Digital platforms and entrepreneurial support

A field experiment in online mentoring

Datos Bibliográficos

ID14868024
AutoresSaurabh Lall (0000-0001-8130-5137, Adam Smith Institute, autor de correspondencia), Liwei Chen (0000-0002-7596-9890, Old Dominion University), Li-Wei Chen (0000-0002-3618-0256), Dyana P Mason (0000-0003-2385-4044, University of Oregon)
Año2023
Volumen61
Número2
Páginas631-654
Fecha de publicación2023-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSmall Business Economics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0921-898X • E-ISSN: 1573-0913
EditorialSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s11187-022-00704-8
PMID38625233
OpenAlexW4307200398
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas8
Referencias citadas66

The benefits of entrepreneurial mentorship are well documented, but there is limited research on how entrepreneurs connect with mentors, especially in digital settings. We partnered with an online platform that connects entrepreneurs to potential mentors to conduct a field experiment in online mentoring. Drawing on literature on entrepreneurial mentorship and Social Cognitive Theory, we compared the effects of three interventions on the likelihood of reaching out and making a connection with a mentor in a digital setting. We find that showing entrepreneurs a video of a successful mentor–mentee relationship increases the chances that they will reach out to a potential mentor but does not improve their chances of making a connection. These findings are more pronounced for female entrepreneurs. While not all entrepreneurs adopt the offered interventions, those that make the effort to learn to navigate the online platform and craft a suitable introductory message are successful in establishing a mentoring connection. We discuss these implications for both theory and practice

Business · Cognitive Apprenticeship · Craft · Entrepreneurship · Field (mathematics · Medical education · Mentorship · Pedagogy · Psychological intervention · Public relations · Social cognitive theory · Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences · Medicine · Mentoring and Academic Development · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Social Psychology