Abstract
Entrepreneurial activity has been seen as the single most important activity of individuals due to its role in the economic development of nations. However, little is known about the impact of entrepreneurial activity on the subjective well-being of nations beyond its economic impact. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of different types of entrepreneurial activity – total entrepreneurial activity, opportunity-driven entrepreneurial activity and innovative entrepreneurial activity – on subjective well-being across nations. We consider three distinct mechanisms by which entrepreneurship may influence subjective well-being at the national level. Our panel data includes representative country-level data from 2008 to 2015 from five different data sources for 31 European countries. We employ four econometric models for analyzing the panel data: pooled OLS regression (POLS), fixed effects model (FE), random effects model (RE), and simultaneous equations model (3SLS). Our results suggest that opportunity-driven entrepreneurial activity has a positive impact on subjective well-being. In addition, we find that subjective well-being affects the level of opportunity-driven and innovative entrepreneurial activity. These findings have implications for policy-makers seeking to promote not only economic development but also subjective well-being in the nation.
Highlights
Researchers and policy-makers alike have widely recognized the prominent role played by entrepreneurial activity in a national economy (van Stel et al, 2004; Acs, 2006; Thornton, 2011)
We test the impact of different types of entrepreneurial activity on subjective well-being at the national level
We contribute to the entrepreneurship and well-being literature by distinguishing between the quantity and quality of entrepreneurial activity when analyzing the effects of entrepreneurial activity on subjective well-being at the national level
Summary
Researchers and policy-makers alike have widely recognized the prominent role played by entrepreneurial activity in a national economy (van Stel et al, 2004; Acs, 2006; Thornton, 2011). Many countries have created institutional framework conditions to benefit entrepreneurialism among their citizens (Liebregts & Stam, 2019), based on a firm belief that individuals’ entrepreneurial efforts have largescale impacts on the economic conditions and social development of a nation. Entrepreneurs implement their business ideas through new venture creation (Wright & Marlow, 2012), which results in a significant contribution to national output (Stam & Van Stel, 2011), increased national competitiveness (Aparicio et al 2016) and new job creation (Block et al 2018; Van Praag & Versloot, 2007). This may have a transformative effect on economic and social conditions, possibly for the better (Carree et al, 2002)
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