BECOMING SELF-EMPLOYED

This study explored how persons become self-employed. In critical inci dent interviews (Flanagan, 1954) with 5 self-employed persons, the cri tical events that assisted or hindered progress toward self-employment were elicited in chronological order. First, the 108 incidents were o rganized into 22 categories. Next, using the chronological order of ca tegories of events, 2 basic patterns or plots for becoming self-employ ed were identified. Last, 8 distinctive themes of personal progress in the patterns were described. In general, becoming self-employed invol ved establishing conditions of action that enhanced a sense of agency, enabling each person to make a decision.