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Curb your enthusiasm: optimistic entrepreneurs earn less

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  • Dawson, Christopher
  • de Meza, David
  • Henley, Andrew
  • Arabsheibani, G. Reza

Abstract

This paper concerns the implications of biased beliefs on entrepreneurial earnings. Amongst self-employed business owners, income is decreasing in optimism measured whilst still an employee. Controlling for earnings in paid employment, self-employment earnings of those with optimism above the mean are some 30% less than those with optimism below the mean. For employees, it is optimists that have higher earnings. These and associated results suggest that mistaken expectations lead to entry errors. As a test of external validity, future divorcees turn out to be financial optimists, indicating our measure captures an intrinsic psychological trait associated with rash decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Dawson, Christopher & de Meza, David & Henley, Andrew & Arabsheibani, G. Reza, 2019. "Curb your enthusiasm: optimistic entrepreneurs earn less," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 90264, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:90264
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/90264/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Michele Dell'Era & Luca David Opromolla & Luís Santos‐Pinto, 2023. "Can optimism solve the entrepreneurial earnings puzzle?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 125(1), pages 139-169, January.
    2. Marco Caliendo & Alexander S. Kritikos & Daniel Rodríguez & Claudia Stier, 2023. "Self-efficacy and entrepreneurial performance of start-ups," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 1027-1051, October.
    3. Sergio A. Contreras, 2019. "Self-Employment in Times of Crisis: The Case of the Spanish Financial Crisis," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-14, August.
    4. Guo, Shiqi & An, Jiafu, 2022. "Does terrorism make people pessimistic? Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    5. Byun, Sang-Eun & Han, Siyuan & Kim, Hyejeong & Centrallo, Carol, 2020. "US small retail businesses’ perception of competition: Looking through a lens of fear, confidence, or cooperation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    6. Kritikos, Alexander, 2022. "Personality and Entrepreneurship," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1137, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Caliendo, Marco & Fossen, Frank M. & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2022. "Personality characteristics and the decision to hire," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 31(3), pages 736-761.
    8. Aymeric Bellon & J. Anthony Cookson & Erik P. Gilje & Rawley Z. Heimer, 2020. "Personal Wealth and Self-Employment," NBER Working Papers 27452, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial optimism; expectations; entrepreneurs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups

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