An individual’s mental well-being refers to the individual’s psychological state in terms of cognitive thoughts and affective feeling about life. It is strongly connected to work motivation, commitment, and capacity. Mental well-being is particularly critical for entrepreneurs, who often need to rely on their own cognitive evaluations, affective responses, and behavioral actions to pursue successful ventures. Entrepreneurs’ mental well-being is a new and exciting field in the entrepreneurship literature. As expected in new fields, most studies have focused on cross-sectional or qualitative case studies. We still lack rigorous longitudinal studies focusing on the development of individuals’ mental well-being along entrepreneurship career paths, including entry, process, and outcomes. Therefore, we still do not have a clear understanding of how an entrepreneurial career is influenced by and influences entrepreneurs’ mental well-being.

This research project aims to assess the development of an individual’s mental well-being along the entrepreneurial process. Specifically, this project will utilize longitudinal data to empirically examine the following research questions:

1. What is the influence of an individual’s choice of an entrepreneurial career on his/her own mental well-being?
2. What is the effect of an individual’s mental well-being on his/her own entrepreneurial outcome in terms of income?
3. What does an entrepreneur need to improve his/her own mental well-being during the entrepreneurial process?

We answer these research questions utilizing theories of job control and demand, self-determination, and cognitive behavior therapy. Empirically, we will answer these questions through two datasets: a) an existing archival longitudinal dataset built from the German population from 2002 to 2017 and b) a complementary longitudinal field experiment of entrepreneurs in Switzerland to explore the effect of psychological support on improving entrepreneurs’ mental well-being.

This research aims to contribute to our understanding of the dynamic relation between entrepreneurs’ mental well-being and new ventures, providing both theoretical and practical implications to effectively manage the entrepreneurial process.

Rauch, A., Fink, M., & Hatak, I. (2018) Stress processes: An essential ingredient in the entrepreneurial process Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(3) 340–357.