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A Physician With A Soul Of A Cook? Entrepreneurial Personality Across Occupations

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  • Alina Sorgner

    (Friedrich Schiller University Jena, School of Economics and Business Administration)

Abstract

There is a debate in the literature backed by ambiguous empirical evidence whether personality is useful at predicting entrepreneurship behavior. However, little is known about the role of the context in the relationship between personality and entrepreneurship. This paper draws on the well-established psychological theory of vocational behavior, which emphasizes the crucial role of personality for peoples' vocational choices, in order to shed more light on the interplay between personality, occupational environment, and the decision to become self-employed. Empirical findings suggest that personality is associated with both vocational and entrepreneurial choices. An entrepreneurial personality profile is positively related to the choice of Holland's enterprising and artistic occupations, which contributes to above-average self-employment rates in these occupations. Personality also seems to play an important role in entrepreneurial choice, however, in a way which varies substantially across occupations.

Suggested Citation

  • Alina Sorgner, 2012. "A Physician With A Soul Of A Cook? Entrepreneurial Personality Across Occupations," Jena Economics Research Papers 2012-063, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    • Handle: RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2012-063
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    Cited by:

    1. Eckhardt Bode & Stephan Brunow & Ingrid Ott & Alina Sorgner, 2019. "Worker Personality: Another Skill Bias beyond Education in the Digital Age," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 20(4), pages 254-294, November.
    2. Michael Fritsch & Alina Sorgner, 2013. "Entrepreneurship and Creative Professions: A Micro-Level Analysis," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 538, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    3. Sorgner, Alina & Fritsch, Michael, 2013. "Stepping Forward: Personality Traits, Choice of Profession, and the Decision to Become Self-Employed," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79768, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    4. Alina Sorgner & Michael Fritsch, 2013. "Occupational Choice and Self-Employment - Are They Related?," Jena Economics Research Papers 2013-001, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; vocational choice; Big Five; occupational environment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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