Angel Investors’ Reinvestment Decisions: Escalating Commitments and Conflict Management Beyond Venture Performance

Abstract

Angel investment research has grown rapidly; yet, when and under what conditions angel investors recommit remains understudied. Integrating escalation of commitment (EOC) theory with the conflict management styles (CMSs) perspective, we examine these conditions through archival data investigation, a conjoint experiment (2,368 decisions by 148 angel investors), and a field study (214 ventures by 112 angel investors). We show that prior commitment increases angel investors’ reinvestment likelihood, contingent on entrepreneurs’ CMSs. We advance EOC theory by identifying relational boundary conditions and conflict management research by theorizing its moderating role in reinvestment decision-making, revealing escalation as a socially embedded process shaped by investor–entrepreneur interactions.

Keywords

escalation of commitment conjoint experiment conflict management angel investors reinvestment venture performance

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