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The Jack-of-All-Trades Entrepreneur: Innate Talent or Acquired Skill?

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Author Info
Olmo Silva () (CEP, London School of Economics and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

Cross-sectional tests of the Jack-of-All-Trades theory of entrepreneurship invariably conclude that accumulation of balanced skill-mix across different fields of expertise stimulates entrepreneurship. Yet, none of these considers individual unobservable characteristics which may simultaneously determine skill accumulation and occupational choice. Using panel techniques to control for this, I show that gathering expertise across various subjects does not increase the chances of becoming entrepreneur.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 2264.

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Length: 12 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2264

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Related research
Keywords: entrepreneurship; occupational choice; skills;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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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.:
  1. William J. Baumol, 2004. "Education for Innovation: Entrepreneurial Breakthroughs vs. Corporate Incremental Improvements," NBER Working Papers 10578, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Edward P. Lazear, 2004. "Balanced Skills and Entrepreneurship," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(2), pages 208-211, May. [Downloadable!]
  3. Wagner, Joachim, 2002. "Testing Lazear’s Jack-of-All-Trades View of Entrepreneurship with German Micro Data," IZA Discussion Papers 592, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Edward P. Lazear, 2005. "Entrepreneurship," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 23(4), pages 649-680, October. [Downloadable!]
  5. Wagner, Joachim, 2004. "Nascent Entrepreneurs," IZA Discussion Papers 1293, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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. Hugo Ñopo & Patricio Valenzuela, 2007. "Becoming an Entrepreneur," RES Working Papers 4519, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Douhan, Robin & van Praag, Mirjam, 2009. "Entrepreneurship, Wage Employment and Control in an Occupational Choice Framework," IZA Discussion Papers 4211, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Joop Hartog & Mirjam van Praag & Justin van der Sluis, 2008. "If you are so smart, why aren’t you an Entrepreneur?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-073/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  4. Uschi Backes-Gellner & Petra Moog, 2007. "Who chooses to become an entrepreneur? The Jacks-of-all-Trades in Social and Human Capital," Working Papers 0076, University of Zurich, Institute for Strategy and Business Economics (ISU). [Downloadable!]
  5. Hartog, Joop & van Praag, Mirjam & van der Sluis, Justin, 2008. "If You Are So Smart, Why Aren't You an Entrepreneur? Returns to Cognitive and Social Ability: Entrepreneurs versus Employees," IZA Discussion Papers 3648, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  6. Enrico Santarelli & Marco Vivarelli, 2006. "Entrepreneurship and the Process of Firms’ Entry, Survival and Growth," IZA Discussion Papers 2475, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  7. Hugo Ñopo & Patricio Valenzuela, 2007. "Convirtiéndose en empresario," RES Working Papers 4520, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department. [Downloadable!]
  8. Castagnetti, Carolina & Rosti, Luisa, 2008. "Who skims the cream of the Italian graduate crop? Wage-employment versus self-employment," MPRA Paper 13504, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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This page was last updated on 2009-11-23.

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