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Entrepreneurship: cause and consequence of financial optimism

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  • Dawson, Christopher
  • de Meza, David
  • Henley, Andrew
  • Arabsheibani, G. Reza

Abstract

Extant evidence that the self-employed overestimate their returns by a greater margin than employees is consistent with two mutually inclusive possibilities. Self-employment may foster optimism or intrinsic optimists may be drawn to self-employment. Previous research is generally unable to disentangle these effects because of reliance on cross-sectional data. Using longitudinal data, this paper finds that employees who will be self-employed in the future overestimate their short-term financial wellbeing by more than those who never become self-employed. Optimism is higher still when self-employed. These results suggest that the greater optimism of the self-employed reflects both psychological disposition and environmental factors. By providing greater scope for optimism, self-employment entices the intrinsically optimistic.

Suggested Citation

  • Dawson, Christopher & de Meza, David & Henley, Andrew & Arabsheibani, G. Reza, 2014. "Entrepreneurship: cause and consequence of financial optimism," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 65276, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:65276
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    Cited by:

    1. Luca David Opromolla & Michele Dell'Era, 2018. "A General Equilibrium Theory of Occupational Choice under Optimistic Beliefs about Entrepreneurial Ability," Working Papers w201822, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    2. Przemyslaw Zbierowski, 2015. "Positive Entrepreneurship: Antecedents and Outcomes of Entrepreneurship within Positive Organizational Scholarship (Przedsiebiorczosc pozytywna – przyczyny i rezultaty przedsiebiorczosci z zakresu poz," Problemy Zarzadzania, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 13(56), pages 38-54.
    3. Ross Levine & Yona Rubinstein, 2018. "Selection into Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment," NBER Working Papers 25350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Michele Dell'Era & Luca David Opromolla & Luís Santos‐Pinto, 2023. "Can optimism solve the entrepreneurial earnings puzzle?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 125(1), pages 139-169, January.
    5. Jean-Christophe Poutineau & Gauthier Vermandel, 2015. "Quelle prise en compte des caractéristiques nationales dans les mesures macroprudentielles en zone euro ?," Revue française d'économie, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(3), pages 95-141.
    6. Luc Bridet & Peter Schwardmann, 2020. "Selling Dreams: Endogenous Optimism in Lending Markets," CESifo Working Paper Series 8271, CESifo.
    7. Ross Levine & Yona Rubinstein, 2017. "Smart and Illicit: Who Becomes an Entrepreneur and Do They Earn More?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 132(2), pages 963-1018.
    8. Peter Schwardmann & Joël van der Weele, 2016. "Deception and Self-Deception," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 16-012/I, Tinbergen Institute.
    9. Cucchiarini, Veronica & Scicchitano, Sergio & Viale, Riccardo, 2024. "The Entrepreneur's Cognitive and Behavioral Journey: Understanding Heuristics and Bias under Risk and Uncertainty," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1390, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    10. Daisuke Tsuruta, 2020. "SME policies as a barrier to growth of SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 1067-1106, April.
    11. Odermatt, Reto & Powdthavee, Nattavudh & Stutzer, Alois, 2021. "Are newly self-employed overly optimistic about their future well-being?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    12. Barron, Kai & Huck, Steffen & Jehiel, Philippe, 2019. "Everyday econometricians: Selection neglect and overoptimism when learning from others," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Economics of Change SP II 2019-301, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    13. de Meza, David & Dawson, Christopher & Henley, Andrew & Arabsheibani, G. Reza, 2019. "Curb your enthusiasm: Optimistic entrepreneurs earn less," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 53-69.
    14. Martin Koudstaal & Randolph Sloof & Mirjam van Praag, 2015. "Are Entrepreneurs more Optimistic and Overconfident than Managers and Employees?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 15-124/VII, Tinbergen Institute.
    15. Emanuela Carbonara & Hien Thu Tran & Enrico Santarelli, 2020. "Determinants of novice, portfolio, and serial entrepreneurship: an occupational choice approach," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 123-151, June.
    16. Oliver Thomas, 2018. "Two decades of cognitive bias research in entrepreneurship: What do we know and where do we go from here?," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 68(2), pages 107-143, April.
    17. Dawson, Chris, 2017. "The upside of pessimism − Biased beliefs and the paradox of the contented female worker," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 215-228.
    18. Gano-An Jonathan C. & Gempes Gloria P., 2020. "The Success and Failures of Sari-Sari Stores: Exploring the Minds of Women Micro-Entrepreneurs," HOLISTICA – Journal of Business and Public Administration, Sciendo, vol. 11(2), pages 25-51, August.
    19. M. Mahdi Moeini Gharagozloo & Fatemeh Askarzadeh & Ali Moeini Gharagozloo, 2022. "More power for international entrepreneurs: the effect of digital readiness of economies on channeling national R&D resources to entrepreneurship," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 474-502, September.
    20. Jakob Infuehr & Volker Laux, 2022. "Managerial Optimism and Debt Covenants," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 353-371, March.
    21. Sari Pekkala Kerr & William R. Kerr & Tina Xu, 2017. "Personality Traits of Entrepreneurs: A Review of Recent Literature," NBER Working Papers 24097, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Vernet, Antoine & Khayesi, Jane N.O. & George, Vivian & George, Gerard & Bahaj, Abubakar S., 2019. "How does energy matter? Rural electrification, entrepreneurship, and community development in Kenya," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 88-98.
    23. Cargoët, Thibaud & Poutineau, Jean-Christophe, 2018. "Financial disruption and state dependent credit policy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 249-272.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial optimism; expectations; self-employment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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