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Danner, Katharina, Michael Duncan, Jörg Flecker, Paul Malschinger & Veronika Wöhrer (Hrsg.) (2026): Lebenswege junger Menschen in Wien. Analysen zu Berufswahl, Engagement und Wohlbefinden. Göttingen: V&R unipress, 278 S.

Abstract

"Das Forschungsprojekt »Wege in die Zukunft« untersuchte über einen Zeitraum von fünf Jahren die Bildungs- und Lebensverläufe von Wiener Mittelschul-Absolvent:innen. Nach nur vier Jahren gemeinsamer Primarstufe unterscheidet das österreichische Schulsystem zwischen Mittelschule und gymnasialer Unterstufe. Besonders in urbanen Räumen sieht sich die Mittelschule häufig mit geringerer gesellschaftlicher Anerkennung konfrontiert. Neben Analysen zu den Lebenswegen und -entscheidungen der Jugendlichen selbst stellte das Projekt daher auch die Frage nach der Relevanz sozialer Ungleichheit in ihren Lebensrealitäten. Die Beiträger:innen dieses dritten Projektbandes greifen diese Fragestellungen aus den Perspektiven der Bildungswissenschaft und der Soziologie auf und bedienen sich dabei sowohl qualitativer als auch quantitativer Forschungsmethoden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © V&R unipress)

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Holleitner, Julia, Bernd Fitzenberger & Anna Heusler (2026): The professional-training-gap for adolescents in welfare dependent households. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 60, 2025-12-29. DOI:10.1186/s12651-026-00423-7

Abstract

"We examine how welfare benefit receipt influences the transition from school into all forms of professional training, including vocational training and higher education. We use a unique data set that combines panel survey data with detailed administrative records of adolescents in Germany and develop a dynamic multiple imputation method to account for missing data. We find that adolescents in welfare dependent households show more fragmented transition patterns than others after leaving school. They are significantly less likely to enter professional training even after controlling for a rich set of individual and household related factors, including school type and grades. A key driver of this training gap is the school type, while school grades play no role. Our results imply a long-lasting impact of early socioeconomic conditions on later labor market transitions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Parsons, Sam & Lucinda Platt (2026): Do occupational aspirations of children help to explain ethnic differences in labour market outcomes? In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1080/1369183x.2026.2616224

Abstract

"Across the UK’s ethnic groups there is substantial variation in labour market outcomes, driven in part by differences in occupational concentration. Yet we lack insight into whether these outcomes may be shaped, in part, by differences in preferences deriving from grouplevel cultural socialization. We shed light on this question using the nationally representative Millennium Cohort Study. We study the occupational aspirations of girls and boys prior to school completion, matching these aspirations to job characteristics drawn from the Labour Force Survey across the two dimensions of value and gender-typicality. We estimate growth curve models tracking the value and gender-typicality of the aspired job from early childhood into adolescence, and test how far trajectories are consistent with theoretical expectations about the influence of group-level characteristics. We find that differences between ethnic groups are small; but those that exist do not support the contention that preferences are shaped by cultural socialization in the ways theorised. Minority girls aspire to higher-paid occupations than their majority counterparts, and this the case for those both from more and from less traditional and disadvantaged communities. We conclude there is a need to revisit cultural accounts of labour market outcomes among the children of immigrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schüle, Paul (2026): Career preferences and socio-economic background. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 98. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102814

Abstract

"Career decisions, that is educational and occupational choice, are not only taken by comparing expected incomes, but also by considering non-monetary rewards such as social impact, chances of promotion, or the compatibility of work and family. In this paper, I use rich panel data from Germany and the UK to demonstrate that preferences about such aspects of a career as stated at age 17 are strong predictors of future earnings in the labor market. At the same time, these preferences differ significantly by gender and socio-economic background, and intergenerational income persistence is reduced by 7 to 28 percent when accounting for career preferences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 ElsevierB.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Arndt, Franziska, Regina Flake, Philip Herzer, Dirk Werner, Helen Renk, Fabian Schaffer & Clemens Wieland (2025): Was macht die duale Ausbildung attraktiv? Wünsche von jungen Menschen und Angebote von Unternehmen im Vergleich. Eine kombinierte Jugend- und Unternehmensbefragung. Gütersloh, 68 S. DOI:10.11586/2025043

