Invention Quality and Entrepreneurial Earnings: The Role of Prior Employment Variety

38 Pages Posted: 2 Jan 2016 Last revised: 14 Jan 2016

See all articles by Thomas B. Astebro

Thomas B. Astebro

HEC Paris - Economics and Decision Sciences

Kevyn Yong

HEC Paris - Management & Human Resources

Date Written: December 31, 2015

Abstract

We use creativity theory to analyze the effects of occupational job variety and industry variety on invention quality and entrepreneurial earnings. We test our ideas with survey data from 770 inventor-entrepreneurs who commercialized their own inventions. Results suggest that occupational and industry variety substitute for each other in positively affecting invention quality whereas a lack of industry variety is associated with greater entrepreneurial earnings. Results are consistent with the idea that high levels of both occupational and industry variety enables the generation and discovery of inventions, but these ideas are usually not technically feasible or financially viable.

Keywords: Creativity, Prior Employment Variety, Jack-of-all-Trades, Invention Quality, Entrepreneurial Earnings

JEL Classification: L26

Suggested Citation

Astebro, Thomas B. and Yong, Kevyn, Invention Quality and Entrepreneurial Earnings: The Role of Prior Employment Variety (December 31, 2015). HEC Paris Research Paper No. SPE-2016-1129, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2709622 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2709622

Thomas B. Astebro (Contact Author)

HEC Paris - Economics and Decision Sciences ( email )

Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, 78351
France

HOME PAGE: http://www.hec.edu/Faculty-Research/Faculty-Directory/ASTEBRO-Thomas

Kevyn Yong

HEC Paris - Management & Human Resources ( email )

1 rue de la Liberation
Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, 78351
France

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