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Differences between entrepreneurs and employees in their educational paths

Author

Listed:
  • Uschi Backes-Gellner

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Zurich)

  • Simone Tuor

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Zurich)

  • Daniela Wettstein

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Zurich)

Abstract

This paper examines whether individuals who become either entrepreneurs or employees follow systematically different educational paths to a given educational level. Following Lazear’s jack-of-all-trades theory, we expect that entrepreneurs aim at a balanced set of different skills (academic or vocational), while employees specialize in one skill. This means that entrepreneurs follow educational paths that combine different types of education, while employees follow same-type paths while climbing up the educational ladder. We use the Swiss Labor Force Survey to test our hypothesis. Our em-pirical findings are in line with Lazear’s theory. Individuals who change between different types of education are more likely to become entrepreneurs. Thus, the permeability of a national educational system is one crucial determinant for entrepreneurship.

Suggested Citation

  • Uschi Backes-Gellner & Simone Tuor & Daniela Wettstein, 2010. "Differences between entrepreneurs and employees in their educational paths," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0050, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    • Handle: RePEc:iso:educat:0050
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    File URL: http://repec.business.uzh.ch/RePEc/iso/leadinghouse/0050_lhwpaper.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Uschi Backes-Gellner & Petra Moog, 2007. "Who chooses to become an entrepreneur? The Jacks-of-all-Trades in Social and Human Capital," Working Papers 0076, University of Zurich, Institute for Strategy and Business Economics (ISU).
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Stuetzer & Martin Obschonka & Eva Schmitt-Rodermund, 2013. "Balanced skills among nascent entrepreneurs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 93-114, June.
    2. Chihmao Hsieh, 2016. "Do the Self–Employed More Likely Emerge from Sequential or Parallel Work Experience in Business–Related Functions?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(2), pages 307-334, March.
    3. Arthur Félix W. Sawadogo, 2022. "Quel effet du parcours scolaire sur les aspirations des jeunes à une carrière entrepreneuriale ?," Post-Print halshs-04236992, HAL.
    4. Elisabeth Bublitz & Florian Noseleit, 2011. "The Skill Balancing Act: Determinants of and Returns to Balanced Skills," Jena Economics Research Papers 2011-025, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; Jack-of-all-trades; Educational paths;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General

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