Who becomes a silver entrepreneur? Empirical evidence from Poland

Proceedings of The 3rd International Conference on Advanced Research in Management, Economics and Accounting

Year: 2022

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Who becomes a silver entrepreneur? Empirical evidence from Poland

Łukasz Dopierała,Daria Ilczuk,Joanna Bednarz

ABSTRACT: 

Silver entrepreneurship concerns professionally active people who still have some time left until retirement. They are usually characterized by considerable professional experience and are looking for opportunities for the so-called late-career alternative. The few studies conducted in the field of the so-called silver entrepreneurship still do not provide exhaustive information on this important aspect, which are the motivations and experiences of people aged 50+, influencing the propensity to start a business. The main purpose of this presentation is to understand the motivation of people aged 50+ in Poland to undertake entrepreneurial activities only at a later age. An additional goal is to understand the experiences gathered by these people and determine their impact on the manifestations of individual entrepreneurship. Data used in the presentation is based on a survey questionnaire using CAPI technique. The research sample was distinguished on the basis of the criterion of age and manifestations of individual entrepreneurship, hence the survey was conducted among owners of small-sized enterprises aged 50+ (n=1003). Our results show that starting a business at a later age is associated with positive factors such as independence, the flexibility of working hours, and the willingness to remain active and integrate with the environment. Support from the family is an important factor for people starting a business at the age of 50+. Moreover, entrepreneurs starting their business at a later age also show a higher level of self-efficacy.

keywords: ageing, entrepreneurship, self-employment, SMEs, theory of planned behaviour.