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Risk, Balanced Skills and Entrepreneurship

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  • Chihmao Hsieh

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Simon C. Parker

    (University of Western Ontario)

  • C. Mirjam van Praag

    (University of Amsterdam)

Abstract

This paper proposes that risk aversion encourages individuals to invest in balancedskill profiles, making them more likely to become entrepreneurs. By not havingtaken this possible linkage into account, previous research has underestimated the impactsboth of risk aversion and balanced skills on the likelihood individuals chooseentrepreneurship. Data on Dutch university graduates provides evidence which supportsthis contention. It thereby raises the possibility that even risk-averse peoplemight be suited to entrepreneurship; and it may also help explain why prior researchhas generated mixed evidence about the effects of risk aversion on selection into entrepreneurship.

Suggested Citation

  • Chihmao Hsieh & Simon C. Parker & C. Mirjam van Praag, 2011. "Risk, Balanced Skills and Entrepreneurship," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 11-178/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20110178
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    Cited by:

    1. Ted Baker & E. Erin Powell, 2019. "Entrepreneurship as a new liberal art," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 405-418, February.
    2. Claudio A. Bonilla & Pablo A. Gutiérrez Cubillos, 2021. "The effects of ambiguity on entrepreneurship," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 63-80, February.
    3. Noemi Oggero & Maria Cristina Rossi & Elisa Ughetto, 2020. "Entrepreneurial spirits in women and men. The role of financial literacy and digital skills," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 313-327, August.
    4. Boutin, Delphine & Petifour, Laurene & Megzari, Haris, 2023. "Permanent Instability of Preferences after COVID-19 Crisis: A Natural Experiment from Urban Burkina Faso," IZA Discussion Papers 16075, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Daniel Lechmann & Claus Schnabel, 2014. "Are the self-employed really jacks-of-all-trades? Testing the assumptions and implications of Lazear’s theory of entrepreneurship with German data," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 59-76, January.
    6. Mikko Vaaramo & Leena Ala-Mursula & Jouko Miettunen & Marko Korhonen, 2023. "Economic preferences and temperament traits among business leaders and paid employees," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 1197-1217, March.
    7. Breitkopf, Laura & Chowdhury, Shyamal K. & Priyam, Shambhavi & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah & Sutter, Matthias, 2020. "Do economic preferences of children predict behavior?," DICE Discussion Papers 342, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    8. Delphine Boutin & Laurène Petifour & Haris Megzari, 2022. "Instability of preferences due to Covid-19 Crisis and emotions: a natural experiment from urban Burkina Faso," Working Papers hal-03623601, HAL.
    9. Mesfin, Hiwot & Cecchi, Francesco & Nillesen, Eleonora & Tirivayi, Nyasha, 2022. "The effect of siblings’ sex ratio on physical capital, human capital, and gendered time use among adolescents in Ethiopia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    10. Areendam Chanda & Bulent Unel, 2021. "Do attitudes toward risk taking affect entrepreneurship? Evidence from second-generation Americans," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 385-413, December.
    11. Stefania Basiglio & Paola Vincentiis & Eleonora Isaia & Mariacristina Rossi, 2023. "Women-led Firms and Credit Access. A Gendered Story?," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(1), pages 199-233, March.
    12. Krieger, Alexander & Block, Joern & Stuetzer, Michael, 2018. "Skill variety in entrepreneurship: A literature review and research directions," MPRA Paper 88389, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Ade Paranata & Pahrudin & Syamsiyatul Muzayyanah & Thi Ha Trinh, 2023. "Identification of factors influencing entrepreneurial behavior: unveiling start-up business initiatives in Indonesia," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Peter Orazem & Robert Jolly & Li Yu, 2015. "Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur? The impacts of skills developed before, during and after college on firm start-ups," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-27, December.
    15. Björn Hårsman & Lars-Göran Mattsson, 2021. "Analyzing the returns to entrepreneurship by a modified Lazear model," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 1875-1892, December.
    16. Williams, David W. & Wood, Matthew S. & Mitchell, J. Robert & Urbig, Diemo, 2019. "Applying experimental methods to advance entrepreneurship research: On the need for and publication of experiments," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 215-223.
    17. Deusdedit Rwehumbiza & Marin A. Marinov, 0. "Development of entrepreneurial orientation of export manufacturers from emerging economies," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    18. Deusdedit Rwehumbiza & Marin A. Marinov, 2020. "Development of entrepreneurial orientation of export manufacturers from emerging economies," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 667-689, June.
    19. Stefania Basiglio & Paola De Vincentiis & Eleonora Isaia & Mariacristina Rossi, 2019. "Credit Access and Approval," Working papers 061, Department of Economics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino.
    20. 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.
    21. 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.
    22. Elhem Ben Fatma & Ezzeddine Ben Mohamed & Léo-Paul Dana & Sami Boudabbous, 2021. "Does entrepreneurs’ psychology affect their business venture success? Empirical findings from North Africa," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 921-962, June.
    23. Colombo, Massimo G. & Piva, Evila, 2020. "Start-ups launched by recent STEM university graduates: The impact of university education on entrepreneurial entry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(6).
    24. Delphine BOUTIN & Laurène PETIFOUR & Haris MEGZARI, 2022. "Instability of preferences due to Covid-19 Crisis and emotions: a natural experiment from urban Burkina Faso," Bordeaux Economics Working Papers 2022-05, Bordeaux School of Economics (BSE).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    entrepreneurship; jack-of-all-trades; risk; human capital; occupational choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups

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