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Entrepreneurship, Happiness and Supernormal Returns: Evidence from Britain and the US

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  • David Blanchflower
  • Andrew Oswald

Abstract

Do entrepreneurs earn supernormal returns, or does competitive pressure ensure that entrepreneurs receive the same utility level as workers? If those who run their own businesses get supernormal returns (or 'rents') they should be happier than those who work as employees. The paper tests this hypothesis. It uses survey data from Britain and the USA to show that, in comparison with those in regular forms of employment, the self-employed report significantly higher levels of utility as proxied by overall satisfaction data.

Suggested Citation

  • David Blanchflower & Andrew Oswald, 1992. "Entrepreneurship, Happiness and Supernormal Returns: Evidence from Britain and the US," NBER Working Papers 4228, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:4228
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bracke, Philippe & Hilber, Christian A.L. & Silva, Olmo, 2018. "Mortgage debt and entrepreneurship," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 52-66.
    2. Perugini, Cristiano & Vladisavljević, Marko, 2019. "Gender inequality and the gender-job satisfaction paradox in Europe," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 129-147.
    3. Andrew E. Clark, 1996. "Job Satisfaction in Britain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 34(2), pages 189-217, June.
    4. Tania Babina & Wenting Ma & Christian Moser & Paige Ouimet & Rebecca Zarutskie, 2019. "Pay, Employment, and Dynamics of Young Firms," Working Papers 19-23, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    5. Sánchez Cañizares, Sandra Mª & Artacho Ruiz, Carlos & Fuentes García, Fernando J. & López-Guzmán Guzmán,Tomás J., 2007. "Análisis de los determinantes estructurales de la satisfacción laboral. Aplicación en el sector educativo/Analizing the Structural Determinants of Job Satisfaction. An Application in the Educational F," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 25, pages 887-900, Diciembre.
    6. Philippe Bracke & Christian Hilber & Olmo Silva, 2014. "Homeownership and Entrepreneurship: The Role of Mortgage Debt and Commitment," CESifo Working Paper Series 5048, CESifo.
    7. Bracke, Philippe & Hilber, Christian A. L. & Silva, Olmo, 2012. "Homeownerhip and entrepreneurship," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 58436, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Clark, Andrew E. & Oswald, Andrew J., 1996. "Satisfaction and comparison income," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 359-381, September.
    9. Clark, Andrew E., 1997. "Job satisfaction and gender: Why are women so happy at work?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 341-372, December.
    10. Schröder, Carsten & Yitzhaki, Shlomo, 2017. "Revisiting the evidence for cardinal treatment of ordinal variables," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 337-358.
    11. Illoong Kwon & Kitae Sohn, 2017. "Job dissatisfaction of the self-employed in Indonesia," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 233-249, June.
    12. Hunter, Erik & Norrman, Andreas & Berg, Eva, 2021. "Quantifying differences in alternative food network supply chain activities and their relationship with socio-economic outcomes," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 25(1), July.
    13. Tobias J. Moskowitz & Annette Vissing-Jørgensen, 2002. "The Returns to Entrepreneurial Investment: A Private Equity Premium Puzzle?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 745-778, September.
    14. Armin Falk & Markus Knell, "undated". "Choosing the Joneses On the Endogeneity of Reference Groups," IEW - Working Papers 053, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    15. Mindel Laar & Chris Neubourg, 2006. "Emotions and foreign direct investment: A theoretical and empirical exploration," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 207-233, March.
    16. Meng-Wen Tsou & Jin-Tan Liu, 2001. "Happiness and Domain Satisfaction in Taiwan," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 2(3), pages 269-288, September.

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