Risk, Uncertainty, and Entrepreneurship: Evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment

Martin Koudstaal, Randolph Sloof, Mirjam Van Praag

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    Theory predicts that entrepreneurs have distinct attitudes toward risk and uncertainty, but empirical evidence is mixed. To better understand these mixed results, we perform a large “lab-in-the-field” experiment comparing entrepreneurs to managers (a suitable comparison group) and employees (n D 21288). The results indicate that entrepreneurs perceive themselves as less risk averse than managers and employees, in line with common wisdom. However, when using experimental incentivized measures, the differences are subtler. Entrepreneurs are only found to be unique in their lower degree of loss aversion, and not in their risk or ambiguity aversion. This combination of results might be explained by our finding that perceived risk attitude is not only correlated to risk aversion but also to loss aversion. Overall, we therefore suggest using a broader definition of risk that captures this unique feature of entrepreneurs: their willingness to risk losses.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalManagement Science
    Volume62
    Issue number10
    Pages (from-to)2897-2915
    Number of pages19
    ISSN0025-1909
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2016

    Bibliographical note

    Published online: 25 Nov 2015

    Keywords

    • Entrepreneurs
    • Managers
    • Risk aversion
    • Loss aversion
    • Ambiguity aversion
    • Lab-in-the-field experiment

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