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Faculty Profile
Ben Hallen is an Assistant Professor of Strategy. Professor Hallen's research
focuses on how entrepreneurs may form network ties with potential resource providers
and partners. He studies this question in the context of entrepreneurs raising equity
investments from venture capital and corporate investors. His research has a particular
focus on identifying strategies that entrepreneurs may use when they are unknown
within an industry and lack prior network ties to investors. This research builds
on several intellectual traditions, including organizational theory, economic sociology,
and psychology, while involving a combination of inductive field-based methods and
statistical, quantitative methods. For his dissertation research, he received a
Dissertation Fellowship from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Professor Hallen received his PhD in Strategy, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship
from Stanford University. Prior to his doctoral studies, Professor Hallen was a
co-founder and CTO of Topik Solutions, an email relationship firm that grew out
of the Batten Incubator at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
In addition to his experience at Topik Solutions, he also worked at Electronic Arts
with their executive development program. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering
(with highest distinction) and a Master's of Computer Science from the University
of Virginia.
Primary Research Areas:
- Entrepreneurship
- The development and use of social networks
- Venture Capital
Selected Publications
Hallen, Benjamin (2008) "The Causes and
Consequences of the Initial Network Positions of New Organizations: From Whom
are Entrepreneurs Likely to Receive their First Investments." Administrative
Science Quarterly (forthcoming)
Hallen, Benjamin with Kathleen Eisenhardt (2008) "How Entrepreneurs Form
Relationships with Other Organizations: The Securing of Investments from Venture
Capital and Corporate Investors." (Working Paper, University of Maryland)
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Student Paper Award from the Business Policy and Strategy Division
at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2007.
Finalist in Organization Science Dissertation Proposal Competition, 2006.
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, 2006.
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