Entrepreneurial Behaviour within Male Work Histories: A Sector-Specific Analysis

In this paper, aspects of entrepreneurship in Ireland—North and South—based upon a sample of 4300 male work histories are analysed. Complementary log-log models are employed to investigate the factors underlying the first business startup by an individual. A between-sector analysis of entrepreneurial behaviour is presented; the preceding employment experience of entrepreneurs is analysed; and their subsequent employment spell is examined. Results show that religious denomination is not associated with self-employment in any sectors, but that Anglicans are more likely to set up employer businesses outwith the construction industry. There are also spatial differences in entrepreneurial expression, with the highest levels of formation of employer business occurring throughout Northern Ireland and the Dublin region of the Republic.