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Being Independent is a Great Thing: Subjective Evaluations of Self-Employment and Hierarchy

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Author Info
MATTHIAS BENZ
BRUNO S. FREY

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Abstract

One can be independent, or one can be subject to decisions made by others. This paper argues that this difference, embodied in the institutional distinction between the decision-making procedures 'market' and 'hierarchy', affects individual wellbeing beyond outcomes. Taking self-employment as an important case of independence, it is shown that the self-employed derive higher satisfaction from work than those employed in organizations, irrespective of income gained or hours worked. This is evidence for procedural utility: people value not only outcomes, but also the processes leading to outcomes. Copyright (c) The London School of Economics and Political Science 2007.

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File URL: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-0335.2007.00594.x
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Publisher Info
Article provided by London School of Economics and Political Science in its journal Economica.

Volume (Year): 75 (2008)
Issue (Month): 298 (05)
Pages: 362-383
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Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:75:y:2008:i:298:p:362-383

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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  2. Clark, Andrew E. & Oswald, Andrew J., 1996. "Satisfaction and comparison income," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 359-381, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Konow, James, 2001. "Fair and square: the four sides of distributive justice," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 137-164, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew & Stutzer, Alois, 2001. "Latent entrepreneurship across nations," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(4-6), pages 680-691, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Clark, Andrew E & Georgellis, Yannis & Sanfey, Peter, 2001. "Scarring: The Psychological Impact of Past Unemployment," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 68(270), pages 221-41, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Easterlin, Richard A, 2001. "Income and Happiness: Towards an Unified Theory," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 111(473), pages 465-84, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Clark, Andrew E., 2001. "What really matters in a job? Hedonic measurement using quit data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 223-242, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  17. Rafael Di Tella & Robert J. MacCulloch & Andrew J. Oswald, 2001. "Preferences over Inflation and Unemployment: Evidence from Surveys of Happiness," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(1), pages 335-341, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  19. Rafael Lalive, 2007. "Do Wages Compensate for Workplace Disamenities?," Applied Economics Quarterly (formerly: Konjunkturpolitik), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 53(3), pages 273-298.
  20. Oi, Walter Y. & Idson, Todd L., 1999. "Firm size and wages," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 33, pages 2165-2214 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  24. Robert J. Shiller & Maxim Boycko & Vladimir Korobov, 1991. "Popular Attitudes Towards Free Markets: The Soviet Union and the United States Compared," NBER Working Papers 3453, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. C. Praag & Peter Versloot, 2007. "What is the value of entrepreneurship? A review of recent research," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 351-382, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Nzinga Broussard & Ralph Chami & Gregory Hess, 2003. "(Why) Do Self-Employed Parents Have More Children?," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  3. Edvard Johansson, 2004. "Job Satisfaction in Finland - Some results from the European Community Household Panel 1996-2001," Discussion Papers 958, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. [Downloadable!]
  4. Jörn Block & Philipp Sandner, 2009. "Necessity and Opportunity Entrepreneurs and Their Duration in Self-employment: Evidence from German Micro Data," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 117-137, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Matthias Benz, . "Entrepreneurship as a non-profit-seeking activity," IEW - Working Papers iewwp243, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
  6. Block, Joern & Wagner, Marcus, 2006. "Necessity and Opportunity Entrepreneurs in Germany: Characteristics and Earnings Differentials," MPRA Paper 610, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  7. William J. Baumol, 2007. "Returns in Cost Diseased Markets with Psychic Benefits: Two Apparently Conflicting Models of Equilibrium," Working Papers 07-16, Utrecht School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  8. Bögenhold, Dieter & Fachinger, Uwe, 2004. "Struktureller Wandel selbständiger Erwerbsarbeit: Analysen auf der Grundlage der Scientific Use Files der Mikrozensen," MPRA Paper 1125, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  9. Robert A. J. Dur & Amihai Glazer, 2005. "The Desire for Impact," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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