Unpredictably Stable: An Investigation into the Stayer-Mover Tendencies among Self-employed

Virgilio Failla, Francesca Melillo, Toke Reichstein

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    Does entrepreneurship lower the losses associated with labor market mismatching by lowering employment turnover? This paper examines whether a transition to self-employment induces a shift into an individual’s stayer-mover tendency. Using a propensity score-matching technique, the hypothesis is tested on matched employer-employee data from the entire Danish population. The analysis reveals that self-employed stay longer in their employment status compared to individuals in paid-employment. This effect is not explained by reduced attractiveness to the wage sector (lock-in effect). We interpret this finding by crafting a theory in which entrepreneurship may resolve mismatches of individuals in the labor market and may inherently increase the value of non-monetary benefits, namely independence. This counterintuitive finding – self-employment yields greater stability, all else equal – has fundamental implications for the understanding of the returns to entrepreneurship.
    Original languageEnglish
    Publication date2014
    Publication statusPublished - 2014
    EventThe Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2014: The Power of Words - Philadelphia, United States
    Duration: 1 Aug 20145 Aug 2014
    Conference number: 74
    http://aom.org/annualmeeting/

    Conference

    ConferenceThe Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2014
    Number74
    Country/TerritoryUnited States
    CityPhiladelphia
    Period01/08/201405/08/2014
    Internet address

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