Investor attitude and investment intention in entrepreneurship projects: The moderating role of language, experience, and gender

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the attitudes of investors to the entrepreneurial projects and their intention through incorporating the moderating roles of the project language type (Abstract vs. Concrete) and the investor’s experience and gender. This research is applied because it aims to help entrepreneurs better and more effectively understand venture capitalists’ investment decisions. Also, in terms of the data collection method, it is experimental-quantitative. The research sample pertains to investors and entrepreneurs familiar with venture capital that were assigned to two distinct groups. This research data has been collected through online distribution of the research scenarios and their questionnaire. The hypothesized model of the research is tested through structural equation modeling (SEM). Analyzing results in the first group shows that; although the type of language and gender do not moderate the relationship between attitudes and intentions of investors, the direct experience of investors increases the intention for investment. In the second group, the type of language moderates the relationship between attitude and investment intent. Also, in the Abstract language, experience increases the intention while the Concrete language does not.