IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/intemj/v21y2025i1d10.1007_s11365-025-01129-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Expansion and job creation strategies in different solo self-employment segments

Author

Listed:
  • Jerzy Cieślik

    (Kozminski University)

  • Ondřej Dvouletý

    (Prague University of Economics and Business)

  • André Stel

    (Kozminski University
    The University of Dublin)

Abstract

The number of solo self-employed (those without employees) in Europe, and particularly the number of high-skilled solo self-employed (or independent professionals), has increased rapidly in the last two decades. Earlier research has found a low propensity among high-skilled solo self-employed to hire employees, even though many of them have growth ambitions. This low hiring propensity is worrying as it may hamper the number of newly created wage jobs in contemporary knowledge-based economies. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the growth ambitions of different segments of solo self-employed by analyzing their varying expansion strategies. From estimating a multinomial logistic regression model on a large sample of solo self-employed workers, our main finding is that high-skilled solo self-employed with a proven track record (by operating solo for at least five years) do not plan to hire employees. Instead, insofar as they have expansion plans, they prefer to work together with other self-employed individuals in a network or outsource tasks to subcontractors. Our study highlights the crucial role of collaborative networks, particularly among high-skilled professionals operating solo. Joining such networks helps avoiding certain drawbacks of solo operations while also allowing to realize expansion ambitions by engaging in larger projects that are impossible to execute independently. An implication of our study is that high-skilled professionals need to consider collaborative networks already at the planning stage of their business operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Jerzy Cieślik & Ondřej Dvouletý & André Stel, 2025. "Expansion and job creation strategies in different solo self-employment segments," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-27, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:intemj:v:21:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11365-025-01129-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11365-025-01129-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11365-025-01129-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11365-025-01129-x?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.

    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:spr:intemj:v:21:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11365-025-01129-x. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.