IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbvent/v34y2019i4p646-663.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Entrepreneurship and eudaimonic well-being: Five venues for new science

Author

Listed:
  • Ryff, Carol D.

Abstract

Researchers in entrepreneurial studies are increasingly interested in the psychological well-being of entrepreneurs. Approaches to well-being tend to be partitioned into hedonic and eudaimonic formulations. Most entrepreneurial studies have focused on hedonic indicators (life satisfaction, happiness, positive affect). The central objective of this essay is to examine the relevance of eudaimonic well-being for understanding entrepreneurial experience. The theoretical background and key dimensions of eudaimonic well-being are described and their relevance for entrepreneurial studies is considered. Illustrative findings from prior well-being studies are examined, also with emphasis on possible extensions to entrepreneurship. Five key venues for the entrepreneurial field are then considered: (1) entrepreneurship and autonomy, viewed both as a motive (self-determination theory) and as an aspect of well-being (eudaimonic well-being theory); (2) varieties of entrepreneurship (opportunity versus necessity) and eudaimonic well-being; (3) eudaimonia in the entrepreneurial journey (beginning, middle, end); (4) entrepreneurship, well-being and health; and (5) entrepreneurs and the eudaimonia of others – contrasting virtuous and vicious types. In each topic, extant findings from entrepreneurial studies are considered and new research directions proposed. The overall aim is to be generative regarding the interplay between entrepreneurial experience and eudaimonic well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryff, Carol D., 2019. "Entrepreneurship and eudaimonic well-being: Five venues for new science," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 646-663.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbvent:v:34:y:2019:i:4:p:646-663
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.09.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883902617307899
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.09.003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Scambler, Graham & Scambler, Sasha & Speed, Ewen, 2014. "Civil society and the Health and Social Care Act in England and Wales: Theory and praxis for the twenty-first century," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 210-216.
    2. Emily A. Greenfield, 2009. "Felt Obligation to Help Others as a Protective Factor Against Losses in Psychological Well-being Following Functional Decline in Middle and Later Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 64(6), pages 723-732.
    3. Burgard, Sarah A. & Brand, Jennie E. & House, James S., 2009. "Perceived job insecurity and worker health in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 777-785, September.
    4. Douglas, Evan J., 2013. "Reconstructing entrepreneurial intentions to identify predisposition for growth," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 633-651.
    5. Carolyn Schwartz & Penelope Keyl & John Marcum & Rita Bode, 2009. "Helping Others Shows Differential Benefits on Health and Well-being for Male and Female Teens," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 431-448, August.
    6. Matthias Benz & Bruno S. Frey, 2008. "Being Independent is a Great Thing: Subjective Evaluations of Self‐Employment and Hierarchy," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 75(298), pages 362-383, May.
    7. Per Davidsson & Johan Wiklund, 2001. "Levels of Analysis in Entrepreneurship Research: Current Research Practice and Suggestions for the Future," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 25(4), pages 81-100, July.
    8. Magnus Henrekson & Dan Johansson, 2010. "Gazelles as job creators: a survey and interpretation of the evidence," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 227-244, September.
    9. Williams, Trenton A. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2016. "Victim entrepreneurs doing well by doing good: Venture creation and well-being in the aftermath of a resource shock," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 365-387.
    10. Carol D. Ryff, 2017. "Eudaimonic well-being, inequality, and health: Recent findings and future directions," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 64(2), pages 159-178, June.
    11. Baumol, William J., 1996. "Entrepreneurship: Productive, unproductive, and destructive," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 3-22, January.
    12. Ingemar Johansson Sevä & Daniel Larsson & Mattias Strandh, 2016. "The prevalence, characteristics and well-being of 'necessity' self-employed and 'latent' entrepreneurs: findings from Sweden," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 28(1), pages 58-77.
    13. Shepherd, Dean A. & Patzelt, Holger, 2015. "The “heart” of entrepreneurship: The impact of entrepreneurial action on health and health on entrepreneurial action," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 4(C), pages 22-29.
    14. Alessandra Smerilli, 2013. "Values based organizations," Chapters, in: Luigino Bruni & Stefano Zamagni (ed.), Handbook on the Economics of Reciprocity and Social Enterprise, chapter 41, pages 421-429, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. Paul Nightingale & Alex Coad, 2014. "Muppets and gazelles: political and methodological biases in entrepreneurship research," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 23(1), pages 113-143, February.
