Entrepreneurial Career Paths: Occupational Environments and the Propensity to Become Self-Employed

Artikel

We investigate the relationship between characteristics of an occupation-specific environment and the decision of employees to start an own business. A relatively high occupation-specific unemployment risk and high earnings risk are conducive to opt for self-employment. Also, occupations that are characterized by high self-employment rates foster entrepreneurial choice among their employees. The results suggest that career choices of future entrepreneurs are driven by different motivations than those of non-entrepreneurs. In particular, the expectation of a pronounced financial gain is critical for future entrepreneurs when they make their initial occupational choices in paid employment and it is also relevant for a self-employment choice. We also find that when future entrepreneurs enter the labor market they are more likely to choose occupations that require a relatively high variety of skills. Moreover, such occupations may promote entrepreneurship among their employees.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Journal: Small Business Economics ; ISSN: 1573-0913 ; Volume: 51 ; Year: 2018 ; Issue: 1 ; Pages: 129-152 ; Heidelberg, Berlin: Springer

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Entrepreneurship ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
• Subject: entrepreneurial choice ; occupation-specific determinants of entrepreneurship ; unemployment risk ; earnings risk ; skill variety

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Sorgner, Alina ; Fritsch, Michael
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Springer ; ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics
• (where): Heidelberg, Berlin
• (when): 2018

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.1007/s11187-017-9917-z
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/234990
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET