"Surfeiting, the appetite may sicken": Entrepreneurship and the happiness of nations

Naudé, Wim, Amorós, José Ernesto and Cristi, Oscar (2012). "Surfeiting, the appetite may sicken": Entrepreneurship and the happiness of nations. UNU-MERIT.

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  • Author Naudé, Wim
    Amorós, José Ernesto
    Cristi, Oscar
    Title "Surfeiting, the appetite may sicken": Entrepreneurship and the happiness of nations
    Publication Date 2012
    Publisher UNU-MERIT
    Abstract We know that entrepreneurs - at least those driven by opportunities - can contribute to economic growth, productivity improvements and competitiveness in national economies.. But do they contribute to happiness on the country level? In other words, does the happiness of nations depend on its entrepreneurs? And what about happy nations - are they better places for entrepreneurs to start-up new businesses? In this paper we survey the literature on entrepreneurship and happiness, and use various data sources, including from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, to find tentative evidence of an inverse U-shape relationship between (opportunity) entrepreneurship and national happiness. We find little evidence that a nation's happiness drives early-stage entrepreneurial activity but we do find evidence that opportunity-motivated entrepreneurs in happier nations may be less concerned with high firm growth. Thus we conclude that opportunity-motivated entrepreneurship may contribute to a nation's happiness, but only up to a point. Not everybody should become entrepreneurs, and the happiness of a nation cannot be indefinitely increased by boosting the numbers of opportunity entrepreneurs.
    UNU Topics of Focus Entrepreneurship
    Keyword Happiness
    Entrepreneurship
    Self-employment
    Life and job satisfaction
    Development
    Subjective wellbeing
    Global entrepreneurship monitor
    JEL I31
    M13
    O50
    Copyright Holder UNU-MERIT
    Copyright Year 2012
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    Created: Wed, 11 Dec 2013, 17:24:27 JST