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Satisfaction guaranteed? Life satisfaction, institutional factors, and self-employment

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  • Wolfe, Marcus T.
  • Patel, Pankaj C.

Abstract

There has been a recent growing interest in the relationship between self-employment and life satisfaction. Using an institutional theory lens, in a multilevel model we test the association between shared prosperity and business freedom on life satisfaction reported by self-employed. Specifically, with increasing shared prosperity, self-employed individuals report higher life satisfaction. Furthermore, in countries with higher shared prosperity and greater business freedom, self-employed report a higher life satisfaction. We discuss the implications of our findings and provide future research directions into the link between life satisfaction, institutional factors, and self-employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolfe, Marcus T. & Patel, Pankaj C., 2018. "Satisfaction guaranteed? Life satisfaction, institutional factors, and self-employment," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 45-52.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobuve:v:9:y:2018:i:c:p:45-52
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2018.02.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Inessa Love & Boris Nikolaev & Chandra Dhakal, 2024. "The well-being of women entrepreneurs: the role of gender inequality and gender roles," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 325-352, January.
    3. Litsardopoulos, Nicholas & Saridakis, George & Hand, Chris, 2021. "Does the accumulation of self-employment experience impact life satisfaction?," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    4. Ute Stephan & Andreas Rauch & Isabella Hatak, 2023. "Happy Entrepreneurs? Everywhere? A Meta-Analysis of Entrepreneurship and Wellbeing," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(2), pages 553-593, March.
    5. Ute Stephan & Przemysław Zbierowski & Ana Pérez-Luño & Dominika Wach & Johan Wiklund & Marisleidy Alba Cabañas & Edgard Barki & Alexandre Benzari & Claudia Bernhard-Oettel & Janet A. Boekhorst & A, 2023. "Act or Wait-and-See? Adversity, Agility, and Entrepreneur Wellbeing across Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(3), pages 682-723, May.
    6. Ardianti, Retno & Obschonka, Martin & Davidsson, Per, 2022. "Psychological well-being of hybrid entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    7. Debraj Kalyan Roka, 2019. "GDP Growth and Income Paradoxical Relation to Happiness in China and South Asian countries," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 3(4), pages 61-85.

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