Abstract

"Jahr für Jahr bleiben viele Tausend Ausbildungsplätze unbesetzt, gleichzeitig gehen viel zu viele Ausbildungsberweber:innen auf dem Ausbildungsmarkt leer aus. Wenn es um die Suche nach einem Ausbildungsplatz geht, ist aus Sicht junger Menschen entscheidend, dass eine Ausbildungsstelle aus ihrer Sicht attraktiv ist – und vor allem nicht unattraktiv. Denn nur solche Ausbildungsplätze, die aus Sicht der Jugendlichen keine abschreckenden Merkmale – sogenannte Aversionsfaktoren – aufweisen, werden überhaupt in Erwägung gezogen. Erst dann kommen Attraktionsfaktoren, also positiv wahrgenommene Eigenschaften eines Ausbildungsplatzes, zur Wirkung. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird in dieser Studie unter anderem den spannenden Fragen nachgegangen, welche Aspekte einer Ausbildungsstelle für junge Menschen besonders relevant sind, ob Unternehmen diese bieten können und ob sie das schließlich auch ausreichend kommunizieren. Zudem wird erhoben, wie kompetent sich Unternehmen im Bereich Ausbildungsmarketing bewegen sowie welche Unterstützungsangebote zur Ausbildung und Fachkräftesicherung ihnen bekannt sind und welche davon sie nutzen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bellmann, Lutz, Bernd Fitzenberger & Ute Leber (2025): Ausbildungsplatz oder Leerstelle: Wie finden Berufsstarter und Betriebe wieder zusammen? In: IAB-Forum H. 17.04.2025, 2025-04-15. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250417.01

Abstract

"Auch wenn sich der deutsche Ausbildungsmarkt in den ersten Jahren nach der Corona-Krise etwas erholt hat, ist die Zahl der neu abgeschlossenen Ausbildungsverträge 2024 wieder leicht zurückgegangen. Die Herausforderung, Ausbildungsangebot und -nachfrage zusammenzuführen, ist nach wie vor groß. Denn einer hohen Zahl von unbesetzten Ausbildungsplätzen steht eine wachsende Zahl an Jugendlichen gegenüber, die keinen Ausbildungsplatz finden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Deneault, Christa (2025): Local Labor Markets and Selection into the Teaching Profession. In: The Journal of Human Resources, S. 1-45. DOI:10.3368/jhr.0424-13535r2

Abstract

"Using administrative data from Texas, I track individuals from high school through college to the workforce to determine the effects of local labor markets on occupational choice. I find local labor market conditions are countercyclical with selection into teaching. Individuals sorting into teaching because of poor local labor market conditions are of higher ability (standardized tests) and have higher productivity (value-added). The findings suggest local labor market fluctuations shape career decisions well before individuals participate in the labor market, and increasing the relative economic standing of teaching as a career has the potential to improve the future supply of teachers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System) ((en))

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Dietz, Caroline, Henrik Weitzel, Martin Reuter & Joshua Dohmen (2025): Herausforderungen und Perspektiven für Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung in gesellschaftlicher Transformation. In: Zeitschrift für Weiterbildungsforschung, Jg. 48, H. 2, S. 265-293. DOI:10.1007/s40955-025-00319-y

Abstract

"Der Beitrag beleuchtet unterschiedliche Standpunkte von Expertinnen und Experten aus Wissenschaft, Verbänden und Praxis zur Beratung in Bildung, Beruf und Beschäftigung (BBB-Beratung) im Kontext gesellschaftlicher Transformation. Mithilfe von zwei Fokusgruppen mit quantitativen Ratings werden konsensfähige und polarisierende Perspektiven zu den Themen Lebensweltbezug, Strukturen und Transparenz sowie Digitalisierung herausgearbeitet und gegenübergestellt. Während ein Konsens zur Bedeutung biografie- und lebensweltorientierter Beratungsansätze besteht, zeigen sich bei der Digitalisierung und der Gestaltung der Beratungslandschaft kontroverse Positionen. So wird etwa der Einsatz von KI in der Beratung von den Expertinnen und Experten mit stärkerem Praxisbezug deutlich positiver bewertet als von jenen mit wissenschaftlichem und strategischem Hintergrund. Auch die Relevanz eines zentralen überregionalen Beratungsangebots wird kontrovers diskutiert. Der Beitrag verdeutlicht, dass es durchaus uneinheitliche Sichtweisen auf die Herausforderungen und Chancen der Beratung in der Transformationsgesellschaft gibt. Die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven der Akteure im Beratungssystem werden transparent gemacht und ausgeführt. Die Ergebnisse liefern somit wertvolle Einblicke in die heterogenen Positionen im Feld der Beratung. Sie verdeutlichen transformatorische Aspekte der Beratung und unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit eines kontinuierlichen Dialogs zwischen den verschiedenen Akteuren." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Goller, Daniel, Christian Gschwendt & Stefan C. Wolter (2025): This time it’s different – Generative artificial intelligence and occupational choice. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 95. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102746

