Intention to Leave Self-employment: A Comparison of Business Owners and the Independently Self-employed

Purpose: This paper examines individuals who want to leave self-employment to work a ‘regular’ job for someone else. We compare business owners and the independently self-employed who intend to leave self-employment (Leavers) with those who desire to remain self-employed (Stayers).

Design/methodology/approach: The authors used multivariate analyses to compare Leavers versus Stayers. The analyses used data from a national probability sample (n = 738 self-employed), the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce. Predictions were derived from the theory of planned behavior, the conservation of resources (COR) theory, and the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory.

Findings: Work, health, work-family, and satisfaction variables differed for four groups (Owner Stayers, Independent Stayers, Owner Leavers, and Independent Leavers), controlling for demographic and personal variables.

Originality/value: This study breaks new ground by exploring a range of variables that affect leaving self-employment. The authors contribute to the understanding of why individuals intend to leave self-employment by examining non-economic factors that influence intention to leave. The type of self-employment, Independents versus Owners, affects the decision to leave.