Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/234990 
Year of Publication: 
2018
Citation: 
[Journal:] Small Business Economics [ISSN:] 1573-0913 [Volume:] 51 [Issue:] 1 [Publisher:] Springer [Place:] Heidelberg, Berlin [Year:] 2018 [Pages:] 129-152
Publisher: 
Springer, Heidelberg, Berlin
Abstract: 
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.
Subjects: 
entrepreneurial choice
occupation-specific determinants of entrepreneurship
unemployment risk
earnings risk
skill variety
JEL: 
L26
J24
D01
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Accepted Manuscript (Postprint)

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