship between all the stakeholders in a company. This includes the shareholders,
directors, and management of a company, as defined by the corporate charter, bylaws, formal policy,
and rule of law. on the Performance of U.S. Small-Cap Firms" (Switzer and Tang tang, in zoology
tang: see butterfly fish. , 2009)
REFERENCES
Brophy, D.J., and J.M. Shulman, 1992, "A Finance Perspective on Entrepreneurship Research",
Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 16 (3): 61-71.
Denis, D.J., 2004, "Entrepreneurial Finance: An Overview of the Issues and Evidence", Journal of
Corporate Finance 10 (2): 301-326.
Lantz, J., and Sahut, J., 2009, "Active Financial Intermediation and Market Efficiency: The Case of
Fast-Growing Firms Financed by Venture Capitalists," International Journal of Business, 14(4): 321-
339.
Rantanen, K., and Bernasconi, M., 2009, "International Comparison of Entrepreneurial Sub-Cultures
within Cultures: Effect of Territory on Entrepreneurial Strategies for Fundraising," International
Journal of Business, 14(4): 309-320.
Rassoul Y., 2006, "Behavioral Finance Behavioral Finance
A field of finance that proposes psychology-based theories to explain stock market anomalies. Within
behavioral finance it is assumed that the information structure and the characteristics of market
participants systematically influence individuals' investment and Entrepreneurial Finance", The
Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance and Business Ventures 11(1):1-3.
Redis, J., 2009, "The Impact of Business Model Characteristics on IT Firms' Performance,"
International Journal of Business, 14(4): 291-307.
Saint-Pierre, J., and C. Mathieu, 2003, Le financement par capital de risque risqu
adj.
Suggestive of or bordering on indelicacy or impropriety.
[French, from past participle of risquer, to risk, from risque, risk; see risk.]
Adj. : evolution des connaissances des dix dernieres annees et avenues de recherche
recherch
adj.
1. Uncommon; rare.
2. Exquisite; choice.
3. Overrefined; forced.
4. Pretentious; overblown. , Rapport The former name of device management software from Wyse
Technology, San Jose, CA (www.wyse.com) that is designed to centrally control up to 100,000+
devices, including Wyse thin clients (see Winterm), Palm, PocketPC and other mobile devices. de
recherche, Industrie Canada, 25 avril.
Schildt, H.A., S.A. Zahra, and A. Sillanpaa, 2006, "Scholarly Communities in Entrepreneurship
Research: A Co-Citation Analysis", Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 30 (3): 399-416.
Shane S., 2003, A General Theory of Entrepreneurship: The Individual-Opportunity Nexus, New
Horizons in Entrepreneurship series, Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM,
GCVO (2 June 1857 - 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. Several of his first
major orchestral works, including the Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches,
were greeted with acclaim. Publishing.
Shane, S. and S. Venkataraman, 2000, "The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of Research",
Academy of Management Review 25(1): 217-226.
Stevenson, H.H., and J.C. Jarillo, 1990, "A Paradigm of Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial
Management", Strategic Management Journal 11: 17-27.
Switzer, L., and Tang, M., 2009, "The Impact of Corporate Governance on the Performance of US
Small-Cap Firms," International Journal of Business, 14(4): 341-357.
Jean-Louis Pare (a), Jean Redis (b) and Jean-Michel Sahut (c) *
* We would like to acknowledge the CCIP CCIP Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris (Paris
Chamber of Commerce, France)
CCIP Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional
CCIP Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection (New Zealand) Entrepreneurship Chair for its
financial support and help in the development of this research.
(a) Associate Professor, Advancia-Negocia, CCIP Entrepreneurship Chair, France
(b) Associate Professor, ESIEE ESIEE Ecole Suprieure d'Ingnieurs en Electrotechnique et
Electronique Management and University of Paris Est, CCIP Entrepreneurship Chair, France
redisj@esiee.fr
(c) Professor, Amiens School of Management and University of Poitiers The University of Poitiers
(French: Universit de Poitiers) is a university located in Poitiers, France. History
Founded in 1431 by Pope Eugene IV and chartered by King Charles VII, the University of Poitiers
was originally composed of five faculties: theology, , France jmsahut@gmail.com
Table 1
Main themes in the field of entrepreneurial finance
Brophy & Saint
Shulman Pierre and
1992) Mathieu
(2003)
GENERAL THEMES
Behavioural finance and SME
SME finance issues
Alternative source of capital X
INVESTORS CHARACTERISTICS
Business angels X X
Venture Capital X X
Other investors (LBO funds,
public funds ...) X
INVESTMENT
Investment criteria X X
Investment decision process X X
Business models and firm evaluation X X
Financial contracting issues X X
RELATIONSHIP VENTURE CAPITAL/FIRM
Governance and control X X
Determinants of venture capital activity X X
Impacts of venture capital activity X X
EXIT STRATEGIES
IPO, MBO, LBO ... X X
RISK AND RETURN
Performance of firms financed
by private equity X X
Performance of private equity X X
Success/failure criteria X X
OTHER THEMES
Influence of technology X
Public policy incentives and issues X X
Rule of stock markets X
Start-up business development
Denis Authors'
(2004) definition
GENERAL THEMES
Behavioural finance and SME X
SME finance issues X
Alternative source of capital X X
INVESTORS CHARACTERISTICS
Business angels X X
Venture Capital X X
Other investors (LBO funds,
public funds ...) X X
INVESTMENT
Investment criteria X X
Investment decision process X X
Business models and firm evaluation X X
Financial contracting issues X X
RELATIONSHIP VENTURE CAPITAL/FIRM
Governance and control X X
Determinants of venture capital activity X X
Impacts of venture capital activity X X
EXIT STRATEGIES
IPO, MBO, LBO ... X X
RISK AND RETURN
Performance of firms financed
by private equity X X
Performance of private equity X X
Success/failure criteria X
OTHER THEMES
Influence of technology X
Public policy incentives and issues X X
Rule of stock markets X X
Start-up business development X
Source : summary carried out by the authors.
Table 2
Cartography of research in entrepreneurial finance
Abstract Abstract Titles
Keyword All journals Scientific Scientific
journals journals
Small business finance 86 35 21
SME finance 5 4 4
Private companies finance 0 0 0
Start-ups 10 916 1 569 375
Entrepreneurial finances 33 13 9
Corporate Venture 238 89 48
Capital venture 14 053 1 286 557
Private equity 19 873 771 263
IPO 9 586 1 086 564
Business Angels 188 61 54
Source: extraction from Ebsco Database on May 29th, 2008 carried out by
the authors.
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