2016/11/04 by Jason Greenberg, Ethan Mollick · 477 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Psychology · #Attraction #Computer science #Context (archaeology) #FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance #Homophily #Identity (music) #Interpersonal attraction #Interpersonal communication #Microfinance and Financial Inclusion #Psychology #Sharing Economy and Platforms #Similarity (geometry) #Social group #Social identity theory #Social psychology #Sociology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/0001839216678847
published in Administrative Science Quarterly 62(2), 341-374 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2016/11/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
In this paper, we examine when members of underrepresented groups choose to support each other, using the context of the funding of female founders via donation-based crowdfunding. Building on theories of choice homophily, we develop the concept of activist choice homophily, in which the basis of attraction between two individuals is not merely similarity between them, but rather perceptions of shared structural barriers stemming from a common social identity based on group membership. We differentiate activist choice homophily from homophily based on the similarity between individuals (“interpersonal choice homophily”), as well as from “induced homophily,” which reflects the likelihood that those in a particular social category will affiliate and form networks. Using lab experiments and field data, we show that activist choice homophily provides an explanation for why women are more likely to succeed at crowdfunding than men and why women are most successful in industries in which they are least represented.