What signals quality for digital startups seeking access to external finance? Analyzing a unique dataset from India, we investigate the impact of traditional quality signals (e.g., the founders' years of experience, prior industry experience); networking signals (e.g., degrees from elite educational institutes, the breadth of an entrepreneurial team); and digital signals (e.g., the social media presence of the startup on multiple social media sites) on the access to venture capital financing. We find that while networking and digital signals positively impact access to financing, traditional human capital signals do not have any significant impact on the process.

Entrepreneurship as an institution is characterized by big gender differences and a very low rate of women participation. The gender of the founder did significantly impact the amount of financing received from venture capitalists. The lower level of education can explain gender differences in entrepreneurial activity, especially in high growth knowledge‐intensive sectors. Women are less likely to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers than men. Despite similar attributes, female entrepreneurs are held to a different standard than male entrepreneurs in obtaining financing from venture capitalists.

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Making top executives accountable for their companies' sustainability performance demonstrates the seriousness of those companies' efforts to combat adverse environmental impacts caused by business practices and become sustainable corporate citizens. Corporations' sustainability goals should be reflected in top executives' remuneration and not merely in reports. Linking executive compensation with a company's sustainability goals may result in a better model for sustainable corporate health. Decision makers (CEO, CFO) that fail to support the mission of sustainability are unlikely to frame optimum policies for their companies.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to report on the systematic translation and content validation method used to produce the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Duke Special Survey on Corporate Policy by Graham and Harvey. Design/methodology/approach -In accordance with the requirements for cross-cultural application of surveys, the paper accounts for obvious differences in language, culture, and the institutional setting and employ well-known techniques from the field of psychology, such as the use of backtranslation, to ensure faithfulness to the original survey. A panel of experts served as judges in evaluating the clarity of language and the practical pertinence and theoretical dimensions of the questionnaire. Coefficients of content validity for each item and for the instrument as a whole are reported. Findings -The results illustrate how a questionnaire designed for one country should be rigorously translated and validated prior to use in another country. Research limitations/implications -Although the content validity of the translated version of the Duke Special Survey on Corporate Policy for use in Brazil is generally satisfactory, a few items may prove to be a challenge for the Brazilian CFO to answer, particularly those questions concerning features that are uncommon in the Brazilian financial market. Originality/value -This paper explores the field study method in finance by borrowing from the vast experience of psychology research in the rigorous translation and validation of survey instruments. This study also highlights the similarities and differences in the interpretation of questions between emerging and developed markets.