The transition from novice to serial crowdfunders: behavioral antecedents and well-being drivers

PurposeSerial crowdfunders are vital to the advancement of crowdfunding, either by launching subsequent campaigns or by mentoring novice (first-time) crowdfunders. However, research on crowdfunders’ drivers has focused on either novice crowdfunders’ motivations or the factors contributing to serial crowdfunders’ success. The present study aims to complement existing knowledge on serial crowdfunders by exploring behavioral and well-being aspects that drive novice crowdfunders to become serial crowdfunders.Design/methodology/approachData on crowdfunders were retrieved through in-depth interviews with 42 novice and 17 serial crowdfunders on a list provided by the largest crowdfunding platform in Israel. Complementary data were collected from interviews with the chief executive officers (CEOs) of two leading rewards and donations platforms in Israel and from the contents of the pages of crowdfunding campaigns. A four-stage process of content analysis was applied.FindingsNovice and serial crowdfunders follow different logics. While novice crowdfunders’ motivations and behavior can mostly be explained by the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and follow a more rational process, serial crowdfunders’ motivations and behavior are guided by aspects of well-being.Originality/valueThe findings show that the more rational process described by the TPB and the dimensions of well-being interacts in a circular way to motivate serial operations by crowdfunders. Well-being is also manifested in the maintenance of social ties and the development of social capital, which are crucial for serial entrepreneurs.

What does Divination Mean for Plato’s Socrates? On the Relationship between Being and the Good

Has philosophy ever completed a transition from divine revelation to rational reflection? Has it been Plato’s goal? In this paper I will establish and examine a parallel between divination and philosophy embodied in Plato’s Socrates. I will cite instances from both directions to analyze Plato’s indecision concerning a philosophical treatment of divination: On the one hand, Plato renovates the cultural stock of divination to supplement the rational process of Socratic dialectics. In particular, when he makes a proposal not as a proven proposition, but as the starting point of discussion, Socrates frequently helps himself to divinatory language. On the other hand, Plato does not seem to abandon the nondiscursive elements in his narrative, especially since the vision of the ultimate objective of the Platonic-Socratic project, i.e. the Good, requires a resort to divination. The indecision is reflected in the textual ambivalence as to whether the being of the Good transcends other forms or is on a par with other forms as the noblest form. Based on the correlation between the power of knowledge and the object of knowledge, I will argue that the epistemic entanglement of divination with reason in Plato’s approach corresponds to the ambiguous relationship between being and the Good in Plato’s ethically imbued metaphysical scheme. Since Plato presents Socrates as a seer in the aforementioned occasions, I will further suggest that Plato presents himself as a collector of oracles by preserving Socratic’s teaching in writing, whose ultimate meanings are open to interpretation and debate.

The Potential Use of Aptamers in The Process of Drug Development

Single-stranded nucleic acids can fold and create unique 3-dimensional structures when interacting with other molecules. The unique structure can achieve high specificity and affinity for the particular target. Synthetic oligonucleotide binding agents also known as aptamers are generated through the rational process of Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX.) As this technology matures it shows increasing promise for use in the field of a therapeutic drug, drug discovery, development, and delivery, and this report seeks to detail how this technology may be applied.

Future by Design

This chapter critiques the anticipatory practices of contemporary organizations, such as think tanks and management consultancies, which offer methods and forecasts about possible and desirable futures. These organizations, the chapter argues, contribute to creating a sense of urgency with respect to the future, capitalizing on the perceived need among decision makers to grasp contemporary events, and provide tools and content by which the future can be designed. It argues that future forecast scenarios assist in the creation of a particular type of authority: one geared to the contemporary global situation and to an increasingly complex system of global governance. The chapter interrogates this particular type of authority to argue it is not singular and dominant, but instead comprises the varying interests of many different actors and is underscored by rational process, which offers the possibility of a wider shared understanding