Snehal Shetty

Multiple factors such as human capital, amount raised in the first round, innovation etc. have an impact on the funding prospect of new ventures. This paper explored the influencing factors that drive multiple rounds of funding for new venture firms and provided a much broader perspective of funding drivers during the early stages of the new venture firm. Using signalling theory and human capital theory, this paper analyzed signals that influence the acquisition of funds in the first round and whether those signals persisted for the second and third rounds of funding when information asymmetries between the investors and new venture firms reduce. This study disentangled the signalling effects of the human capital factors across three funding rounds and proved the diminishing value of signals across each subsequent round of funding. Finding showed that the signal effect from premier institution education was the only human capital signal that persisted across each round of funding, while other signals did not persist beyond the first round of funding. In addition, new venture firms with founders educated from premier educational institutions were able to attract more investors and close more funding rounds. This study also proved that the amount raised in the first round of funding positively impacted the amounts raised in the second and third rounds stressing its importance for new venture firms. Empirical demonstration of the propositions was done with 156 new venture firms in India, the fastest growing and third largest startup ecosystem in the world.

This paper aims to analyze the protection behavior of employees while working remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic using online video chat software. This pandemic changed the way organizations work, managers meet with employees, and employees communicate. An e-mail-based survey among computer users who use video chat software for remote working is employed in this study. Using 306 responses, structural equation modeling explores the relationship between privacy concerns, protection behavior, and antecedents. The technological changes induced due to Covid-19 influence privacy concerns and protection behavior. Privacy efficacy increases privacy concerns and protection behavior. Perceived vulnerability increases privacy concerns. Perceived effectiveness of organization software affects privacy concerns but does not affect protection behavior. There is a positive relationship between privacy concerns and protection behavior; however, this positive relation is negatively moderated by a propensity to trust. A finding of threat severity measure using Covid-19 factors concludes that both privacy concerns and protection behavior increased for online video chat software users. The theoretical model explicates 75% of variances in privacy concerns and 57% of variances in protection behavior. Every one-unit increase in Covid-19 induced changes regarding the work environment increases the privacy concern by 35%, and every one-unit increase in perceived effectiveness of organization software increases privacy concern by 22%. Every one-unit increase in the privacy concern increases the protection behavior by 48%, and every one-unit increase in privacy efficacy increases protection behavior by 59%.

Acknowledgment
The assistance provided by Arun Thottath in reaching out to survey participants was greatly appreciated.

The aim of this study is to analyze the factors that increase loss concerns among entrepreneurs and the underlying mechanism for loss protection. An e-mail-based survey among 335 entrepreneurs from India is employed in this paper. Using a quantitative methodology and PLS-SEM approach, the study analyzed the relationship between loss concerns and loss protection behavior and the mediating role of startup accelerator programs. Thus, human capital increases loss concerns. Participating in the startup accelerator program is the underlying mechanism to carry out protection behavior when entrepreneurs deem their venture at risk of losing money. The theoretical model explicates 70% of variances in loss concerns and 42% of variances in protection behavior. Every one-unit increase in human capital and uncertainty increases the loss concern by 28% and 10%, respectively. Participating in the startup accelerator program increases the loss protection behavior of entrepreneurs by 36%. Perceived severity increases loss protection behavior by 17%. The present study extends the protection motivation theory in the entrepreneurship literature and provides evidence that startup accelerators influence entrepreneurs in increasing loss protection mechanisms in an emerging economy.

Acknowledgment
The authors appreciate the assistance provided by Arun Thottath in reaching out to survey participants.