IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v11y2024i1d10.1057_s41599-024-03703-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The collusion behavior of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs based on “guanxi”: evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Liping Li

    (Business School of Chengdu University
    Tsinghua University
    Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (Luzhou) Advanced Technology Research Institute)

  • Qisheng Chen

    (Business School of Sichuan University)

  • Ximeng Jia

    (Business School of Sichuan University)

  • Jin Chen

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Enrique Herrera-Viedma

    (University of Granada)

Abstract

The role of venture capital in promoting entrepreneurship and funding innovation cannot be underestimated. However, it is important to acknowledge noteworthy concerns associated with collusive behavior in the venture capital process. “Guanxi” is a relatively intimate and closed social relationship, which can impact venture capital through trust and social obligations. Drawing on the theories of unethical pro-relational behavior and social networks, using data from GEM-listed companies supported by venture capital from 2009 to 2021, this research investigates the phenomenon of collusion behavior between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on the influence of “guanxi”. The research finds that the presence of “guanxi” between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs tends to facilitate collusive behavior. Specifically, “guanxi” tends to increase entrepreneurial self-interest behavior, and venture capitalists’ returns, infringe upon minority shareholders’ interests, and increase corporate operational risk. Moreover, the study further explores the moderator effect of equity incentives on such collusion behavior. This research not only enriches the theoretical framework of the relationship between “guanxi” and venture capital activities but also provides insight into the ethical implications associated with “guanxi”, contributing to the broader literature on social relationships and unethical behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Liping Li & Qisheng Chen & Ximeng Jia & Jin Chen & Enrique Herrera-Viedma, 2024. "The collusion behavior of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs based on “guanxi”: evidence from China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03703-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03703-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-024-03703-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-024-03703-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bengtsson, Ola & Hsu, David H., 2015. "Ethnic matching in the U.S. venture capital market," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 338-354.
    2. José Azar & Martin C. Schmalz & Isabel Tecu, 2018. "Anticompetitive Effects of Common Ownership," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 73(4), pages 1513-1565, August.
    3. Wruck, Karen H. & Wu, YiLin, 2021. "The relation between CEO equity incentives and the quality of accounting disclosures: New evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    4. Atif Saleem Butt, 2019. "Personal relationships in supply chains," International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(3), pages 193-204.
    5. Cao, Qingzi & Fang, Ming & Pan, Yuying, 2022. "Minority shareholders protection and corporate financial leverage: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Tan, Chunping & Zhang, Jiayan & Zhang, Yuqi, 2022. "The mechanism of team-member exchange on knowledge hiding under the background of “Guanxi”," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 304-314.
    7. Hui Fu & Jun Yang & Yunbi An, 2019. "Contracts for venture capital financing with double-sided moral hazard," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 129-144, June.
    8. Jeffrey Muldoon & Antonina Bauman & Carol Lucy, 2018. "Entrepreneurial ecosystem: do you trust or distrust?," Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(2), pages 158-177, May.
    9. Shouyu Yao & Yuying Pan & Lu Wang & Ahmet Sensoy & Feiyang Cheng, 2023. "Building Eco-friendly Corporations: The Role of Minority Shareholders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 933-966, February.
    10. Geoffrey P. Martin & Robert M. Wiseman & Luis R. Gomez-Mejia, 2020. "The Ethical Dimension of Equity Incentives: A Behavioral Agency Examination of Executive Compensation and Pension Funding," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 595-610, October.
    11. Gompers, Paul & Kaplan, Steven N. & Mukharlyamov, Vladimir, 2016. "What do private equity firms say they do?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(3), pages 449-476.
    12. Jens Burchardt & Ulrich Hommel & Dzidziso Samuel Kamuriwo & Carolina Billitteri, 2016. "Venture Capital Contracting in Theory and Practice: Implications for Entrepreneurship Research," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(1), pages 25-48, January.
