This thesis explores in three essays if, how, and why social relationships have a bearing on outcomes in the entrepreneurial process. The first essay attempts to determine which mechanism drives the children of business owners to expect to become and actually enter business ownership themselves....

In the backdrop of the dotcom bubble burst, companies cleaned up the excesses of the nineties and are more agile and efficient than ever before. However, companies face tremendous pressure to improve shareholder returns. A new trend is emerging as more and more capital is flowing into Private...