TY - JOUR

T1 - Patterns of entrepreneurial career development

T2 - An optimal matching analysis approach

AU - Zacher, Hannes

AU - Biemann, Torsten

AU - Gielnik, Michael

AU - Frese, Michael

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Longitudinal studies of entrepreneurial career development are rare, and current knowledge of self-employment patterns and their relationships with individual difference characteristics is limited. In this study, the authors analyzed employment data from a subsample of 514 participants from the German Socio-Economic Panel study (1984-2008). Results of an optimal matching analysis indicated that a continuous self-employment pattern could be distinguished from four alternative employment patterns (change from employment to self-employment, full-time employees, part-time employees, and farmers). Results of a multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that certain socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., age and gender) and personality characteristics (i.e., conscientiousness and risk-taking propensity) were related to the likelihood of following a continuous self-employment pattern compared to the other employment patterns. Implications for future research on entrepreneurial career development are discussed.

AB - Longitudinal studies of entrepreneurial career development are rare, and current knowledge of self-employment patterns and their relationships with individual difference characteristics is limited. In this study, the authors analyzed employment data from a subsample of 514 participants from the German Socio-Economic Panel study (1984-2008). Results of an optimal matching analysis indicated that a continuous self-employment pattern could be distinguished from four alternative employment patterns (change from employment to self-employment, full-time employees, part-time employees, and farmers). Results of a multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that certain socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., age and gender) and personality characteristics (i.e., conscientiousness and risk-taking propensity) were related to the likelihood of following a continuous self-employment pattern compared to the other employment patterns. Implications for future research on entrepreneurial career development are discussed.

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - employment patterns

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - optimal matching analysis

KW - personality

KW - self-employment

KW - socio-economic panel

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879809910&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3233/DEV-2012-12111

DO - 10.3233/DEV-2012-12111

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 6

SP - 177

EP - 187

JO - International Journal of Developmental Science

JF - International Journal of Developmental Science

SN - 2191-7485

IS - 3-4

ER -