Publications

Working Paper

Using a representative sample of the Swedish male population from 1966 to 2006, we study whether native “skills” make it easier for individuals to cope with major economic and social disruptions.

The authors distinguish between social and cognitive skills, using the decision to become an entrepreneur as our empirical setting. They find that social skills foster entrepreneurial activity, but their impact depends upon the environmental conditioning of the individual.

When an economic disruption occurs – opening of the Öresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden – social skills foster a more flexible mindset and help to adjust to the change in the environment.

Download PDF