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SBE ageing and ent prefs 2013.pdf (386.32 kB)

Ageing and entrepreneurial preferences

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 13:46 authored by Teemu Kautonen, Simon Down, Maria Minniti
Previous research on age and entrepreneurship assumed homogeneity and downplayed age-related differences in the motives and aims underlying enterprising behaviour. We argue that the heterogeneity of entrepreneurship influences how the level of entrepreneurial activity varies with age. Using a sample of 2566 respondents from 27 European countries we show that entrepreneurial activity increases almost linearly with age for individuals who prefer to only employ themselves (self-employers), whereas it increases up to a critical threshold age (late 40s) and decreases thereafter for those who aspire to hire workers (owner-managers). Age has a considerably smaller effect on entrepreneurial behaviour for those who do not prefer self-employment but are pushed into it by lack of alternative employment opportunities (reluctant entrepreneurs). Our results question the conventional wisdom that entrepreneurial activity declines with age and suggest that effective responses to demographic changes require policy makers to pay close attention to the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial preferences.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

42

Page range

579-594

Publication title

Small Business Economics

ISSN

1573-0913

Publisher

Springer

File version

  • Accepted version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2013-05-28

Legacy creation date

2020-10-02

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

ARCHIVED Lord Ashcroft International Business School (until September 2018)

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