Using O*Net to Study the Intersection of Entrepreneurship and Employment: A Primer

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice · 2024 · Volume 48 · Issue 6

Abstract

Research studying employment before, during, and after spells of entrepreneurship is growing in both popularity and importance for understanding the antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurship. However, methodological challenges (e.g., retrospective bias, limitations of archival data sources) hinder further development and refinement. The Occupational Information Network, better known as O*Net, is a database of occupational characteristics that is scarcely used in entrepreneurship research, yet can help scholars overcome these challenges. In this article, I provide a brief primer on O*Net, illustrate how it can be used to advance entrepreneurship research, and offer summaries of best practices.

Keywords

O*Net, entrepreneurship, work design, archival data, work experience, hybrid entrepreneurship, labor market

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