    13. Kwok, Francis & Sharma, Piyush & Gaur, Sanjaya Singh & Ueno, Akiko, 2019. "Interactive effects of information exchange, relationship capital and environmental uncertainty on international joint venture (IJV) performance: An emerging markets perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 1-1.
    14. Xinxiang Shi & Mingming Zhuang & Cheng King, 2022. "Getting implicit incentives right in SOEs: research on executive perks in China’s anticorruption movement," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(28), pages 3212-3225, June.
    15. Manuel Kaiser & Elisabeth S. C. Berger, 2021. "Trust in the investor relationship marketing of startups: a systematic literature review and research agenda," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 491-517, April.
    16. Daniel Nyberg & Graham Sewell, 2014. "Collaboration, Co-operation or Collusion? Contrasting Employee Responses to Managerial Control in Three Call Centres," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(2), pages 308-332, June.
    17. Xiaowei Wang & Kunhui Ye & Taozhi Zhuang & Rui Liu, 2022. "The Influence of Collusive Information Dissemination on Bidder’s Collusive Willingness in Urban Construction Projects," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, April.
    18. Plagmann, Carolin & Lutz, Eva, 2019. "Beggars or choosers? Lead venture capitalists and the impact of reputation on syndicate partner selection in international settings," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 359-378.
    19. Siddharth Vedula & Markus Fitza, 2019. "Regional Recipes: A Configurational Analysis of the Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for U.S. Venture Capital-Backed Startups," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(1), pages 4-24, March.
    20. Wentao Gu & Xuzheng Qian & Junpeng Lu, 2018. "Venture capital and entrepreneurship: a conceptual model and research suggestions," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 35-50, March.
    21. Ding, Sai & Kim, Minjoo & Zhang, Xiao, 2018. "Do firms care about investment opportunities? Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 214-237.
    22. Dean A. Shepherd & Andrew Zacharakis, 2001. "The venture capitalist-entrepreneur relationship: Control, trust and confidence in co-operative behaviour," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(2), pages 129-149, April.
    23. Lee, Hoan Soo, 2017. "Peer networks in venture capital," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 19-30.
    24. Zhang, Man & Hartley, Janet L., 2018. "Guanxi, IT systems, and innovation capability: The moderating role of proactiveness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 75-86.
    25. Daeheon Choi & Chune Young Chung & Soon-Ihl Samuel Hong & Jason Young, 2020. "The Role of Political Collusion in Corporate Performance in the Korean Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-18, March.
    26. Esben Christensen & Robert Wuebker & Rolf Wustenhagen, 2009. "Of acting principals and principal agents: goal incongruence in the venture capitalist-entrepreneur relationship," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 7(3), pages 367-388.
    27. Jean-Jacques Laffont & David Martimort, 1997. "Collusion under Asymmetric Information," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(4), pages 875-912, July.
    28. Cao, Zhiqi & Lv, Dayong & Sun, Zhenzhen, 2021. "Stock price manipulation, short-sale constraints, and breadth-return relationship," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    29. Ann-Kristin Achleitner & Reiner Braun & Eva Lutz & Uwe Reiner, 2014. "Industry relatedness in trade sales and venture capital investment returns," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 621-637, October.
    30. Ouyang, Caiyue & Xiong, Jiacai & Huang, Kun, 2020. "Do multiple large shareholders affect tax avoidance? Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 207-224.
    31. Li, Xingli & Pukthuanthong, Kuntara & Glenn Walker, Marcus & Walker, Thomas John, 2016. "The determinants of IPO-related shareholder litigation: The role of CEO equity incentives and corporate governance," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 81-126.
    32. Jeon, Euiju & Maula, Markku, 2022. "Progress toward understanding tensions in corporate venture capital: A systematic review," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(4).
    33. Luca Grilli & Boris Mrkajic & Gresa Latifi, 2018. "Venture capital in Europe: social capital, formal institutions and mediation effects," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 393-410, August.
    34. Luca Grilli & Gresa Latifi & Boris Mrkajic, 2019. "Institutional Determinants Of Venture Capital Activity: An Empirically Driven Literature Review And A Research Agenda," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 1094-1122, September.
    35. Stefano Bonini & Vincenzo Capizzi, 2019. "The role of venture capital in the emerging entrepreneurial finance ecosystem: future threats and opportunities," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2-3), pages 137-175, July.
