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Skill Balance and Entrepreneurship Evidence from Online Career Histories

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  • Li-Wei Chen
  • Peter Thompson

Abstract

Lazear's jack–of–all–trades theory suggests that individuals with balanced skills are more likely to become entrepreneurs, and that balanced skills can be accumulated by studying a varied curriculum, working in a variety of functions, and working for a variety of employers. We reexamine the theory using a matched case–control sample, constructed from a professional networking website that controls for unobserved heterogeneity in employer and job characteristics. We find evidence that variety predicts entry into entrepreneurship, largely through its positive association with the likelihood of having certain specific skills. However, our analysis also demonstrates that attempts to identify the effects of skill variety on entrepreneurship are likely to be highly sensitive to sample construction and regression specification.

Suggested Citation

  • Li-Wei Chen & Peter Thompson, 2016. "Skill Balance and Entrepreneurship Evidence from Online Career Histories," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(2), pages 289-305, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:40:y:2016:i:2:p:289-305
    DOI: 10.1111/etap.12220
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tåg, Joacim & Åstebro, Thomas & Thompson, Peter, 2016. "Hierarchies and entrepreneurship," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 129-147.
    2. Spanjer, Anne, 2017. "The impact of experience on the behavior and performance of self-employed and entrepreneurs. Three empirical studies," Other publications TiSEM 6684507a-1de9-47b5-9da7-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Alina Sorgner & Michael Fritsch, 2018. "Entrepreneurial career paths: occupational context and the propensity to become self-employed," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 129-152, June.
    4. Obunike Chinazor Lady-Franca, 2018. "Employees’ Career Transition and Growth: A Study of Women-Owned Micro Businesses in Balogun Market, Lagos, Nigeria," Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 32(1), pages 209-227, November.
    5. M. Diane Burton & Jesper B. Sørensen & Stanislav D. Dobrev, 2016. "A Careers Perspective on Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(2), pages 237-247, March.
    6. Rosendahl Huber, Laura & Sloof, Randolph & Van Praag, Mirjam & Parker, Simon C., 2020. "Diverse cognitive skills and team performance: A field experiment based on an entrepreneurship education program," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 569-588.
    7. Anne Spanjer & Arjen van Witteloostuijn, 2017. "The entrepreneur’s experiential diversity and entrepreneurial performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 141-161, June.
    8. Alexander Krieger & Michael Stuetzer & Martin Obschonka & Katariina Salmela-Aro, 2022. "The growth of entrepreneurial human capital: origins and development of skill variety," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 645-664, August.
    9. Sorgner, Alina & Fritsch, Michael, 2018. "Entrepreneurial Career Paths: Occupational Environments and the Propensity to Become Self-Employed," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 234990, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    10. Stijn Kelchtermans & Francesca Melillo, 2023. "Taking a Full Career Perspective on the Formation of Co-Founding Teams," GREDEG Working Papers 2023-22, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    11. Pankaj C. Patel & Yoav Ganzach, 2019. "Returns to balance in cognitive skills for the self-employed: evidence from 18 countries," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 89-109, January.
    12. Spanjer, Anne & van Witteloostuijn, Arjen, 2017. "The entrepreneur's experiential diversity and entrepreneurial performance," Other publications TiSEM c613c681-b545-4660-ad6a-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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