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Firm Formation with Complementarities: The Role of the Entrepreneur

Author

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  • Christian Roessler

    (Rice University, and University of Queensland, Australia)

  • Philipp Koellinger

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

We model entrepreneurship and the emergence of firms as a result of simultaneous bidding for labor services among heterogeneousagents. Unique to our approach is that occupational choices, jobmatching and organizational forms are determined simultaneously, sothat the opportunity costs of entrepreneurs are accounted for. Wefind that (1) individuals who are relatively unmanageable become entrepreneurs; (2) entrepreneurs compete against each other and createvalue by building efficient organizations and offering potentially verywell paid jobs for others; and (3) entry of an additional entrepreneurtypically reduces some individual wages, but always raises the averagewage and depresses the average incomes of incumbent entrepreneurs- strictly so if the new firm partially imitates existing organizations.Our results shed a new light on the role of entrepreneurs in the economy and may be applied to explain low returns to self-employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Roessler & Philipp Koellinger, 2009. "Firm Formation with Complementarities: The Role of the Entrepreneur," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 09-003/3, Tinbergen Institute, revised 26 Jul 2011.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20090003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Philipp Koellinger & Matthijs Loos & Patrick Groenen & A. Thurik & Fernando Rivadeneira & Frank Rooij & André Uitterlinden & Albert Hofman, 2010. "Genome-wide association studies in economics and entrepreneurship research: promises and limitations," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 1-18, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; job matching; occupational choice; firm formation; firm organization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • D20 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - General
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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