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Mating competition and entrepreneurship

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  • Chang, Simon
  • Zhang, Xiaobo

Abstract

We used a natural experiment in Taiwan to test whether mating competition is a major motive for entrepreneurship. After being defeated in Mainland China, more than half million solders retreated to Taiwan in 1949. The soldiers were not allowed to get married until the military marriage ban was lifted in 1959. The policy change created a severe marriage squeeze for local men, triggering their animal spirits to engage in entrepreneurial activities. Empirical results show that local men exposed to high sex ratios as a result of the removal of the marriage ban were more likely to become entrepreneurs later on.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang, Simon & Zhang, Xiaobo, 2015. "Mating competition and entrepreneurship," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 292-309.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:116:y:2015:i:c:p:292-309
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2015.05.004
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    Cited by:

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    2. Simon Chang & Rachel Connelly & Ping Ma, 2016. "What Will You Do If I Say ‘I Do’?: The Effect of the Sex Ratio on Time Use within Taiwanese Married Couples," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 35(4), pages 471-500, August.
    3. Churchill, Sefa Awaworyi & Chang, Simon & Smyth, Russell & Trinh, Trong-Anh, 2024. "The Long Run Gender Origins of Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Australia's Convict History," IZA Discussion Papers 17170, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Zhang, Kezhong & He, Fan & Ma, Yuanyuan, 2021. "Sex ratios and mental health: Evidence from China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    5. Ya Gao & Rob Alessie & Viola Angelini, 2023. "Parental housing wealth and children’s marriage prospects in China—evidence from CHARLS," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 615-644, June.
    6. Rufei Guo & Qian Wang & Junjian Yi & Junsen Zhang, 2022. "Housing prices and son preference: Evidence from China’s housing reform," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 421-446, July.
    7. Tan, Zhibo & Wei, Shang-Jin & Zhang, Xiaobo, 2021. "Deadly discrimination: Implications of “missing girls” for workplace safety," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    8. Shang-Jin Wei & Zhuan Xie & Xiaobo Zhang, 2017. "From "Made in China" to "Innovated in China": Necessity, Prospect, and Challenges," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(1), pages 49-70, Winter.
    9. Wei, Shang-Jin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Liu, Yin, 2017. "Home ownership as status competition: Some theory and evidence," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 169-186.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sex ratios; Mating competition; Entrepreneurship; Taiwan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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