Altruism and Internal Locus of Control as Determinants of the Intention to Participate in Crowdfunding: The Mediating Role of Trust

This paper aims to analyze the determinants of participation in crowdfunding. As any individual may participate in a crowdfunding project, the study analyzes the general audience as potential contributors. This study develops and tests a model that includes personal determinants-internal locus of control and altruism-of the intention to participate in crowdfunding. Trust in crowdfunding is proposed as a mediator in the model. Data from 245 individuals were gathered via an online panel to test the hypotheses. Altruism and internal locus of control are found to enhance trust in crowdfunding, which, in turn, influences individuals’ intention to participate. Companies or entrepreneurs that are currently using or expecting to use crowdfunding to finance their project should develop marketing strategies that focus on enhancing trust towards their projects. Likewise, they should target individuals who are more altruistic and with higher levels of internal locus of control.