Value creation in start-up discourse: linking pitch and venture through logics of justification

Date
2023-01
Authors
Varas, Germán
Sabaj, Omar
Spinuzzi, Clay
Fuentes, Miguel
Gerard, Valentin
Cabezas, Paula
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Business Communication
Abstract

How do start-ups create value through the language of their business pitches? In this article, we investigate that question by identifying the logics of justification they use, traditionally conceptualised as orders of worth. In this study of short written pitches in a six-month Chilean accelerator program, we describe how we detected logics of justification through pitch language, and we identify (a) co-occurrence patterns among logics of justification, (b) associations between logics of justification and industry sectors, and (c) associations between logics and a firm's customer segment (B2B, B2C). This study provides unique insights into how start-ups sometimes justify innovations by using specific patterns of language depending on a venture's features.

Description
The final, published version of this article can be found at: https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884221147020
ORCID information: Germán Varas: 0000-0001-5426-9839; Omar Sabaj: 0000-0002-7075-9384; Clay Spinuzzi: 0000-0002-9629-6189; Miguel Fuentes: 0000-0003-0063-7688; Valentine Gerard: 0000-0002-1378-8947; Paula Cabezas: 0000-0003-2257-1907
Citation
Varas, G., Sabaj, O., Spinuzzi, C., Fuentes, M., Gerard, V., & Cabezas, P. (2023). Value Creation in Start-Up Discourse: Linking Pitch and Venture Through Logics of Justification. International Journal of Business Communication, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884221147020