IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/reaccs/v29y2024i4d10.1007_s11142-023-09775-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Startups’ demand for accounting expertise: evidence from a randomized field experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Ofir Gefen

    (Hong kong Polytechnic University)

  • David Reeb

    (National University of Singapore)

  • Johan Sulaeman

    (Sustainable and Green Finance Institute, National University of Singapore)

Abstract

We conduct a randomized field experiment (RFE) to assess whether startup firms perceive accounting expertise as an important investor credential. We send 13,358 unsolicited and unique emails to active startup firms across the US, showing an interest in them with a proposition to meet a bogus investor. The experiment has high response rates, with 4,535 (33.94%) opened emails and 828 (6.19%) website visits, reflecting investors’ proliferating practice of outbound origination to contact new startups. Our RFE compares startup reactions to fictitious investors with certified public accountant (CPA) designations versus two control groups: investors without credentials and those with other professional licenses. Startup firms are 48% likelier to read unsolicited emails from CPA-bearing investors and 47% likelier to visit their websites, relative to investors with a medical license. We document an analogous preference for CPA-bearing investors even when we separately analyze startups in medical-related industries. This gap persists when investors pose as angels, venture capitalists (VCs), or without professional licenses. The relatively low percentage (2.5%) of email bounces and spam reports makes it unlikely that spam algorithms drive the findings. Further tests reveal that the response rates differ by firm age, which is inconsistent with spam filter explanations but congruent with startup firms’ demand for accounting expertise. Finally, we undertake a follow-up experiment with 3,443 new startups to distinguish between accounting and general business expertise using a master’s in business administration (MBA). Startups are 13.8% likelier to read emails from a CPA-bearing investor than from an MBA-credentialed investor and 22.6% more likely to visit the CPA-bearing investor’s website.

