In times of uncertainty: do temporary workers have the intention and willingness to become entrepreneurs?

Author(s):  
Sílvia Fernandes Costa ◽  
António Caetano ◽  
Susana Correia Santos

Temporary workers are an increasingly representative group in the labour market. They work in precarious situations and are aware that stability and predictability of employment are no longer guaranteed. Entrepreneurship may be an alternative for these workers, even in the form of self-employment. The purpose of this study is to analyse the entrepreneurial intentions and the willingness to consider entrepreneurship as a career option by temporary workers. Specifically, we aim to analyse the self-perception of entrepreneurial competencies of a group of temporary workers. Drawing from our results we conclude that the self-perception of different levels of entrepreneurial competencies is associated with different intentions and willingness to considering entrepreneurship as a career option. This study is a first step in understanding how temporary workers in a changing labour market perceive entrepreneurship as well as their skills to engage in entrepreneurial activities as a career option.

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Bernhard-Oettel ◽  
Constanze Leineweber ◽  
Hugo Westerlund

Labour market segmentation theories suggest that permanent and temporary workers are exposed to economic risks to different degrees, and differ in their working life quality and well-being. However, few studies have tested these ideas during times of economic crisis. Also, little is known about how the self-employed compare to permanent and temporary workers and are affected by economic downturns. This study investigated Swedish workers in different labour market segments before and after the financial crisis (2008 and 2010). More specifically, it looked at job characteristics and strain differences between permanent, temporary and self-employed workers. Data ( N = 6335) came from SLOSH, a longitudinal representative cohort study of the Swedish workforce. Contradicting segmentation theories, differences between permanent and temporary workers were small. The self-employed stood out with favourable job characteristics, but comparable strain levels. During the crisis, work demands and strain declined for many of the workers studied here.


2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Dekker ◽  
Lian Kösters

The demythologization of the self-employment trend The demythologization of the self-employment trend In this article we investigate which factors contribute to the growth of the number of self-employed workers and which factors cause a decrease in that number. On the basis of this analysis we make inferences about the probability of continued growth. The factors that contribute to growth and decrease are derived from the available literature and are put into practice in a multivariate analysis, in which a comprehensive set of individual characteristics is used to explain the relative probability of becoming a self-employed worker. From the analysis we can conclude that the relative probability to become a self-employed worker is influenced primarily by age, gender and educational attainment. On the basis of the analysis and the literature we conclude that the growth in the number of self-employed workers is likely to continue, though not to the extent where self-employment is the standard labour relation on the Dutch labour market. However, the growth in self-employment does mean that an increasing number of workers are facing lower levels of income and employment security. A number of policy options to deal with these problems is discussed.


Author(s):  
Leif Brändle ◽  
Andreas Kuckertz

AbstractMost individuals find their way into entrepreneurship through combinations of self-employment and paid employment. However, prior research on entrepreneurial intentions has overlooked intended career transitions. Drawing on social cognitive career theory, we argue that, against the background of personal and environmental factors, individuals form career intentions that involve the combination of and transition between paid employment and self-employment. Such staged entrepreneurial intentions include the delay of entrepreneurial entry by intermediate stages of paid employment (i.e., spawning entrepreneurial intentions) or immediate entrepreneurial entry in parallel combination with paid employment at established organizations (i.e., hybrid entrepreneurial intentions). We test these theoretical ideas based on a survey involving 1003 individuals prior to career entry. The results indicate that individuals proactively align their envisioned career stages according to expected socio-cognitive enablers and barriers (i.e., their entrepreneurial self-efficacy, personal attitudes to entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and socioeconomic status). Notably, we find that individuals with lower levels of perceived social support for an entrepreneurial career more likely intend to combine their existing entrepreneurial activities with a conventional career at an established organization. Furthermore, individuals from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds as well as women are more likely to delay entrepreneurial entry by starting their professional careers in paid employment. The study’s primary contribution is the introduction of a novel perspective on entrepreneurial intentions based on individuals’ intended career transitions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 095042222110612
Author(s):  
Mohamad Osmani ◽  
Ramzi El-Haddadeh ◽  
Nitham M Hindi ◽  
Vishanth Weerakkody

Entrepreneurial activities have been vital to economic growth as a feasible career option for many university graduates. Nonetheless, it has been recognised that the lowest intentions to undertake entrepreneurial activity are among female graduates. While entrepreneurship is claimed to be a reflection of creative activity from which individuals generate value, graduates’ creativity can be a crucial aspect of entrepreneurship, with innovative concepts, products and services. This study examines the role of creativity skills in the entrepreneurial intentions of female university students attending business programs. Built on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the survey results collected from 303 female business graduates identified the positive influence of creativity on entrepreneurial intentions. Recognising the need to embed creative skills and activities in the university curriculum is fundamental to encouraging entrepreneurial aspirations among female graduates.


