Fellowship duration: January 2011 - December 2012

Martin Obschonka joined the PATHWAYS programme in January 2011 and is based at the University of Jena, Germany. He completed his MA in psychology at the University of Hamburg, Germany in 2006. His diploma thesis focused on psychological distress among newly incarcerated adolescents. His interdisciplinary PhD thesis, which he wrote at the University of Jena, examined (1) entrepreneurial competence growth across adolescence and adulthood, (2) the role of an entrepreneurial personality profile for entrepreneurial behaviour and success in adulthood, and (3) the effect of early stimulating contexts on entrepreneurial competence growth.

Martin has published seven peer reviewed articles as first author in journals including Journal of Vocational Behavior and European Psychologist. He collaborates with innovation economists and economic geographers and has presented his work at both leading entrepreneurship and psychology conferences. His current research interests cover the fields of (1) entrepreneurial development across the life span, (2) personality and entrepreneurship, (3) regional aspects of entrepreneurial agency, and (4) psychosocial adjustment in times of rapid social and economic change.

Publications

Papers

Goethner, M., Obschonka, M., Silbereisen, R. K., & Cantner, U. (2012). Scientists’ transition to academic entrepreneurship: Economic and psychological determinants. Journal of Economic Psychology, 33(3), 628-641. FULL TEXT

Obschonka, M., Silbereisen, R. K., & Wasilewski, J. (2012). Constellations of new demands concerning careers and jobs: Results from a two-country study on social and economic change. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 211-223. FULL TEXT

Obschonka, M., Goethner, M., Silbereisen, R. K., & Cantner, U. (2012). Social identity and the transition to entrepreneurship: The role of group identification with workplace peers. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 137-147. FULL TEXT

Obschonka, M., Silbereisen R. K., & Schmitt-Rodermund, E. (2011). Successful entrepreneurship as developmental outcome: A path model from a life span perspective of human development. European Psychologist, 16(3), 174-186. FULL TEXT

Obschonka, M., Silbereisen, R. K., Schmitt-Rodermund, E., & Stuetzer, M. (2011). Nascent entrepreneurship and the developing individual: Early entrepreneurial competence in adolescence and venture creation success during the career. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79, 121-133 FULL TEXT

Kösters, S. & Obschonka, M. (2011). Public business advice in the founding process: An empirical evaluation of subjective and economic effects. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 29, 577-604. FULL TEXT

Obschonka, M., Wams, M., Schulte-Markwort, M., & Barkmann, C. (2010). Psychische Belastung bei deutschsprachigen jugendlichen und heranwachsenden Inhaftierten in der Hafteingangssituation [Psychological distress among German-speaking young prison inmates after imprisonment]. Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie, 59(2), 101-118.

Stuetzer, M., Obschonka, M., & Schmitt-Rodermund, E. (in press). Balanced skills among nascent entrepreneurs. Small Business Economics.doi: 10.1007/s11187-012-9423-2 FULL TEXT

Obschonka, M., Silbereisen, R. K., & Schmitt-Rodermund, E. (in press). Explaining entrepreneurial behavior: Dispositional personality traits, growth of personal entrepreneurial resources, and business idea generation. The Career Development Quarterly.

Obschonka, M. & Silbereisen, R. K. (revise & resubmit). The positive side of change: The positive side of change: The psychological role of gains in self-determination associated with today’s social and economic change.

Stuetzer, M., Obschonka, M., & Schmitt-Rodermund, E. (revise & resubmit). Ballanced skills among nascent entrepreneurs.

Stuetzer, M., Obschonka, M., Brixy, U., Sternberg, R., & Cantner, U. (revise & resubmit). Examining the black box between regions and individual entrepreneurship

Reports

Kösters, S. & Obschonka, M. (2010). Building winners? An empirical evaluation of public business assistance in the founding process. Jena Economic Research Papers 2010-025.

Upcoming Special Issue (Summer 2012):  

“Entrepreneurial development: Person and context” in International Journal of Developmental Science. Action Editors: Martin Obschonka and Rainer K. Silbereisen

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