NEWSRELEASE
For Release: January 14, 2008 Fifth Annual “Best Doctoral Paper” Awarded To University Of
Louisville Researchers Pankaj Patel And Rodney D’Souza Investigate The Decision WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pankaj Patel and Rodney D’Souza, doctoral students at the
University of Louisville, have received the fifth annual “Best Doctoral Paper”
award from the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. They presented their winning paper, Uncovering Knowledge Structures of
Venture Capital Investment Decision Making, at the annual meeting of United
States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). The award
recognizes excellence in graduate-level papers that analyze issues of relevance
to small businesses and entrepreneurs. “Pankaj Patel and Rodney D’Souza have produced cutting edge research that has
practical application for small businesses, especially those seeking venture
capital funding,” said Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of
Advocacy. “We hope this award will encourage others to further study his key
sector of our economy.” Uncovering Knowledge Structures of Venture Capital Investment Decision Making
challenges the conventional wisdom that the makeup of entrepreneurial teams is
more important in the venture capital funding decision than the inherent
business potential of the new venture. The authors find that while team
composition is a major factor in explaining why a business plan is rejected, it
is not significant in explaining why a business plan is funded. The full paper is available on the “economic working papers” page of the
Office of Advocacy web site at
Contact: John McDowell,(202) 205-6941
SBA Number: 08-01 ADVO
Press Kit
Process Of Venture Capitalists
The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues.
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The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. The presidentially appointed Chief Counsel for Advocacy advances the views, concerns, interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. For more information, visit
www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.