Abstract

"We show the causal influence of the launch of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of ChatGPT on the search behavior of young people for apprenticeship vacancies. To estimate the short- and medium-term effects, we use a variety of methods, including a difference-in-discontinuity approach exploiting the exogenous nature of the unanticipated launch of ChatGPT in 2022. There is a strong short- and medium-term decline in the intensity of searches for vacancies, indicating a notable reduction in the supply of young people actively seeking apprenticeships and suggesting great uncertainty among the affected cohort. Occupations with a high proportion of cognitive tasks and with high demands on language skills were particularly affected by the decline. Interestingly, the revealed preferences in the search behavior of young job seekers contrasted with previous expert assessments on the automation risks of occupations and aligned with the most recent assessments of the AI and language model exposure of occupations – before these new assessments existed. Notably, while the supply decline did not reduce the number of signed apprenticeship contracts, we find evidence of declining applicant quality, particularly for commercial employees, the most widely offered apprenticeship in Switzerland." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Gottlieb, Charles, Jan Grobovšek & Alexander Monge-Naranjo (2025): From Skills to Occupations: Comparative Advantage and Cross-Country Income Differences. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20630), London, 74 S.

Abstract

"We revisit the role of human capital in cross-country income differences. We develop a general equilibrium model where workers of different skill groups sort into occupations by comparative advantage. Wages and employment depend on workers’ skill quality, occupation-specific country-embedded productivity, and occupational distortions. Using harmonized microdata for 50 countries, we infer these components from the model’s equilibrium conditions. Workers in rich countries exhibit higher skill quality and substantially greater productivity, especially in white-collar occupations. Human capital explains 52 percent of output-per-worker gaps, largely through the complementarity between skill composition and quality, and further amplified by technology choices biased toward skilled labor. Adopting the U.S. distribution of skill groups yields limited gains for poor countries without higher quality. Occupational distortions are more severe in low-income countries, reducing white-collar employment and raising wage premia, but with modest aggregate effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Griepentrog, Martin (2025): Personenzentrierte Berufsberatung. Grundlagen, Praxis, Kritik. (Pädagogik), Bielefeld: transcript, 240 S.

Abstract

"Staatliche Berufsberatungen haben nicht immer einen guten Ruf – zu Recht? Martin Griepentrog wertet mehr als 30 Jahre einschlägige Arbeitserfahrung aus und stellt die konzeptionellen Grundlagen und gesellschaftlichen Hintergründe der Berufsberatung dar. Dabei plädiert er für eine berufliche Beratung, die als personenzentrierte, ergebnisoffene, freiwillig und flexibel nutzbare sozialstaatliche Dienstleistung Menschen als Individuen in beruflichen und gesellschaftlichen Umbrüchen solidarisch und stärkend begleitet. Praxisrelevante Haltungen und Handlungsmuster ergänzen die Analyse und stellen die arbeitsmarktpolitische Instrumentalisierung von Beratung in Frage." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)

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Gutfleisch, Tamara & Richard Nennstiel (2025): Bridging the gap: gender-specific preferences in STEM occupations in vocational education and training. In: Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, Jg. 17. DOI:10.1186/s40461-025-00187-3

Abstract

"Women’s underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been widely studied, particularly in the context of general and tertiary education. However, less is known about gendered STEM sorting within vocational education and training (VET), despite VET systems playing a key role in occupational gender segregation. This study investigates gender differences in the likelihood of choosing a STEM occupation in VET using nationally representative data from Switzerland. We examine to what extent commonly studied individual-level mechanisms—such as math achievement, math self-concept, and career values—can explain the gender gap in STEM participation. To assess whether these mechanisms operate similarly across educational pathways and outcome types, we compare students pursuing or intending to pursue VET to those aspiring to an academic degree, and examine three STEM-related outcomes: intended VET occupation, aspirations for a STEM job at age 30, and intentions to pursue a math-intensive job. We find that the gender gap in STEM participation is largest in VET occupations and considerably smaller for the other two outcomes. Moreover, a larger share of the gender gap can be explained regarding occupational aspirations as opposed to VET occupations, and among students aspiring to academic education. These findings suggest that theoretical models of STEM sorting should be adapted to better reflect the specific features of VET and the types of occupations it comprises." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hirsch, Johanna, Vanessa Bäcker & Katrin Schüttpelz-Brauns (2025): Geschlechtsspezifische und geschlechtsübergreifende Gründe für die Berufswahl „Chirurg*in“ – ein Scoping Review. In: Das Gesundheitswesen, Jg. 87, H. 10, S. 619-627. DOI:10.1055/a-2390-2343

