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Subjective well-being among the self-employed in Europe: macroeconomy, gender and immigrant status

Author

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  • Ingemar Johansson Sevä
  • Stig Vinberg
  • Mikael Nordenmark
  • Mattias Strandh

Abstract

Previous research shows that the self-employed generally experience a higher degree of job satisfaction compared to regular employees. However, our knowledge of subjective well-being among the self-employed, the differences between various groups of self-employed and the potential influence of contextual factors is somewhat limited. The purpose of the present paper is to address this gap by taking macroeconomic conditions, gender and immigrant status into consideration. The results show that self-employment is positively related to subjective well-being, but there are also differences between groups of the self-employed; self-employed with employees report a higher level of life satisfaction than the self-employed without employees. Economic growth is more important for the level of life satisfaction among the self-employed than among employees. The analyses also point to different patterns for female and male self-employed without employees: only women experience a higher level of life satisfaction compared to employees. The results also show that the relationship is stronger among immigrants than natives. The results of this study confirm the importance of considering potential heterogeneity when examining subjective well-being among the self-employed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016

Suggested Citation

  • Ingemar Johansson Sevä & Stig Vinberg & Mikael Nordenmark & Mattias Strandh, 2016. "Subjective well-being among the self-employed in Europe: macroeconomy, gender and immigrant status," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 239-253, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:46:y:2016:i:2:p:239-253
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-015-9682-9
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bhuiyan, Muhammad Faress & Ivlevs, Artjoms, 2019. "Micro-entrepreneurship and subjective well-being: Evidence from rural Bangladesh," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 625-645.
    2. Binder, Martin & Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin, 2021. "Self-employment and Subjective Well-Being," GLO Discussion Paper Series 744, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Aleksandra Bujacz & Constanze Eib & Susanna Toivanen, 2020. "Not All Are Equal: A Latent Profile Analysis of Well-Being Among the Self-Employed," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1661-1680, June.
    4. Koch, Michael & Park, Sarah & Zahra, Shaker A., 2021. "Career patterns in self-employment and career success," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(1).
    5. Susanna Toivanen & Rosane Härter Griep & Christin Mellner & Mikael Nordenmark & Stig Vinberg & Sandra Eloranta, 2019. "Hospitalization due to stroke and myocardial infarction in self-employed individuals and small business owners compared with paid employees in Sweden—a 5-year study," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 343-354, August.
    6. Karen Maguire & John V. Winters, 2020. "Satisfaction and Self-employment: Do Men or Women Benefit More from Being Their Own Boss?," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 46(4), pages 576-602, October.
    7. Teita Bijedić & Alan Piper, 2018. "Different Strokes for Different Folks: Entrepreneurs' Job Satisfaction and the Intersection of Gender and Migration Background," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1011, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    8. Litsardopoulos, Nicholas & Saridakis, George & Hand, Chris, 2021. "Does the accumulation of self-employment experience impact life satisfaction?," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    9. Mojca Svetek & Mateja Drnovsek, 2022. "Exploring the Effects of Types of Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity on Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 149-170, January.
    10. Deepika Dixit & Anubha Shekhar Sinha, 2020. "I Am My Own Boss: Do I Have Quality of Work-Life?," Working papers 353, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
    11. Guillaume Soenen & Constanze Eib & Olivier Torrès, 2019. "The cost of injustice: overall justice, emotional exhaustion, and performance among entrepreneurs: do founders fare better?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 355-368, August.
    12. Filip Fors Connolly & Ingemar Johansson Sevä & Tommy Gärling, 2021. "The Bigger the Better? Business Size and Small-Business Owners’ Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1071-1088, March.
    13. Nam Kyoon N. Kim & Simon C. Parker, 0. "Entrepreneurial homeworkers," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-25.
    14. Fritsch, Michael & Sorgner, Alina & Wyrwich, Michael, 2019. "Self-employment and well-being across institutional contexts," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(6).
    15. Rafael Ravina-Ripoll & María-José Foncubierta-Rodríguez & Eduardo Ahumada-Tello & Luis Bayardo Tobar-Pesantez, 2021. "Does Entrepreneurship Make You Happier? A Comparative Analysis between Entrepreneurs and Wage Earners," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    16. Mikael Nordenmark & Bodil J. Landstad & Åsa Tjulin & Stig Vinberg, 2023. "Life Satisfaction among Self-Employed People in Different Welfare Regimes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Significance of Household Finances and Concerns about Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-13, March.
    17. Pascale Peters & Rob Blomme & Ward Jager & Beatrice Heijden, 2020. "The impact of work-related values and work control on the career satisfaction of female freelancers," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 493-506, August.
    18. Nam Kyoon N. Kim & Simon C. Parker, 2021. "Entrepreneurial homeworkers," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1427-1451, October.
    19. Zhao, Daping & Jiang, Jialing & Yin, Zhichao, 2020. "Can entrepreneurship bring happiness? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 679-686.
    20. Nicholas Litsardopoulos & George Saridakis & Yannis Georgellis & Chris Hand, 2023. "Self-employment experience effects on well-being: A longitudinal study," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(2), pages 454-480, May.
    21. Karen Maguire & John V. Winters, 0. "Satisfaction and Self-employment: Do Men or Women Benefit More from Being Their Own Boss?," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 0, pages 1-27.
    22. Chengchun Wang & Norbert Mundorf & Ann Salzarulo-McGuigan, 2021. "Psychological Well-Being Sustainable during Entrepreneurial Process—The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Creativity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-14, September.
    23. Panka Bencsik & Tuugi Chuluun, 2021. "Comparative well-being of the self-employed and paid employees in the USA," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 355-384, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Self-employment; Subjective well-being; Life satisfaction; Economic growth; Immigrant status; Gender; Europe; I31; J23; L26;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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