    16. Elliot M. Friedman & Carol D. Ryff, 2012. "Living Well With Medical Comorbidities: A Biopsychosocial Perspective," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 67(5), pages 535-544.
    17. Carol Ryff & Burton Singer, 2008. "Know Thyself and Become What You Are: A Eudaimonic Approach to Psychological Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 13-39, January.
    18. Wincent, Joakim & Örtqvist, Daniel & Drnovsek, Mateja, 2008. "The entrepreneur's role stressors and proclivity for a venture withdrawal," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 232-246, September.
    19. Barbara L Fredrickson & Karen M Grewen & Sara B Algoe & Ann M Firestine & Jesusa M G Arevalo & Jeffrey Ma & Steve W Cole, 2015. "Psychological Well-Being and the Human Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Martin Binder, 2017. "Entrepreneurial Success and Subjective Well-Being: Worries about the Business Explain One's Well-Being Loss from Self-Employment," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 947, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    2. Christopher J. Boudreaux & Niklas Elert & Magnus Henrekson & David S. Lucas, 2022. "Entrepreneurial accessibility, eudaimonic well-being, and inequality," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1061-1079, October.
    3. Shepherd, Dean A. & Seyb, Stella & Williams, Trenton A., 2023. "Empathy-driven entrepreneurial action: Well-being outcomes for entrepreneurs and target beneficiaries," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(2).
    4. Carol D. Ryff, 2017. "Eudaimonic well-being, inequality, and health: Recent findings and future directions," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 64(2), pages 159-178, June.
    5. Elert, Niklas & Henrekson, Magnus & Stenkula, Mikael, 2017. "Institutional Reform for Innovation and Entrepreneurship: An Agenda for Europe," Working Paper Series 1150, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 16 Feb 2017.
    6. Siepel, Josh & Cowling, Marc & Coad, Alex, 2017. "Non-founder human capital and the long-run growth and survival of high-tech ventures," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 34-43.
    7. Alexander Chepurenko, 2015. "Entrepreneurship Theory: New Challenges and Future Prospects," Foresight-Russia Форсайт, CyberLeninka;Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Национальный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики», vol. 9(2 (eng)), pages 44-57.
    8. Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov & Halvarsson, Daniel & Gustavsson Tingvall, Patrik & McKelvie, Alexander, 2021. "Do Targeted R&D Grants Towards Potential Highgrowth Firms Increase Employment and Demand for High Human Capital Workers?," HFI Working Papers 23, Institute of Retail Economics (Handelns Forskningsinstitut).
    9. Jan Ole Rypestøl, 2017. "Regional industrial path development: The role of new entrepreneurial firms," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Besnik A. Krasniqi & Sameeksha Desai, 2016. "Institutional drivers of high-growth firms: country-level evidence from 26 transition economies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 1075-1094, December.
    11. Andrea M. Herrmann, 2019. "A plea for varieties of entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 331-343, February.
    12. Ross Brown & Colin Mason, 2017. "Looking inside the spiky bits: a critical review and conceptualisation of entrepreneurial ecosystems," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 11-30, June.
    13. Alex Coad & Marc Cowling & Josh Siepel, 2017. "Growth processes of high-growth firms as a four-dimensional chicken and egg," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 26(4), pages 537-554.
    14. Aliaa El Shoubaki & Meike Stephan, 2018. "The Life Partner and the Life Satisfaction of the Entrepreneur," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2018(3), pages 26-41.
    15. Schmutzler, Jana & Andonova, Veneta & Díaz Serrano, Lluís, 2015. "When culture does (not) matter: role models and self-efficacy as drivers of entrepreneurial behavior," Working Papers 2072/247806, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    16. Jana Schmutzler & Veneta Andonova & Luis Diaz-Serrano, 2019. "How Context Shapes Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy as a Driver of Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Multilevel Approach," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(5), pages 880-920, September.
    17. Díaz Serrano, Lluís & Teruel, Mercedes, 2020. "On the Link between Self-Employment and Job Satisfaction: What Do Really Change after Becoming a Self-Employee?," Working Papers 2072/376034, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    18. Henrekson, Magnus & Johansson, Dan, 2010. "Firm Growth, Institutions and Structural Transformation," Ratio Working Papers 150, The Ratio Institute.
    19. Soo Yon Yi & Aimee Jeehae Kim, 2023. "Implementation and Strategies of Community Music Activities for Well-Being: A Scoping Review of the Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-34, January.
    20. Niklas Elert, 2014. "What determines entry? Evidence from Sweden," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 53(1), pages 55-92, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbvent:v:34:y:2019:i:4:p:646-663. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusvent .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.