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Title: The Effect of Type of Education on an Individual's Self Employment Choice: Comparison of Vocational and College Education
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Edenborg, Michelle D.
The Effect of Type of Education on an Individual's Self Employment Choice: Comparison of Vocational and College Education
Ph.D. Dissertation, St. Ambrose University, 2013
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT)
Keyword(s): College Education; Education; Entrepreneurship; Geocoded Data; Human Capital; Self-Employed Workers; Vocational Education

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Using theoretical constructs of the human capital theory (Schultz, 1959) and the resource-based view of the firm (Barney, 1991), this study examines whether the type of education completed has an impact on an individual's choice between self-employment and employment with a firm. In addition, this study seeks to understand the geographic location selection for those who choose self-employment. Data from the National Longitudinal Youth Study, 1979-2010, are used to test two hypotheses. The first is whether an individual with a vocational/technical education versus a college education is more likely to become self-employed. The second is whether individuals choosing self-employment are more likely to locate their businesses in the immediate geographic area of their residence or away from their home area. Using logistic regression, the study does not find support for either of the hypotheses. Testing of data from additional surveys to confirm these findings with other data is suggested to eliminate possible biases due to the characteristics of the data collected. Future researchers should consider adding type of education to their testing. Researchers should also consider including information about the generation that completed the survey. In addition, researchers may find added value in measuring attitudes concerning employment with a firm versus self-employment along with attitudes about attending vocational/technical education versus receiving a college education.
Bibliography Citation
Edenborg, Michelle D. The Effect of Type of Education on an Individual's Self Employment Choice: Comparison of Vocational and College Education. Ph.D. Dissertation, St. Ambrose University, 2013.