Author(s):  
Peter Preisendoerfer ◽  
Ansgar Bitz ◽  
Frans J. Bezuidenhout

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to investigate the current self-employment rate as well as entrepreneurial intentions of the township’s population on the basis of an empirical case study of a single township. It is often assumed that the black population of South Africa (mostly living in townships) has a low participation rate in entrepreneurial activities and a low level of entrepreneurial ambitions. Besides the level of entrepreneurship, personal and socio-economic factors affecting participation in entrepreneurship are explored. Design/methodology/approach – The article uses a face-to-face survey of about 350 adult residents of the township under investigation. Findings – Contrary to the common assumption, entrepreneurial activity, which also includes all kinds of informal business ventures, cannot be qualified as low in the township under investigation. The same holds true for entrepreneurial ambitions, that is, people’s intentions to start their own business in the near future. The factors influencing the probability of self-employment are similar to what we know from many other studies in the field of entrepreneurship. Socio-demographic attributes (gender, age), human capital factors (schooling, health) and social network resources (membership of organizations, self-employed friends) are significant predictors of entrepreneurial activity. It proves to be difficult, however, to explain who, in fact, articulates entrepreneurial ambitions. Practical implications – The findings show that the basic prerequisites for expanding black entrepreneurship in South Africa are in place. Politically, it seems appropriate to initiate more public support programs for black entrepreneurship, as such programs can help to translate entrepreneurial ambitions into action. However, to stay realistic, the contribution of entrepreneurship to overcome the structural problems of deprivation and poverty of the black population of South Africa should not be overestimated. Originality/value – The article is based on a careful survey in a township using a random sample. Given the rare access to a disadvantaged township community, the result that there is no evidence of “lack of entrepreneurial impetus” deserves scientific and political attention.


2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gangaram Singh ◽  
Alex DeNoble

In this article, we combine perspectives from labor economics and entrepreneurship to examine early retirees’ decision to become self–employed. Many individuals leave career employment before the traditional age of 65 and return to the labor market for a period of time before they fully retire. This phenomenon is referred to in the labor economics literature as bridge employment. Initial research of bridge employment has identified entrepreneurial activities to be common. The authors argue that first early retirees have to make the decision whether to permanently retire or to continue their labor force participation. If they decide to return to work, then self–employment is one option. Using the theoretical foundations of entrepreneurship, the authors outline the factors that would influence the self–employment choice and the types of entrepreneurial paths emanating from that choice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-190
Author(s):  
Krystyna Gomółka ◽  

Azerbaijan has a population of more than 10 million, of which women accounted for 50% in 2020. At the same time, 93% of Azerbaijan’s citizens describe themselves as Muslims. Since the beginning of independence, Azerbaijan has been a secular state by virtue of Article 48 of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of worship, choice, or nonpractice of religion and the freedom of expression of one’s own views on religion. This article aims to assess the changes in the self-employment of women in Azerbaijan through a deductive analysis of data and observation of changes in the structure of resources based on generally available macroeconomic data. This study focuses on the situation of women on the Azerbaijani labour market over the two decades of the 21st century. The numbers of economically active women, including those in employment and the unemployed, and economically inactive women are specified. Further, the government’s legal and financial policy in respect of women’s self-employment is analysed. The author determines what percentage of companies were set up by women and in which sectors and locations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-251
Author(s):  
Fran Bennett

A recent government proposal to increase national insurance contributions for the self-employed in the UK, in return for improved pensions and potentially also parental benefits, was immediately reversed. This article analyses the reasons behind this about-turn, linking them to tensions between the goals of thwarting ‘bogus’ self-employment and increasing tax revenues versus commitment to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare economy. The analysis is set in the context of the singularity of the UK system in relation to much social protection in continental Europe, and wider debates about the roles of individual, state and labour market in providing security.


Author(s):  
Ana Paula Marques

In recent decades, self-employment has been considered a central issue regarding labour market opportunities and individual choices. However, self-employment experiences of young graduates reveal increasing insecurity that characterises the precariousness of current labour relations. In this paper, we intend to reflect critically on the concepts of self-employment, entrepreneurship/creation of businesses, taking into account the main arguments arising from the crisis of employment regulations. This paper aims to support in some research evidence based on an extensive survey applied in two public universities in Portugal (N 1004). Our focus will be on personal profiles of self-employed graduates, as well as the "oppositions" which structure their professional relations of independence/ dependence. In this regard, it is suggested that we are witnessing a reconfiguration of the professional patterns of transition from higher education into the labour market which integrate traits of individualisation and autonomy as well as uncertainty and vulnerability. However, for a comprehensive approach to the self-employment thematic, additional research is still needed in order to shed further light on the understanding of the labour market as one of the main facets of social and socio-economic insecurity and risks in contemporary European societies.


1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Granger ◽  
John Stanworth ◽  
Celia Stanworth

The recent revival of self-employment in the UK and other advanced industrialized economies has been viewed contrastingly as an indication of economic vitality and, alternatively, as a form of labour market deficiency. These different perceptions rest essentially on two opposing processes of entry into self-employment -'entrepreneurial pull' and `unemployment push'. The research reported here, into freelancing in book publishing, reveals patterns of entry into self-employment which reflect the presence of both these processes, plus additional configurations and changes over time. The respondents, being predominantly female, were ultra-typical of those who swelled the self-employed workforce during the 1980s, when the number of female self-employed without employees doubled in the period 1981-93.


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