    36. Bradford Baker & Rellie Derfler-Rozin & Marko Pitesa & Michael Johnson, 2019. "Stock Market Responses to Unethical Behavior in Organizations: An Organizational Context Model," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(2), pages 319-336, March.
    37. Wang, Liang & Qi, Jiahan & Zhuang, Hongyu, 2023. "Monitoring or Collusion? Multiple Large Shareholders and Corporate ESG Performance: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    38. Sun, Sunny Li & Chen, Victor Z. & Sunny, Sanwar A. & Chen, Jie, 2019. "Venture capital as an innovation ecosystem engineer in an emerging market," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 1-1.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ashish Vazirani & Titas Bhattacharjee, 2021. "Entrepreneurial Finance in the Twenty-first Century, a Review of Factors Influencing Venture Capitalist’s Decision," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 30(2), pages 306-335, September.
    2. Cumming, Douglas & Deloof, Marc & Manigart, Sophie & Wright, Mike, 2019. "New directions in entrepreneurial finance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 252-260.
    3. Simone Aresu & Luigi Rombi & Andrea Cardia, 2019. "Management accounting systems in venture capital-backed start-up companies," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2019(3), pages 35-58.
    4. Hui-Fun Yu & Tsui-Jung Lin & Hai-Yen Chang & Yu-Huai Wang, 2020. "The Impact of Political Connection and Information Asymmetry on Investment Efficiency: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Balcerzak, Adam P. & Zinecker, Marek & Skalický, Roman & Rogalska, Elżbieta & Doubravský, Karel, 2023. "Technology-oriented start-ups and valuation: A novel approach based on specific contract terms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    6. Manuel Kaiser & Elisabeth S. C. Berger, 2021. "Trust in the investor relationship marketing of startups: a systematic literature review and research agenda," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 491-517, April.
    7. Phalippou, Ludovic & Rauch, Christian & Umber, Marc, 2018. "Private equity portfolio company fees," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(3), pages 559-585.
    8. Fengguang Lyu & Zhiping Zhang & Guangxin Fu & Zhangxin (Frank) Liu & Sirimon Treepongkaruna, 2024. "Multiple shareholding institutional investors and green governance of heavy‐polluting industries," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3569-3587, May.
    9. Fuchs, Florian & Fuess, Roland & Jenkinson, Tim & Morkoetter, Stefan, 2017. "Winning a Deal in Private Equity: Do Educational Networks Matter?," Working Papers on Finance 17155, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    10. Feng, Yumei & Pan, Yuying & Ho, Kung-Cheng & Liu, Guanchun, 2023. "Corporate governance of weak stakeholders: Minority investors and investment efficiency," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    11. Fu, Hui & Qi, Huilan & An, Yunbi, 2024. "When do venture capital and startups team up? Matching matters," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    12. Dahya, Jay & Wu, Betty (H.T.), 2024. "Social capital, syndication, and investment performance: Evidence from PE investing in LBOs," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    13. Cui, Xin & Wen, Lulu & Huang, Kai & Li, Jiayi, 2024. "Free riding or participation in governance: Minority shareholders’ online voting and corporate responsiveness," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PB).
    14. Yongyuan Ma & Ao Shen & Qingyuan Zhu & Peng Wang, 2022. "Media environment, venture capital, and technological innovation: Evidence from China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 1734-1747, September.
    15. Polzin, Friedemann & Sanders, Mark & Stavlöt, Ulrika, 2018. "Do investors and entrepreneurs match? – Evidence from The Netherlands and Sweden," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 112-126.
    16. Yan Alperovych & Anantha Divakaruni & Sophie Manigart, 2022. "Lending when relationships are scarce : The role of information spread via bank networks," Post-Print hal-04325549, HAL.
    17. Hao Ding, 2024. "Can common institutional ownership inhibit the formation of zombie firms? Evidence from China," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 38(1), pages 34-56, May.
    18. Fuchs, Florian & Füss, Roland & Jenkinson, Tim & Morkoetter, Stefan, 2021. "Winning a deal in private equity: Do educational ties matter?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    19. Elisabeth S.C. Berger & Andreas Köhn, 2020. "Exploring the differences in early-stage start-up valuation across countries: an institutional perspective," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 327-344, March.
    20. Christoph Maus & Andrea Greven & Niklas Kurth & Malte Brettel, 2024. "How do investor characteristics of business angels and venture capitalists predict the occurrence of co-investments?," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 94(5), pages 763-811, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03703-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.