Invention Quality and Entrepreneurial Earnings: The Role of Prior Employment Variety
基于770位发明创业者的调查数据，研究发现职业多样性和行业多样性对发明质量有正向替代效应，但缺乏行业多样性反而与更高的创业收入相关。
We use creativity theory to analyze the effects of occupational job variety and industry variety on invention quality, and entrepreneurial earnings. We test our ideas with survey data from 770 inventor–entrepreneurs who commercialized their own inventions. Results suggest that occupational and industry variety substitute for each other in positively affecting invention quality whereas a lack of industry variety is associated with greater entrepreneurial earnings. Results are consistent with the idea that high levels of both occupational and industry variety enables the generation and discovery of inventions, but these ideas are usually not technically feasible or financially viable.