Industry professionals are invited to contribute to academic research exploring risk attitudes and decision-making in private real estate lending.

Researchers at Webster University, a private, non-profit institution founded in 1915, have created a survey to identify the relationship between risk appetite and entrepreneurial orientation in private-lending decisions. AAPL has partnered with the university to deliver the survey to industry professionals.

Private lending is an increasingly significant sector within financial services, but it has largely been ignored in academia. This study will be the first test of a new cross-discipline model between strategic management and finance.

Leading the study are Mark Fellhauer, a candidate for a doctorate in management, and John Orr, project chair and emeritus professor of management at Webster University.

“We are pleased to partner with Webster in this first foray of academic research into the private lending industry,” said Linda Hyde, managing director of AAPL. “We’ve worked closely with Mark and John in reviewing the survey and its applicability to private lending decision-making.”

The anonymous, 20-minute survey will be administered online through Qualtrics and includes a decision-making scenario on commercial real estate lending.

Participant emails will be quarantined from responses to preserve anonymity during data collection, analysis, and study publication.

The survey will be open through April, with initial summary of findings released at the end of May. Survey participants will the receive the summary by email.

In addition to contributing to graduate dissertation research, the results of the study will be used by Webster University professionals at academic conferences, in journal papers, and in other associated academic presentations. In partnership with Webster, AAPL will share relevant findings with its membership.

To participate, go to aaplonline.com/webster-study.