IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/msh/ebswps/2003-11.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Who are the Self-employed? A New Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Brown
  • Lisa Farrell
  • Mark N. Harris

Abstract

Modelling the incidence of self-employment has traditionally proved problematic. Whilst the individual supply side characteristics of the self-employed are well documented, the literature has largely neglected (or misspecified) demand side aspects. In this paper we present results from an econometric framework that allows us to separately, and simultaneously, model the supply and demand side characteristics that determine employment outcomes. We show that whilst individual characteristics are important determinants of the type of employment contract that individuals hold, there are also important contract specific factors that influence the nature of the contract an individual is employed under. Our results suggest that workers may be "captive" to a particular type of employment because of the sector in which they work, the number of hours they prefer to work and their ethnicity. The results are based on a new estimator, the parameterised DOGEV model, which allows for ordering and correlation in the observed alternatives, and for captivity within an observed alternative.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Brown & Lisa Farrell & Mark N. Harris, 2003. "Who are the Self-employed? A New Approach," Monash Econometrics and Business Statistics Working Papers 11/03, Monash University, Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics.
    • Handle: RePEc:msh:ebswps:2003-11
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/ebs/pubs/wpapers/2003/wp11-03.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. De Wit, Gerrit & Van Winden, Frans A. A. M., 1990. "An empirical analysis of self-employment in the Netherlands," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 97-100, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabel Grilo & Roy Thurik, 2008. "Determinants of entrepreneurial engagement levels in Europe and the US," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 17(6), pages 1113-1145, December.
    2. R. Sandra Schillo & Ajax Persaud & Meng Jin, 2016. "Entrepreneurial readiness in the context of national systems of entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 619-637, April.
    3. Nathalie Colombier & David Masclet, 2008. "Intergenerational correlation in self employment: some further evidence from French ECHP data," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 423-437, April.
    4. Yannis Georgellis & Howard Wall, 2005. "Gender differences in self-employment," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 321-342.
    5. Henley, Andrew, 2009. "Switching Costs and Occupational Transition into Self-Employment," IZA Discussion Papers 3969, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Helena Svaleryd, 2015. "Self-employment and the local business cycle," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 55-70, January.
    7. Aidis, Ruta & Estrin, Saul & Mickiewicz, Tomasz, 2008. "Institutions and entrepreneurship development in Russia: A comparative perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 656-672, November.
    8. Maryia Akulava, 2012. "Choice of Becoming Self-Employed in Belarus: Impact of Monetary Gains," BEROC Working Paper Series 18, Belarusian Economic Research and Outreach Center (BEROC).
    9. Jeroen P.J. de Jong, 2013. "The Decision to Exploit Opportunities for Innovation: A Study of High–Tech Small–Business Owners," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(2), pages 281-301, March.
    10. Altin Vejsiu, 2011. "Incentives to self-employment decision in Sweden," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(4), pages 379-403.
    11. W.O. Siyanbola & O.O. Afolabi & O.A. Jesuleye & A.A. Egbetokun & A.D. Dada & H.O. Aderemi & Maruf Sanni & M.A. Rasaq, 2012. "Determinants of entrepreneurial propensity of Nigerian undergraduates: an empirical assessment," International Journal of Business Environment, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(1), pages 1-29.
    12. Mashapure Rahabhi & Madzimure Grace P.K & Msipah Nothando & Dandira Martin & Kandjinga Elias, 2021. "Women Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 8(2), pages 64-73, February.
    13. Peter van der Zwan & Ingrid Verheul & Roy Thurik & Isabel Grilo, 2009. "Entrepreneurial Progress: Climbing the Entrepreneurial Ladder in Europe and the US," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 09-070/3, Tinbergen Institute, revised 17 Mar 2010.
    14. repec:cii:cepiei:2014-q2-138-2 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. L. Behrenz & L. Delander & J. Månsson, 2016. "Is Starting a Business a Sustainable way out of Unemployment? Treatment Effects of the Swedish Start-up Subsidy," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 389-411, December.
    16. Andrew Clark & Nathalie Colombier & David Masclet, 2008. "Never the same after the first time: the satisfaction of the second‐generation self‐employed," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(7), pages 591-609, November.
    17. Niels Bosma & Mirjam van Praag & Roy Thurik & Gerrit de Wit, 2004. "The Value of Human and Social Capital Investments for the Business Performance of Startups," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 227-236, October.
    18. A.T. Le, 1998. "Self Employment and Earnings Among Immigrants in Australia," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 98-28, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    19. Simon C. Parker & Yacine Belghitar, 2006. "What Happens to Nascent Entrepreneurs? An Econometric Analysis of the PSED," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 81-101, August.
    20. Andrea Asoni & Tino Sanandaji, 2016. "Identifying the effect of college education on business and employment survival," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 311-324, February.
    21. Mats Hammarstedt, 2006. "The predicted earnings differential and immigrant self-employment in Sweden," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(6), pages 619-630.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Self-employment; captivity.;

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • C10 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:msh:ebswps:2003-11. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Professor Xibin Zhang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dxmonau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.