What makes a ’Jack-of-all-Trades’?

Abstract: "This paper addresses the ‘Jack-of-all-Trades’ hypothesis, which presumes that it is individuals’ variety of competencies/experience that drives entrepreneurship instead of their level of productivity (Lazear, 2005). The analysis focuses on two related dimensions of this variety argument: taste for variety (identified due to desire) and investment in ability (identified due to competence). First, the results show that it is important to distinguish between discrete and high level investments in the variety of experience. For instance, a high level of investment - which defines a ‘Jack-of-all- Trades’ - is less correlated with formal schooling than discrete investments. Second, the results indicate that both taste (desire) and ability (competence) correlate with the variety of experience, but the nature of the correlation differs. Particularly for males, the ‘Jack-of-all-Trades’-hypothesis predominately relates to competence and not to desire." (authors abstract)

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 21 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: unbekannt

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: IAB Discussion Paper: Beiträge zum wissenschaftlichen Dialog aus dem Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung ; Bd. 10/2009

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Nürnberg
• (when): 2009
• Creator: Oberschachtsiek, Dirk
• Contributor: Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (IAB)

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-327238
• Rights: Open Access unbekannt; Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:42 PM CET