We study nascent project-based enterprises (PBEs) through the lens of upper echelons and institutional theory. We analyse the interplay between the different role-congruent reputations of their project entrepreneurs and the institutional endorsement of their project idea, theorizing how these affect PBEs’ ability to attract private investments. In the context of the Italian film industry, we find that the commercial reputation of the project entrepreneur in the producer role is crucial for attracting investors, while the artistic reputation of the project entrepreneur in the creative director role is crucial for attaining institutional endorsement of the project idea. Finally, we find that the effect of the commercial reputation of the project entrepreneur in the producer role on attracting investments is mediated by the institutional endorsement. We contribute to the literature on PBEs by demonstrating how specific combinations of project entrepreneurs’ roles and (role-congruent) reputations can directly and indirectly attract investments.

我们通过高层和制度理论的视角研究新生的基于项目的企业。我们分析了项目企业家的不同角色一致的声誉与他们的项目理念的机构认可之间的相互影响，从理论上分析了这些因素如何影响PBE吸引私人投资的能力。在意大利电影业中，我们发现项目企业家在制片人角色中的商业声誉对于吸引投资者至关重要，而项目企业家在创意总监中的艺术声誉对于获得电影经纪人的机构认可至关重要。项目构想。最后，我们发现项目企业家在生产者角色中的商业声誉对吸引投资的影响是由制度认可所介导的。