Suggested Citation

  • Ofir Gefen & David Reeb & Johan Sulaeman, 2024. "Startups’ demand for accounting expertise: evidence from a randomized field experiment," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 3019-3052, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reaccs:v:29:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s11142-023-09775-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11142-023-09775-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11142-023-09775-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11142-023-09775-8?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. Natee Amornsiripanitch & Paul A Gompers & Yuhai Xuan, 2019. "More than Money: Venture Capitalists on Boards," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(3), pages 513-543.
    2. Howell, Sabrina T. & Nanda, Ramana, 2024. "Networking Frictions in Venture Capital, and the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 59(6), pages 2733-2761, September.
    3. Bottazzi, Laura & Da Rin, Marco & Hellmann, Thomas, 2008. "Who are the active investors?: Evidence from venture capital," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 488-512, September.
    4. Mark L. Defond & Rebecca N. Hann & Xuesong Hu, 2005. "Does the Market Value Financial Expertise on Audit Committees of Boards of Directors?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 153-193, May.
    5. Anderson, Ronald C. & Mansi, Sattar A. & Reeb, David M., 2004. "Board characteristics, accounting report integrity, and the cost of debt," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 315-342, September.
    6. Yael V. Hochberg & Alexander Ljungqvist & Yang Lu, 2007. "Whom You Know Matters: Venture Capital Networks and Investment Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(1), pages 251-301, February.
    7. Eric Floyd & John A. List, 2016. "Using Field Experiments in Accounting and Finance," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 437-475, May.
    8. John A. List, 2011. "Why Economists Should Conduct Field Experiments and 14 Tips for Pulling One Off," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(3), pages 3-16, Summer.
    9. Henry Chen & Paul Gompers & Anna Kovner & Josh Lerner, 2010. "Buy Local? The Geography of Venture Capital," NBER Chapters, in: Cities and Entrepreneurship, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Renée B. Adams & Daniel Ferreira, 2007. "A Theory of Friendly Boards," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(1), pages 217-250, February.
    11. Shai Bernstein & Kunal Mehta & Richard R. Townsend & Ting Xu, 2022. "Do Startups Benefit from Their Investors’ Reputation? Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment," NBER Working Papers 29847, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Nahata, Rajarishi, 2019. "Success is good but failure is not so bad either: Serial entrepreneurs and venture capital contracting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 624-649.
    13. Robert Bloomfield & Mark W. Nelson & Eugene Soltes, 2016. "Gathering Data for Archival, Field, Survey, and Experimental Accounting Research," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 341-395, May.
    14. Nikos Vafeas, 2005. "Audit Committees, Boards, and the Quality of Reported Earnings," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(4), pages 1093-1122, December.
    15. Schmidt, Breno, 2015. "Costs and benefits of friendly boards during mergers and acquisitions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(2), pages 424-447.
    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. Zhang, Yuejia & Mayes, David Geoffrey, 2018. "The performance of governmental venture capital firms: A life cycle perspective and evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 162-185.
    2. L. Bottazzi & M. Da Rin & T. Hellmann, 2007. "The Importance of Trust for Investment: Evidence from Venture Capital," Working Papers 612, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    3. Andrew Metrick & Ayako Yasuda, 2011. "Venture Capital and Other Private Equity: a Survey," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 17(4), pages 619-654, September.
    4. Fan, Yaoyao & Jiang, Yuxiang & Jin, Pengcheng & Mai, Yong, 2023. "CEO network centrality and bank risk: Evidence from US Bank holding companies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Bill B. Francis & Iftekhar Hasan & Qiang Wu, 2012. "Do corporate boards matter during the current financial crisis?," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(2), pages 39-52, April.
    6. Mahfuja Malik, 2014. "Audit committee composition and effectiveness: a review of post-SOX literature," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 81-117, October.
    7. Bottazzi, L. & Da Rin, M. & Hellmann, T., 2010. "The Importance of Trust for Investment : Evidence From Venture Capital (Revision of DP 2009-43)," Other publications TiSEM 27f82ebe-4bae-4bfa-a3a0-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Li, Siyuan & Qu, Tianshu Charlotte & Yu, Yingri Julia, 2022. "Outside director social network centrality and turnover before stock performance crash: A friend in need?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    9. Md Nazmul Hasan Bhuyan & David Javakhadze, 2024. "CEO–board connections and the cost of equity capital: International evidence," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 47(2), pages 317-365, June.
    10. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Guay, Wayne R. & Weber, Joseph P., 2010. "The role of information and financial reporting in corporate governance and debt contracting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 179-234, December.
    11. Giang Nguyen & My Nguyen & Anh Viet Pham & Man Duy Marty Pham, 2023. "Navigating investment decisions with social connectedness : Implications for venture capital," Post-Print hal-04325756, HAL.
    12. Mobbs, Shawn, 2018. "Firm CFO board membership and departures," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 316-331.
    13. Nguyen, Giang & Nguyen, My & Pham, Anh Viet & Pham, Man Duy (Marty), 2023. "Navigating investment decisions with social connectedness: Implications for venture capital," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    14. Suchard, Jo-Ann & Humphery-Jenner, Mark & Cao, Xiaping, 2021. "Government ownership and Venture Capital in China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    15. Pablo de Andrés & Laura Arranz-Aperte & Juan Antonio Rodríguez-Sanz, 2017. "Delegation of board work to committees in Europe," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 179-208, May.
    16. Kim, Kyonghee & Mauldin, Elaine & Patro, Sukesh, 2014. "Outside directors and board advising and monitoring performance," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 110-131.
    17. Alekseeva, Liudmila & Fontana, Silvia Dalla & Genc, Caroline & Ranjbar, Hedieh Rashidi, 2022. "From in-person to online: the new shape of the VC industry," SocArXiv 3pc4z, Center for Open Science.
    18. Zhou, Haiyan & Owusu-Ansah, Stephen & Maggina, Anastasia, 2018. "Board of directors, audit committee, and firm performance: Evidence from Greece," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 20-36.
    19. Junho Park, 2022. "We are advertis’d by our loving friends: CEO‐connected directors," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(3), pages 3189-3238, September.
    20. Weik, Stefan & Achleitner, Ann-Kristin & Braun, Reiner, 2024. "Venture capital and the international relocation of startups," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(7).

    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:spr:reaccs:v:29:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s11142-023-09775-8. 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: http://www.springer.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.