Forty-five percent of baby boomers say they're entrepreneurially spirited while 41 percent of Generation X employees and 32 percent of Generation Y employees agree, according to a new survey by Monster.com.
"The Internet has created unique entrepreneurial opportunities, not just for millennials but for all generations of workers," says Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding and author of Promote Yourself. "We don't see the same barriers to entry to starting a new business as we saw 10 years ago. Everyone has the technology to connect, and now all you need is an innovative idea and a website to create a startup."
Despite this, younger respondents are generally more attracted to startups and smaller companies in exchange for greater creative freedom and decision-making abilities. Among all respondents, nearly one-third of respondents say they have the freedom, flexibility and resources to work as an intrapreneur, which is someone acting as an entrepreneur within an organization.
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Slightly more Generation Y respondents report that they have management support to become intrapreneurs. Forty-two percent of respondents agree that opportunities are available to work on projects beyond their direct responsibilities, but only 23 percent of respondents say they are encouraged to do so.
"This survey revealed that the entrepreneurial spirit resides in all of us and across all generations of workers" says Jeffrey Quinn, vice president of Global Monster Insights. "Whether it's a direct result of the current economy or a person's independent drive, we are seeing more and more people across generations starting their own businesses as alternatives to traditional jobs or careers. Employer retention strategies could benefit from creating environments that encourage entrepreneurial culture and opportunities for workers."
The survey also finds that only 28 percent of Generation Y respondents consider themselves high risk as opposed to 40 percent of Generation X respondents and 43 percent of baby boomer respondents. This could be attributed to the fact that Generation Y respondents see their jobs as temporary. In fact, 55 percent of Generation Y respondents say their current employers are a single "step" within their career paths. Only 26 percent of Generation Y respondents say they agree or strongly agree that they plan to stay with their current employers for the long term.
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