Fraud in the reward-based crowdfunding market has been of concern to regulators, but it is arguably of greater importance to the nascent industry itself. Despite its significance for entrepreneurial finance, our knowledge of the occurrence, determinants, and consequences of fraud in this market,...

Using Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the two largest crowdfunding platforms, we conduct an exhaustive search of all fraud cases from 2010 through 2015. We present evidence that fraudsters in crowdfunding markets have specific characteristics: they are less likely to have engaged in prior...

This paper explores how diversity among lead partner teams (LPTs) of private equity (PE) funds affects buyout performance. We argue that there is a trade-off between the ‘bright side’ of diversity (i.e. improved decision-making due to a broader set of perspectives) and the ‘dark side’...

The strategic importance of rare earth elements (REEs) has become increasingly important because of their relative scarcity and worldwide increasing demand, as well as China’s quasi-monopoly of this market. REEs are virtually not substitutable, and they are essential for a variety of...

Republished as CIE Working Paper 2015-02

Research summary. This study analyzes whether and how the disruption of top management turnovers can affect not only turnover firms but also their intra-industry rivals. It thus adds to the literature on both leader life cycles and competitive dynamics. Using a U.S. sample of 857 CEO turnovers,...

This paper presents a first empirical examination of all available German mini-bond offerings between 2010 and 2015. We compare the default probability according to a mini-bond's initial rating with that implied by credit risk models, and show that rating agencies can create ratings inflation by...

Seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) typically provide investors with information, or signals, that are stock price relevant. This information, however, is generally intangible, meaning market participants have incomplete knowledge about its quality. Investors thus tend to regard it as ambiguous. To...

Stylized facts suggest that strategic acquirers can pay for synergies, while private equity (PE) firms cannot because of the missing operating fit with the portfolio company. However, if PE firms initiate buy-and-build strategies, there is potential for an operating fit between the portfolio...

The digital world is increasing humanity’s ability to acquire, produce, distribute, and consume information at unprecedented levels, raising questions about the origin, reliability, and use. This introduction is related to the special issue on Technological Innovations to Ensure Confidence in...