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Entrepreneurship, Economic Risks, and Risk-Insurance in the Welfare State

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  • Pekka Ilmakunnas
  • Vesa Kanniainen
  • Uki Lammi

Abstract

We find strong evidence in the OECD country panel data to support the Knightian view that non-diversifiable economic risks shape the equilibrium entrepreneurship in an occupational choice model. Differential social insurance of entrepreneurial and labor risk is found to be statistically significant and detrimental to entrepreneurship. The crowding-out effect of public production of private goods on entrepreneurship dominates the crowding-in effect of public production of public goods. Evidence is found for the proposition that the rate of entrepreneurship is positively related to the degree of income inequality and negatively to the union power in the economy. The results suggest that a high living standard also has a detrimental effect on entrepreneurial risk-taking.

Suggested Citation

  • Pekka Ilmakunnas & Vesa Kanniainen & Uki Lammi, "undated". "Entrepreneurship, Economic Risks, and Risk-Insurance in the Welfare State," EPRU Working Paper Series 99-03, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:kud:epruwp:99-03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mikko Leppämäki & Vesa Kanniainen, 2000. "Entrepreneurship in a Unionised Economy," CESifo Working Paper Series 379, CESifo.
    2. Grilo, I. & Thurik, A.R., 2004. "Determinants Of Entrepreneurship In Europe," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-106-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    3. Ingrid Verheul & Andre van Stel & Roy Thurik, 2004. "Explaining female and male entrepreneurship across 29 countries," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2004-08, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    4. Mikael Stenkula, 2012. "Taxation and entrepreneurship in a welfare state," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 77-97, July.
    5. Doaa M. Salman, 2014. "The Impact of Economic Freedom on Entrepreneurs’ Activities and Economic Growth: New Evidence From Cross-Country Data," Working Papers 868, Economic Research Forum, revised Nov 2014.
    6. Vesa Kanniainen & Seppo Kari & Jouko Ylä-Liedenpohja, 2005. "The Start-Up and Growth Stages in Enterprise Formation: The “New View” of Dividend Taxation Reconsidered," CESifo Working Paper Series 1476, CESifo.
    7. Robert Holzmann & Steen Jørgensen, 2001. "Social Risk Management: A New Conceptual Framework for Social Protection, and Beyond," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 8(4), pages 529-556, August.
    8. Niklas Elert, 2014. "What determines entry? Evidence from Sweden," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 53(1), pages 55-92, August.
    9. Roy Thurik & Sander Wennekers & Ingrid Verheul & David Audretsch, 2001. "An eclectic theory of entrepreneurship: policies, institutions and culture," Scales Research Reports H200012, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    10. Vesa Kanniainen & Seppo Kari & Jouko Ylä-Liedenpohja, 2007. "Nordic dual income taxation of entrepreneurs," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 14(4), pages 407-426, August.
    11. Howard Frederick & Erik Monsen, 2011. "New Zealand’s perfect storm of entrepreneurship and economic development," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 187-204, September.
    12. Sander Wennekers & Roy Thurik & André Stel & Niels Noorderhaven, 2010. "Uncertainty Avoidance and the Rate of Business Ownership Across 21 OECD Countries, 1976–2004," Springer Books, in: Andreas Freytag & Roy Thurik (ed.), Entrepreneurship and Culture, chapter 0, pages 271-299, Springer.
    13. Canever, Mario Duarte & Carraro, Andre & Kohls, Volnei Krause & Teles, Morgan Yuri Oliveira, 2010. "Entrepreneurship in the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: the determinants and consequences for the municipal development," Brazilian Journal of Rural Economy and Sociology (Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural-RESR), Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural, vol. 48(1), pages 1-24, March.
    14. Sander Wennekers & André Stel & Roy Thurik & Paul Reynolds, 2008. "Nascent entrepreneurship and the level of economic development," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 325-325, March.
    15. Ant Bozkaya & William R. Kerr, 2009. "Labor Regulations and European Private Equity," Working Papers CEB 09-055.RS, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    16. Doaa M. Salman, 2015. "Determinants of Entrepreneurs' Activities: New Evidence from Cross-Country Data," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Khee Giap Tan & Kong Yam Tan (ed.), Foreign Direct Investment and Small and Medium Enterprises Productivity and Access to Finance, chapter 8, pages 145-160, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    17. Andreas Wagener, 2001. "Entrepreneurship and Social Security," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 57(3), pages 284-315, May.
    18. Concepción Román & Emilio Congregado & José Millán, 2011. "Dependent self-employment as a way to evade employment protection legislation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 363-392, October.

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    JEL classification:

    • D2 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations
    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance
    • H1 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior

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