Sheryl Winston Smith

DRUID Working Paper Doi: https://conference.druid.dk/ac_papers/mpnr57zxbe9tue0oqkr14ng6c6nh7c.pdf

Early-stage investing relationships have been predicated on face-to-face interaction, in part to mitigate inherent information asymmetries. However, the global onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a sudden, large-scale move to digital operations, thus questioning previous assumptions about physical location. We exploit the unprecedented move to digital delivery of accelerator cohorts, where investors are exposed to large numbers of startups for potential deals. We leverage a novel, deal-level dataset of 63,660 deals spanning 5,691 financing rounds, 1,630 startups and 8326 investors. The data comprises 30 accelerator programs focused on ‘green shift’ innovation and sustainability from 2018-2023. Results point to the digital shift paradoxically broadening the investor and startup base while also increasing agency concerns. We find evidence that these changes persist after the pandemic disruptions ended.

Academy of Management Proceedings 2025(1) Doi: https://doi.org/10.5465/amproc.2025.16188symposium

In the rapidly evolving digital economy, trust serves as a critical foundation for the success and sustainability of digital platforms. As intermediaries facilitating interactions and transactions between diverse stakeholders, platforms rely heavily on trust to attract users, enable collaboration, and drive engagement. However, the rise of algorithmic decision-making, opaque governance structures, and concerns over data privacy have introduced new complexities into how trust is built, maintained, and eroded in these ecosystems. This symposium explores trust in digital platforms through the lens of strategy and technology and innovation management, bringing together scholars and practitioners to examine its implications for competitive advantage, user retention, and long-term viability. Anchored in strategic management and technology and innovation management, the discussion will address key questions, such as: How do platforms design trust-enabling mechanisms, such as reputation systems and transparent governance? What role does trust play in scaling platform ecosystems, particularly in fostering user adoption and partnerships? How do regulatory pressures and ethical considerations shape trust dynamics in platform governance? The session will feature empirical and conceptual insights, highlighting the interplay between strategic choices and trust outcomes in digital environments. It will also provide a forum for discussing challenges, such as trust deficits arising from misinformation, algorithmic bias, and data breaches, and propose forward-looking strategies to address these risks.

Academy of Management Proceedings 2025(1) Doi: https://doi.org/10.5465/amproc.2025.16598abstract

Early-stage investing relationships have been predicated on face-to-face interaction, in part to mitigate inherent information asymmetries. However, the global onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a sudden, large-scale move to digital operations, thus questioning previous assumptions about physical location. We exploit the unprecedented move to digital delivery of accelerator cohorts, where investors are exposed to large numbers of startups for potential deals. We leverage a novel, deal-level dataset of 63,660 deals spanning 5,691 financing rounds, 1,630 startups and 8326 investors. The data comprises 30 accelerator programs focused on ‘green shift’ innovation and sustainability from 2018-2023. Results point to the digital shift paradoxically broadening the investor and startup base while also increasing agency concerns. We find evidence that these changes persist after the pandemic disruptions ended.

Industry and Innovation 31(5) p. 533-543 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2024.2346315

Established organisations and new ventures search for knowledge in the face of disruption. The activation of corporate-startup collaborations facilitates access to new and complementary knowledge. This type of collaboration has become increasingly popular as a corporate response to technological and market disruptions. However, there is growing evidence of the multiplicity of outcomes, intrinsically related to the broad diversity of forms and collaboration models. In this special issue, we include five contributions that give an overview of the phenomenon. We explore theoretical lenses that help us understand the potential tensions emerging from asymmetrical inter-organisational collaborations and possible solutions to make those collaborations successful. We delineate the theoretical and practical contributions of the papers and summarise the research opportunities that emerge around a phenomenon that keeps evolving.

Proceedings and Membership Directory - Academy of Management 2023(1) Doi: https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2023.18912symposium