Deciding on an Entrepreneurial Career: A Test of the Pull and Push Hypotheses Using the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics Data

• Published in: Entrepreneurship theory and practice Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 733 - 752
• Main Authors: Schjoedt, Leon, Shaver, Kelly G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.09.2007; Sage Publications, Inc
• Subjects: Business studies; Career development; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Job satisfaction; Management; Small and medium sized enterprises; U.S.A; United States
• ISSN: 1042-2587; 1540-6520
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2007.00197.x

The Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics data were used to analyze if the potential for increased life satisfaction pulls or job dissatisfaction pushes individuals toward an entrepreneurial career. For life satisfaction, we found no significant mean differences between nascent entrepreneurs and the comparison group, whereas for job satisfaction, we found a significantly higher mean for the nascent entrepreneurs than for the comparison group. As these results show little about nascent entrepreneurs being pulled into an entrepreneurial career, the results have to be taken as strong evidence against nascent entrepreneurs being pushed toward an entrepreneurial career due to low job satisfaction in their preentrepreneurial employment.