The ivory tower of business angel research

Abstract

As researchers we need to be relevant, not only to our peers, but also to external stakeholders. We need to make a societal impact. In this study we explore the extent and characteristics of the implications for external stakeholders identified in articles on Business Angels published in Venture Capital: An International Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance between 1999 and 2017. We identified 75 articles on Business Angels. The number of articles on Business Angels has declined over time. Many do not provide any implications for external stakeholders. When researchers provide implications for external stakeholders they are usually vague and in some cases fairly obvious to external stakeholders. We conclude that most of the implications provided will probably never have a large impact on external stakeholders. We suggest that there should be less focus on those scholars who do not have anything to say about policy and practice. Instead, scholars who possess the knowledge to write relevant and insightful implications should be encouraged to increase their contributions.