Abstract

"Einleitung: Die Verfügbarkeit von hochqualifiziertem chirurgischen Personal in Deutschland ist seit Jahren eine Herausforderung. Trotz verschiedener Initiativen, um die Attraktivität der chirurgischen Weiterbildungen zu erhöhen, bestehen weiterhin Probleme, motivierte und qualifizierte Ärzt*innen für die Chirurgie zu gewinnen. Um passgenaue Angebote zur Nachwuchsgewinnung zu entwickeln, müssen die Entscheidungsfaktoren bekannt sein. Ziel: Darstellung der geschlechtsspezifischen und geschlechtsübergreifenden Gründe für die Wahl einer chirurgischen Facharztweiterbildung. Methode: Im Rahmen eines Scoping Reviews wurden über PubMed sowie einer anschließenden Rückwärtssuche Studien zur Beantwortung der Forschungsfrage identifiziert. Die aus den Studien extrahierten Daten wurden narrativ zusammenfasst und Kategorien herausgearbeitet. Ergebnisse: Die Auswertung von 12 Studien ergab, dass Männer und Frauen aufgrund der Merkmale des chirurgischen Fachs, personenbezogener Faktoren und Faktoren der Weiterbildungsstelle Chirurg*in werden möchten. Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede konnten ebenfalls identifiziert werden. Es werden konkrete Maßnahmen vorgeschlagen, um Nachwuchs in der Chirurgie zu fördern." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Lundberg, Ian, Daniel Molitor & Jennie E. Brand (2025): The Causal Effect of Parent Occupation on Child Occupation: A Multivalued Treatment with Positivity Constraints. In: Sociological methods & research, Jg. 54, H. 4, S. 1435-1462. DOI:10.1177/00491241251338412

Abstract

"To what degree does parent occupation cause a child’s occupational attainment? We articulate this causal question in the potential outcomes framework. Empirically, we show that adjustment for only two confounding variables substantially reduces the estimated association between parent and child occupation in a U.S. cohort. Methodologically, we highlight complications that arise when the treatment variable (parent occupation) can take many categorical values. A central methodological hurdle is positivity: some occupations (e.g., lawyer) are simply never held by some parents (e.g., those who did not complete college). We show how to overcome this hurdle by reporting summaries within subgroups that focus attention on the causal quantities that can be credibly estimated. Future research should build on the longstanding tradition of descriptive mobility research to answer causal questions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mann, Anthony, Jonathan Diaz & Sara Zapata Posada (2025): Career readiness in Madrid, Spain. Insights from a survey of young adults (19-26). (OECD education working papers 331), Paris, 230 S. DOI:10.1787/73cdc17d-en

Abstract

"This paper reports the results of a survey of young adults aged 19-26 who were educated in the Community of Madrid, Spain. The study asks users of career guidance systems within secondary education to share perspectives on their usefulness from the vantage point of the labour market participation. The study finds that overwhelmingly respondents who participated in career development activities as teenagers found them to be useful to their post-secondary transitions with many stating that they were very useful. They wished however that they had received more support from their schools, especially with regard to practical activities related to integration into the working world. Analysis finds many strong relationships between participation in career development and the quality of transitions. It is less likely for young adults who engaged more deeply in career development as teenagers to report that they were Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) at the time of the survey and they expressed more positive attitudes about their transitions and the value of the support received from their schools." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Petzold-Rudolph, Kathrin, Marion Pohl, Christian Steib & Dina Kuhlee (2025): Attraktivität beruflicher Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildung aus der Perspektive von jungen Menschen mit und ohne Hochschulzugangsberechtigung. Befunde im Kontext der Programminitiative InnoVET. In: Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik - online H. 48, S. 1-26.

