This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

The role of dissatisfaction and per capita income in explaining self-employment across 15 European countries

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
André van Stel
Roy Thurik
Sander Wennekers
Niels Noorderhaven

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

This paper deals with explaining the sizable differences in the rate of self-employment (business ownership) across 15 European countries in the period 1978-2000, within a framework of occupational choice, focusing on the influence of dissatisfaction and of per capita income. Using two different measures of dissatisfaction, in addition to the level of economic development and controlling for several other variables, we find that, in addition to a negative and significant impact of per capita income, dissatisfaction at the level of societies has a positive and significant influence on self-employment levels. Both dissatisfaction with life and dissatisfaction with the way democracy works are found to influence self-employment. It is concluded that these are proxies for job dissatisfaction and at the same time represent other negative "displacements" known to promote self-employment. The findings indirectly point at the potential importance of push factors within the incentive structures of modern economies.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help file. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.entrepreneurship-sme.eu/pdf-ez/N200407.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by EIM Business and Policy Research in its series Scales Research Reports with number N200407.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Length: 23 pages
Date of creation: 19 May 2004
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:eim:papers:n200407

Contact details of provider:
Postal: P.O. Box 7001, 2701 AA Zoetermeer
Phone: (+31) 79 341 36 34
Fax: (+31) 79 341 50 24
Email:
Web page: http://www.entrepreneurship-sme.eu/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Webmaster EIM).

Related research
Keywords:

Other versions of this item:

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.:
  1. Audretsch, David B, et al, 2002. "Impeded Industrial Restructuring: The Growth Penalty," Kyklos, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 55(1), pages 81-97.
    Other versions:
  2. David G. Blanchflower, 2000. "Self-Employment in OECD Countries," NBER Working Papers 7486, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Murat F. Iyigun & Ann L. Owen, 1997. "Risk, entrepreneurship and human capital accumulation," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 1997-37, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. de Wit, Gerrit, 1993. " Models of Self-Employment in a Competitive Market," Journal of Economic Surveys, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 7(4), pages 367-97, December.
  5. Sjoerd Beugelsdijk & Niels Noorderhaven, 2005. "Personality Characteristics of Self-Employed; An Empirical Study," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 159-167, 03. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Acemoglu, Daron, 1995. "Reward structures and the allocation of talent," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 17-33, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Parker, Simon C, 1996. "A Time Series Model of Self-Employment under Uncertainty," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 63(251), pages 459-75, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. D.B. Audretsch & M.A. Carree & A.R. Thurik, 2001. "Does Entrepreneurship reduce Unemployment?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 01-074/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  9. Santarelli, Enrico & Sterlacchini, Alessandro, 1994. " New Firm Formation in Italian Industry: 1985-89," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 95-106, April.
  10. David B. Audretsch & A. Roy Thurik, 1999. "Innovation, Industry Evoluation and Employment," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 99-068/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  11. Uhlaner, L.M. & Thurik, A.R. & Hutjes, J., 2002. "Post-Materialism as a Cultural Factor Influencing Entrepreneurial Activity across Nations," Research Paper ERS-2002-62-STR Revision_, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus Uni. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Blanchflower, David G & Meyer, Bruce D, 1994. " A Longitudinal Analysis of the Young Self-Employed in Australia and the United States," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-19, February.
  13. Robert E. Lucas Jr., 1978. "On the Size Distribution of Business Firms," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 9(2), pages 508-523, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Schultz, T Paul, 1990. "Women's Changing Participation in the Labor Force: A World Perspective," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 38(3), pages 457-88, April.
    Other versions:
  15. David B. Audretsch & A. Roy Thurik, 2000. "Capitalism and democracy in the 21st Century: from the managed to the entrepreneurial economy," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 17-34. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Foti, Alessandro & Vivarelli, Marco, 1994. " An Econometric Test of the Self-Employment Model: The Case of Italy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 81-93, April.
  17. Meager, Nigel, 1992. " Does Unemployment Lead to Self-employment?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 87-103, June.
  18. Murphy, Kevin M & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1991. "The Allocation of Talent: Implications for Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 106(2), pages 503-30, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  19. Troesken, Werner, 1997. "The," Journal of Law, Economics and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(1), pages 1-25, April.
  20. Kihlstrom, Richard E & Laffont, Jean-Jacques, 1979. "A General Equilibrium Entrepreneurial Theory of Firm Formation Based on Risk Aversion," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(4), pages 719-48, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Blanchflower, David G & Oswald, Andrew J, 1998. "What Makes an Entrepreneur?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 16(1), pages 26-60, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  22. David Audretsch & Roy Thurik, 1997. "Sources of Growth," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 97-109/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  23. Fedderke, J W, 1997. "The Source of Optimality in Action," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 339-63, May.
Full references

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. Axel Dreher & Martin Gassebner, 2007. "Greasing the Wheels of Entrepreneurship? The Impact of Regulations and Corruption on Firm Entry," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo GmbH. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Sander Wennekers & Roy Thurik & André Stel & Niels Noorderhaven, 2007. "Uncertainty avoidance and the rate of business ownership across 21 OECD countries, 1976–2004," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 133-160, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Lorraine Uhlaner & Roy Thurik, 2007. "Postmaterialism influencing total entrepreneurial activity across nations," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 161-185, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Verheul, I. & Stel, A.J. van & Thurik, A.R., 2005. "Explaining Female and Male Entrepreneurship at the Country Level," Research Paper ERS-2005-089-ORG Revision, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus Uni. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Wong, Poh Kam & Lee, Lena & Leung, Aegean, 2006. "Entrepreneurship by circumstances and abilities: the mediating role of job satisfaction and moderating role of self-efficacy," MPRA Paper 596, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  6. Sander Wennekers & André van Stel & Roy Thurik & Paul Reynolds, 2005. "Nascent entrepreneurship and the level of economic development," Discussion Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2005-14, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Group for Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Martin Carree & André van Stel & Roy Thurik & Sander Wennekers, 2007. "The Relation between Economic Development and Business Ownership revisited," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-022/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  8. Clercq, D. de & Hessels, S.J.A. & Stel, A.J. van, 2007. "Knowledge Spillovers and Entrepreneurs’ Export Orientation," Research Paper ERS-2007-038-ORG Revision, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus Uni. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? You too can volunteer with RePEc.

This page was last updated on 2008-7-2.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.