Getting to know someone in ten seconds: Social role theory and perceived personality in entrepreneurial pitch videos

Abstract

This manuscript investigates first impressions of the Big Five personality traits in entrepreneurial pitch videos through the lens of social role theory. We develop hypotheses which frame perceived entrepreneurial personality as a configuration of perceived big five traits. We suggest that first impressions of personality influence funding both directly and indirectly via funders’ perceptions of success. To test our hypotheses, participants examined the first ten seconds of 234 crowdfunding videos using established measures regarding perceived personality traits. We find that perceptions of a stereotypically “entrepreneurial” personality indeed predict crowdfunding success. Our findings uniquely contribute to the literatures of entrepreneurial personality, social role theory, first impressions, entrepreneurial pitching, and resource acquisition.