The power of expressed humility: Investors' reaction to humble entrepreneurs
Résumé
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 nonhumble 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.