This research developed a classification scheme of reasons given for preferring self-employment versus organizational employment. Using an open-ended approach, data were collected from persons who had obtained a master's degree in business from a Norwegian business school during the 1987–1994 period. The classification scheme that emerged questions the relevance of earlier models, which have been used to explain and predict occupational status choice.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AjzenI. (1991). The theory of planned behavior.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211.
2.
AjzenI. (1988). Attitudes, personality and behavior.Milton Keynes, U. K.: Open University Press.
3.
AjzenI., & FishbeinM. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
4.
BaucusD. A., & HumanS. E. (1994). Second-career entrepreneurs: a multiple case study analysis of entrepreneurial processes and antecedent variables.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 19(2), 41–71.
5.
BegleyT. M., & BoydD. P. (1987). Psychological characteristics associated with performance in entrepreneurial firms and smaller businesses.Journal of Business Venturing, 2(1), 79–93.
6.
BrennerO. C., PringleC. D., & GreenhausJ. H. (1991). Perceived fulfillment of organizational employment versus entrepreneurship: Work values and career intentions of business college graduates.Journal of Small Business Management, 29(3), 62–74.
7.
BrockhausR. H., & HorowitzP. S. (1986). The psychology of the entrepreneur. In SextonD. L., & SmilorR. W. (Eds.), The art and science of entrepreneurship, pp. 25–48. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger
8.
ChayY. W. (1993). Social support, individual differences and well being: A study of small business entrepreneurs and employees.Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 66, 285–302.
9.
CooperA. C., WooC., & DunkelbergW. (1989). Entrepreneurship and the initial size of firms.Journal of Business Venturing, 4(5), 317–332.
10.
CowanD. A. (1990). Developing a classification structure of organizational problems: An empirical investigation.Academy of Management Journal, 33(2), 366–390.
11.
DyerW. G. (1994). Toward a theory of entrepreneurial careers.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 19(2), 7–21.
12.
EdenD. (1973). Self-employed workers: A comparison group for organizational psychology.Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 9, 186–214.
13.
HammermeshD. S. (1990). Shirking or productive schmoozing: Wages and the allocation of time at work.Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 43, 121–133.
14.
KahnR. L., WolfeD. M., QuinnR. P., SonekJ. D., & RosenthalR. A. (1964). Organizational stress: Studies in role conflict and ambiguity.New York: Wiley.
15.
KatzJ. A.1994. Modelling entrepreneurial career progressions: concepts and considerations.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 19(2), 7–39.
16.
KatzJ. (1992). A psychosocial cognitive model of employment status choice.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 17, 29–36.
17.
KidderL. H. (1981). Selltiz, Wrightsman and Cook's research methods in social sciences, 4th ed.New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
18.
KruegerN. F.Jr., & BrazealD. V.1994. Entrepreneurship potential and potential entrepreneurs.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 19(3), 91–104.
19.
KruegerN. F.Jr., & CarsrudA. L. (1993). Entrepreneurial intentions: Applying the theory of planned behavior.Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 5(4), 315–330.
20.
LearnedK. E. (1992). What happened before the organization? A model of organizational formation.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 17(1), 5–15.
21.
ManhardtP. J. (1972). Job orientation among male and female college graduates in business.Personnel Psychology, 25, 361–368.
22.
PattonM. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods.Newbury Park, Ca: Sage.
23.
PesteauP., & PossenU. (1992). How do taxes affect occupational choice?Public Finance, 47(1), 108–119.
24.
ReynoldsP. D., & MillerB. (1988). 1987 Minnesota new firm study.Minneapolis, MN: Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota.
25.
ScheinE., (1978). Career dynamics: Matching individual and organizational needs.Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
26.
ScheinbergS., & MacMillanI. C. (1988). An 11 country study of motivations to start a business. In KirchhoffB. A., LongW. A., McMullanW. E., WesperK. H., & WetzelW. E.Jr. (Eds.), Frontiers of entrepreneurship research, pp. 337–356. Wellesley, MA: Babson College.
27.
ShaneS., KolvereidL., & WestheadP. (1991). An exploratory examination of the reasons leading to new firm formation across country and gender.Journal of Business Venturing, 6, 431–446.
28.
TakaneY. (1981). MDSORT: A special purpose multidimensional scaling program for sorting data.Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation, 13, 698.
29.
TerpstraD. E., & OlsonP. D. (1993). Entrepreneurial start-up and growth: A classification of problems.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 18(1), 5–20.
30.
ThompsonC. A., KopelmanR. E., & SchriesheimC. A. (1992). Putting all eggs in one basket: A comparison of commitment and satisfaction among self- and organizationally employed men.Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(5), 738–743.
31.
TuckerI. B. (1990). Employer seniority discrimination: Evidence from entrepreneurial occupational choice.Economic Letters, 32(2), 85–89.
32.
WooC. Y., CooperA., & DunkelbergW. C. (1991). The development and interpretation of entrepreneurial typologies.Journal of Business Venturing, 6, 94–114.
