Institutional Influences on the Worldwide Expansion of Venture Capital

The venture capital (VC) industry started in the United States and then spread worldwide. As it spread into other countries, there was a conscious attempt to copy industry practice from the U.S. However, venture capitalists in other countries are subject to different institutional forces that can impact their behavior. This article uses an institutional perspective to develop testable propositions on the impact of various institutions on venture capitalists’ behavior. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of an institutional theory perspective for VC research and public policy.