Abstract

"Die InnoVET-Programminitiative des BMBF förderte von 2021-2024 insgesamt 17 Verbundprojekte mit dem Ziel, die Attraktivität beruflicher Bildung insbesondere für leistungsstarke junge Menschen durch die Entwicklung innovativer beruflicher Bildungsformate v. a. im Bereich der Fort- und Weiterbildung zu stärken. Basierend auf empirischen Befunden einer Fragebogenerhebung der InnoVET-Begleitforschung diskutiert der Beitrag Attraktivitätsparameter, welche die Entscheidung für einen beruflichen Ausbildungs- und Karriereweg von Auszubildenden mit und ohne Hochschulzugangsberechtigung beeinflusst haben und wie die Auszubildenden die neukonzipierten Fortbildungsformate der InnoVET-Projekte hinsichtlich ihrer Attraktivität bewerten. Es zeigt sich, dass bei den Befragten ein hoher Bedarf an Informationen über berufliche Bildungswege existiert und für die Bildungswegentscheidung teils unterschiedliche Attraktivitätsparameter ausschlaggebend sind. Auch schreiben die Auszubildenden beruflichen Fort- und Weiterbildungen generell eine hohe Bedeutung zu, differenzieren allerdings deutlich hinsichtlich deren konzeptioneller Ausgestaltung. Die Befunde werden kritisch in den Forschungsstand eingeordnet und mit Blick auf die Zielstellungen der InnoVET-Programminitiative reflektiert." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Quintana, Rafael, Soojin Park & Suyeon Kang (2025): Causal decomposition analysis in disparities research: investigating the effect of self-efficacy on the gender gap in STEM. In: Quality & quantity, Jg. 59, H. 4, S. 3327-3351. DOI:10.1007/s11135-025-02110-0

Abstract

"The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields has been a subject of extensive research and policy debate. However, there is limited clarity regarding the specific mechanisms that generate these disparities, and which interventions are most effective in reducing the gap. In this study, we use causal decomposition analysis to estimate how the gender gap in STEM participation would change if we were to intervene on women’s self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics. Women tend to underestimate their abilities in math-related fields, which can affect their educational and career choices. The question we ask is to what extent the gender gap in individuals’ enrollment in STEM majors and identification with mathematics would be reduced if self-efficacy in mathematics were set to be equal across gender categories. The results suggest that equalizing this target factor will reduce the observed disparities in math identity by 53%, and in the enrollment of STEM majors by 2.5%. The modest influence of self-efficacy on enrollment disparities suggests that it is not the predominant factor. We discuss the implications of our empirical findings, as well as how causal decomposition analysis can benefit social and behavioral disparities research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Rolph, Chris, Samuel Williams & David Woolley (2025): A qualitative investigation into opportunity structures and disjuncture in the education-employment transition: ‘it’s scary, innit?’. In: Journal of education and work, Jg. 37, H. 7/8, S. 582-597. DOI:10.1080/13639080.2025.2487425

Abstract

"We present a small-scale qualitative study of the transition from full time education to employment, focusing on young people who are just approaching this phase of their lives. We explore their understanding of this milestone through a series of focus groups. We also interviewed significant professionals working with young people: school teachers, careers leaders, and local employers. From the responses we identify four common themes: hopes and dreams; careers advice; industry links; and work readiness. While these themes were common to all of our participant groups, the articulation and understanding of them differed, such that adult views contribute to social structures that potentially reduce opportunity, reinforcing the sense of disjuncture for young people. Adult respondents underestimated the aspirations of young people and mistook expectations for ambitions. Both employers and those working in schools recognised a need for improved education-industry links, but there was a mutual sense of incapacity to make this happen, and different understandings of what it might mean to be work ready. Systemic failings appear to exacerbate difficulties faced by children whose families might struggle to support them as they navigate the education to employment transition." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"This report sets out key findings from PISA as they relate to teenage career development. The report shows that across OECD countries, students are now expressing very high levels of career uncertainty and confusion. Job expectations have changed little since 2000 and bear little relationship to actual patterns of labour market demand, including in working areas of high strategic importance. The education plans of students moreover are more strongly shaped by social background than by academic performance. Many students understandably exhibit considerable anxiety about their career preparation. Wider longitudinal research shows that participation in many career development activities is positively associated with better employment outcomes. However, PISA shows that too few students in most countries are engaging in activities which are most strongly related with better transitions. In particular, young people are not getting enough guidance in crucial fields which connect them with employers and people in work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schneck, Stefan (2025): The Origins of Entrepreneurship: How Parental Role Models and Socialization Shape Later Entrepreneurial Intentions. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 1233), Berlin, 34 S.

Abstract

"This exploratory study examines the effects of parental socialization and parental role models at ages 7 to 10 on the entrepreneurial intentions of their children in adolescence. Analysis of German household data and more than 1,400 observations shows a moderation effect between parental role models and socialization. An adolescent's willingness to become self-employed in the future is influenced by parental role models and moderated by parental child-rearing practices related to risk-taking during childhood. While child-rearing practices not focused on risk-avoidance reinforce the parental role model effect and increase an adolescent's intentions to become self-employed, parental child-rearing practices geared toward risk aversion nullify any positive effects of having self-employed parents as role models. Parental socialization during childhood thus casts a long-term shadow and may explain why some children with self-employed parents have as little intention of becoming self-employed as children of employees. Early parental socialization practices may, thus, contribute to explaining the lack of willing entrepreneurs and family business successors." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))