Carreiras de pessoas que realizam investimento-anjo: um estudo sobre a literatura, seus contextos e suas trajetórias

Abstract

The contemporary debate on careers has expanded beyond the traditional concepts of professions, positions, and work linearity. It highlights the existence of objective and subjective dimensions, the influence of contexts, and contemporary forms of careers. In this sense, there has been a significant increase in academic publications and initiatives from international organizations on business angels. This term refers to individuals who invest their financial, intellectual, and social capital in early-stage companies, seeking significant financial returns, in addition to fulfilling intrinsic and personal motivations. This dissertation sought to answer the following research question: How is the career of individuals who engage in angel investing constructed over time and across contexts? To this end, the general objective was to understand the construction of these individuals’ careers, emphasizing their objective and subjective dimensions, as well as the different career forms present in their trajectories. The study was structured in two articles: one theoretical and one empirical. The first article, of a theoretical nature, conducted a systematic literature review across five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, SPELL, SciELO, and the Capes Theses and Dissertations Catalog), analyzing 17 articles and 2 dissertations. The results indicated that the literature on the careers of business angels is scarce, with few studies exploring the intersection between career theories and the role of this type of investor. As a theoretical contribution, the conception of a “hybrid spiral career” was proposed, highlighting that business angels manifest different career forms throughout their trajectories, such as traditional, boundaryless, protean, portfolio, and entrepreneurial careers, mediated by the actor over time and across contexts. The second article, of an empirical nature, employed the narrative interview method to investigate the trajectories of 14 business angels in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. The analysis revealed that the careers of these investors are dynamic and composed of the different career forms described in the theoretical model of the first article. In addition, the results emphasized the importance of contexts and the aspects of the objective and subjective dimensions of their careers.