Entrepreneurial organizations and human capital

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how human capital shapes both the creation a nd performance of entrepreneurial organizations. In three essays, I study the intricate linkage between startups and the individuals that embody them - which include not only the founders, but also the non-founding joiners. In the first essay, my co-authors and I empirically assess the popular view that the most successful entrepreneurs tend to be young. Second, I investigate the types of individuals that choose to work for startups rather than established firms, and the resulting wage differential between the two employer types. Third, I study the effectiveness of high-tech startup acquisitions as a hiring strategy for incumbent firms - commonly known as "acqui-hiring."